IIN Health Coach {in training}

I am soooo late posting this, but it's been on my mind for at least 3+ months.

Back in June sometime, I enrolled at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition's July 2013 class. IIN’s year long, comprehensive curriculum covers over 100 dietary theories and combines counseling techniques with real-world business training. Its unique nutrition philosophy takes a holistic approach to wellness and encourages students to consider relationships, work, exercise, and spirituality as essential to building good health.

IIN's mission: 

Our mission is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.

By June of 2014 (once I pass all my tests and graduation requirements), I will be a certified health coach! There are so many things that have brought me to wanting this. There's no possible way I could cover them all (plus you'd get bored, I'm sure) so I'll just review what I feel are a few the top reasons that lead me not just to  enrolling but having this burning desire to join the health and wellness industry in attempts to change myself as well as many others.

• I want to become a more health conscious person. I am my first client. If you know me at all, you likely know that I'm the pickiest person. Ever. I know I need to eat vegetables and do better for myself, but for whatever reason, it's been a battle. I've been doing SO much better in the past few years (if you don't believe me, go back and read my posts from 2009 talking about what I was eating vs. my posts about what my meals are like now).
• I have worked in the health & wellness industry a little bit the last few years and I see a huge disconnect on what these "professionals" are preaching to their clients vs. what they are actually doing in their own lives. Some of what they are telling their clients is so far off base, I cannot comprehend how on earth they deem what they're saying as acceptable. It's apparent to me that the education they are verbalizing is straight from a Google search and not from any proper schooling. 
• I feel constantly surrounded by unhealthy people. Some of these people KNOW what they should do to help themselves, and they just don't do it. Some literally just don't know that what they're doing is bad for them and the long term negative effects it has on not only them, but the rest of their family and their own lives. 
• I want to gain understanding as to why I often feel tired and sick. I know for at least 98% certainty that it has to do with my diet, but what exactly is the culprit?
• I want to be able to help those closest to me, achieve optimal health. I already have a lot of friends and family come to me for advice and with questions and I'm so excited to finally be able to have real, educated answers for them!
• I want to be known as an educated professional and not just someone with strong opinions from personal experience. Completion of this school is going to be such an accomplishment for me!

One of the things that I love so much about this school, that I hadn't even considered a part of my health prior to enrolling, is that they teach what they call "primary foods". It's everything that feeds you in life, but doesn't come on a plate. We wrap it up in four categories: Relationship, Spirituality, Career, and Exercise.

I cannot begin to tell you how much happier I feel since having started this program. Really evaluating each aspect of my life, and working to create a balance in each area. I am working daily on my happiness, and it feels so good to see how effortless it can actually be! I feel confident in saying, that this very moment is the happiest I think I have ever been. Of course, I still have areas of my life which I wish to improve, but I'm taking the steps to get there and know it will happen eventually. 

I've been brainstorming a lot about what I want my "niche" to be and I have a lot of really great ideas, but that will have to wait for a later post since I still haven't decided for 100% just yet. Thankfully I still have about 6 more months before I need to lock that down :)

Thank you so much, for taking the time to read through this post and learning more about what I've been doing the past few months. Please feel free to comment or contact me directly if you have any questions you want to ask! I hope you have a very happy and healthy day!

xoxoxoxo

- Abbey 

Happy 3 year anniversary to me and NYC!

Ho. Ly. Shit.
I have lived in New York City for exactly three years (plus a few days now). Is anyone else as shocked and surprised as I am?! Not to say that I thought I'd have left by now (maybe some of you thought I would have. Ha! Joke's on you!) I just can't believe that it's already been three years.

Time has absolutely flown by. If I'm being perfectly honest, it feels more like 5 years.
Let's recap a bit and relive some of my "for better or for worse" New York City moments...

Number of neighborhoods I lived in: 5
Number of roommates I've lived with (total): 11*/12 if you count Beefcake ;)*not including the entire Brownings staff for the summer of '11 & '12
Number of jobs I've had: 4
Number of best friends I've made who have moved back home: 4 (sad face)
Number of times I've been mugged: 0 (yay! go me! not all my friends can say the same...)
Number of celebrities I've seen: 20+ (I think I'm forgetting about a few)

I know it's kind of silly, but each year, I like to do something to celebrate the anniversary. My first year, I went out with some of my teammates to 123 Burgers Shots Beers, it was all very last minute, thrown together, but a fun evening none the less. Last year, for my second anniversary, I was "living" in Southampton working for the gym. I don't even remember if I did anything, but I don't think I did. Something about not actually being in the city... it didn't feel right.
But this year, I wanted to make sure that the occasion was celebrated. And it seemed only fitting to spend it with the person who has been in on this crazy journey with me since day 1, my great friend from high school and old roommate, Alaina. About 9 months to a year before my feet landed on the streets of NYC, I called Alaina and said something like "I know in high school, you talked a lot about wanting to move to NYC... Do you think you'd still wanna do that? Yes? Great. Let's go!"

It also seemed to make the most sense to spend this day with one of the greatest friends I have had the honor of making since I moved here, and her supremely amazing husband, Tanya and Danny. Tanya and I met through "ladies who brunch" meetup and have been best friends ever since.

I asked them all to meet me in Central Park's Sheep's Meadow and that I'd be there with pizza from my favorite pizza joint and champagne. We spent the afternoon indulging in said goodies along with the fresh meats and cheeses, cheesecake and berries that my "party guests" brought with them. Before it was time to part ways, I ended up hopping on Danny's bike for my first official bike ride in NYC! (yes, I own my own bike, but I've never ridden it IN the city)
After letting all of the food settle and a quick catnap I decided to get off my lazy butt and get in a sunset run, even though I had come to terms with taking a rest day.

And I'm so happy I did. It ended up being a beautiful run and I got to explore new areas of Riverside Park that I'd never been to before!

All in all I'd say that my 3rd NYC anniversary was a success.
Thank you to everyone that I've met here who have helped write a piece of each page of this crazy story. I've been told that NYC has a notorious "three year itch" so I'm eager to see what the next year brings along and what will happen for me in the next three years.

Pssssst! Did you notice that my blog got a little face lift? It's still currently under construction, but will become more and more solidified in the coming year. I now have TABS! You can browse through even more parts of my life by clicking on each of them. Definitely take a look at the "health coach" tab in the near future as that tab will surely see some significant growth :D