Nourish With Stacie

There was once a time in my life where I was so hyper-focused on the way I was eating, with the belief it would help me heal. I was eating “clean,” moving my body, bio-hacking, and taking all the supplements. I was neglecting so many other areas of my life that are essential for nourishment – which is what sustains and keeps us well.

During the time of my struggles and extreme imbalance, I happened to be studying to become an integrative nutrition health coach. In the beginning of the 12-month program, we were introduced to the idea of “primary” and “secondary” food – primary involving financial health, relationships, regular physical activity, home-cooking, education, a fulfilling career, and a spiritual practice. Secondary food refers to the food on our plates. I started to recognize that I was neglecting many of these areas, and as I began to nourish myself in some of the primary foods, my health started to improve significantly. It took me some time to integrate this practice, but now that I have created my own system, I have discovered how critical it is to nourish our WHOLE beings. I see this more and more as I work with clients on their health goals. Regardless of their health goals, we cannot solely focus on food and exercise to understand how we nourish ourselves.

Holistic and integrative nutrition looks at the whole person and all aspects of nourishment central to well-being- spirituality, career/growth, creativity, fun, nutrition/hydration, personal development, physical activity, family/relationships, and sleep/rest&energy.

An integral part of my practice is guiding clients to self-discovery by listening to their inner knowing and understanding of what is serving and nourishing us.

I created this whole-being wellness wheel visual to use as a tool for checking in with where you are feeling nourished from week to week, month to month, year to year, etc.… It was inspired by wheels I have learned about through @nutritionschool and @muihealth! This is an evolving concept that reflects how everything is interconnected.

Perhaps you try placing a dot between each category’s outer and inner circumference. The closer the dot is to the outer edge of the circle, the more nourished you feel in that area. Conversely, if the dot is closer to the center, that area may need attention. Remember, it’s normal for the circle to be incomplete, as it’s ever-evolving. This is just here to serve as a tool for self-inquiry and perhaps prompt you to integrate practices that may nourish the areas that need attention.

Where we are at in each area will likely change throughout the weeks/months/years. How do you feel about where you are at in each area? Which areas would you like to give more attention to?

We are cyclical, and it’s likely that the shape of will shift throughout the seasons of our lives. 

When things feel out of balance, I invite you to check in with each area and discover what needs some tending to. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need ideas for feeling more supported in any of these areas.

xo 

Stacie