Are you ready to let your inner goddess run free? Are you ready to feel sexy and alive?
I went to a holiday party and was amazed by the happy glow of my friend and pr darling Stacy. She was so radiant - she was toned, energetic and had an inner healthy glow that lit the room like a candle. I asked her what her secret was to looking so goddess-like. She pointed with a satisfied smile to Amanda, her holistic health and nutrition counselor and founder of Urban Goddess Health.
Of course, at the time, my plate poured high with delicious mini sirloin burgers, sweet potato pancakes and pigs-in-the blanket so I hightailed it out of there. It hit me that many of my food choices lately were actually defeating all my lifestyle goals. I began to notice a lot of changes in my own body and I’ve been feeling really tired and moody. The fistfuls of French fries and the bottle of wine at dinner could not longer go unnoticed. I’ve always heard about metabolism slowing down. Could this be it?
“At each decade, we notice what we could do when we were younger, doesn’t work anymore,” Amanda told me over the phone.
A big part of Amanda’s program is following the basic principals of ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine native to India. What also spoke to me about Amanda’s philosophy, and what I believe is relevant for a woman in her 40s, was not only the importance of food, but how it could help you to literally love the skin you’re in.
To begin, Amanda, who spoke in such a calming manner I immediately felt at ease, said clients start on a two-week detox program that is designed to pull you away from your old dietary habits and to cleanse the palette. Amanda said this is an important part of the process and can help you to become more sensitive to the foods you’re taking in and the effects they have on your body. “You need to be giving juice back to the body,” Amanda said.
She said women need to eat not only mineral-rich leafy greens, vegetables and fresh fruits, but also have the right amount of appropriate fats to give you that glow.
Naturally, Amanda is all about the quality of the food, not at all about counting calories. “When you’re eating those foods that are all about calorie counts, they don’t have the nutrients your body needs and you’re going to hit a wall because your body isn’t getting the nutritional punch it needs,” she said. “If you’re getting the right quality foods, you don’t need to quantify it,” she said.
Amanda, who received her training and certification at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, also said a big part of her program’s success is when you incorporate a yoga routine in your life and do less spinning and other aerobic activities. She explained that as we age, we all naturally get drier and warned the constant sweating that happens while you exercise can deplete your body of it’s natural juices and could cause you to look less vibrant. “Women in their 40s try to do the right thing by exercising, but they are working themselves too hard and could dry themselves out,” she said.
For most women, balancing work, family, relationships and exercise is cause for a lot of hair pulling. However, Amanda tells her clients to put inner peace and a place of calmness at the center.
To achieve this, take the time to prepare delicious, healthy foods and participate in deep-breathing yoga. Feeding your soul with all this goodness is sure to help you to slow down and grow spiritually. And with the helping hand of this insightful and kind nutritionist, your insights of who you are will soar.
“When you make these changes with food, your whole life changes and you start to become more aware of how you feel with all outside stimulants,” Amanda said.
Turning 40 has been a wake up call for sure. Now is the right time to take control back of the food we're taking in and to slow things down, live in the present and really enjoy life.
It’s time we discover our inner goddess and truly shine! Are you ready to join me?
UPDATED TO ADD: Amanda is offering my fabulous readers a 20% discount in doing a cleanse or a program with her.
