Institute for Integrative Nutrition – Page 2

Know your MSG

If you are someone that suffers from chronic migraines or high blood pressure, you should be aware that consuming MSG is a major trigger for both of these conditions. It’s not enough to check that there is no monosodium glutamate listed on the box or bag you just picked up. MSG goes by many different names. Here is list of some of the aliases that the food industry tries to slide past us, never mind the health risks.

-Hydrolyzed protein
-Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
-Sodium caseinate
-Yeast extract
-Hydrolyzed oat flour
-Yeast nutrient
-Autolyzed yeast
-Textured vegetable protein
-Calcium caseinate
-Yeast food

But did you also know that MSG can be hiding in harmless looking words (spices, seasoning, artificial flavors, natural flavors and flavoring)?

Basically, the only way to tell if you are getting MSG free food is to either not buy anything that comes in a package or make sure that each ingredient is clearly listed. For example, if the box lists the spices it contains (salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, basil…) go for it. If it literally says “spices” in the ingredient list, skip it!

Wow!

What an amazing weekend this has been! The inspiration alone has been groundbreaking. My present and future have opened up to me like a gorgeous, vibrant lotus flower. This has never really happened for me before. To see my year laid out so clearly and to feel so sure about every step that I will be taking, it’s an incredible endorphin rush. I’m trying to not be too obnoxious about it with my husband. I don’t want to overwhelm him with my giddiness, but it’s so hard to hold it in.

First, there will be my vlog series that will be featured here and on YouTube. That will be starting up within the next couple of months. Then there is the knowledge that by the end of this summer I will be a certified health coach, able to lead clients to their own brighter future. And most recently, I have begun writing my first book! This is perhaps the scariest and most exciting of all my goals for this year.

I am embracing that fear and turning it into exilhiration and drive. By stepping outside of my comfort zone, I am able to reach new heights that I never dreamed could be possible! Being a published author has always been on my bucket list, but until now, it never felt realistic. Now it’s more of a need to get my message out in to the world, to create a ripple in the sea of collective consciousness. See, told you I was giddy.

Lastly, when logging in to write this post, I was greeted by a notice that traffic to my blog has exploded beyond anything it’s had before. Now, I’m not one to usually care or even notice how many views I get a day. I like to stay grounded and write because I love to write. However, I must admit that seeing the stats today gave me a rush of pride and a renewed conviction for my life’s direction.

So, thank you everyone for making a glorious weekend even brighter. I hope that you are feeling even a fraction of the excitement for life that fills me today.

I’d love to hear what is new and good in your life that is making you feel like dancing today!

Back To School

Today I started my new journey to become a certified health coach. I’ve finally begun my online courses at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. They have started us out nice and easy as to not scare us away with a heavy work load all at once, but we’ve been assured that very soon we will very busy little health nuts. We’ve been advised that we should consider ourselves to be entering medical school. Tell friends and family that they won’t be seeing as much of us and that we won’t have as much free time for social engagements as we use to. This is both scary and exciting to think about. This has been my dream for so long that I do want to go all in. Now, I just need the courage and stamina to get it done and come out the other side ready to inspire others.

Last week I created a daily schedule for myself so that I can stay on track and get everything done. Cooking, child rearing, car pooling, studying, exercise, meditation and yes, the occasional social engagement. Today got off to a bit of a rocky start as just at the beginning of it I learned that a dear friend’s mother passed away. It threw me. I lost my footing for a couple of hours as I have known and loved this family for 20 years. As I did eventually get back to my tightly made schedule, she and my friend remained constantly in my thoughts. I was able to get a large chunk of this week’s module done and have determined how much time I will need to dedicate to the remaining assignment.

Other than mourning my friend’s loss, I am feeling pretty solid about today. To all the children and adults going back to school this fall I say, stay focused. There will always be outside forces that can easily knock you off course. Just remember what your goal is. My goal is to graduate a year from now with more nutritional knowledge and a greater ability to guide others to a longer, happier life.