Writing this newsletter, I realize this won’t be the only time I declare I made 50 this year as in 6 months from now I will clock in at a half century! Yikes!
Today, however, it is not so dramatic as this is just the 50th newsletter I have created over the past year! Regardless, it feels like an accomplishment! Because of you, we are here together, thus, my deepest gratitude goes out to you for your support! I decided for this milestone I would like to share a little bit more about my own personal “jam” and what drives me to connect with you!
The Wellness Warrior Blog is a creative pursuit of pure love. It doesn’t provide income, I am not a food blogger or influencer nor am I sponsored with ads or affiliate links. It is my time and contribution. I am simply here for the love of wellness, playing in the kitchen, being curious and sharing my passion with you in hopes that you, too, will find your “sweet treats”!
Generally, my goal is to connect with my readers weekly with mindful tips to wellness and healthy recipes but that doesn’t always happen. Life is busy and dynamic and I don’t resist the metaphorical flow down the river of my life. I just try my best to avoid the log jams along the way whenever possible!
When it comes to Health and Wellness, my approach is mindful, holistic and realistic and this is how I engage through my own days. I try to walk my talk.
If you have followed me along and occasionally check out my recipes you will have likely noticed that I don’t promote one specific way of eating over another. I am not vegan or even vegetarian but I do share recipes that are nutrient dense and lean towards whole foods. I use very few packaged ingredients and prefer to prepare most things from scratch. Just ask my kids, they grew up in what they refer to as an “ingredient house”! No pizza pops in my freezer! I encourage a diet that limits unhealthy ingredients such as sugar, processed and packaged items, unhealthy fats and processed meats, dairy, wheat and “white” foods. In fact, you won’t even find recipes that are wheat based in my blog as I, personally, do better without it so my blog recipes are full of gluten free recipe options.
As a health and Wellness Coach and a Mom for over 24 years, I do have an exceptional bias towards filling your plate with all the good stuff like bright and colourful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and ferments. Eating whole foods does not mean giving up the enjoyment of tasty and comforting foods. I invite the challenge of experimenting with alternative and healthier versions of the foods we love so I can share them with you for a more wholesome options for you and your family! I equally like to keep it simple by sharing recipes “you can make with your eyes closed” 😉
I like the 80/20 rule as life is for living and a deprivation approach isn’t easily attainable. Experiences are meant to be had and I would be lying if I said I didn’t love red wine, chocolate, cheese and french fries, along with a travel adventure now and again! I also am not a sleak and slender nearly 50! It is all about striking the balance in the indulgences and I am guilty of slipping more than I would like to admit. My motto is “if you get off track, bring it on back”!
I do my best to support local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), fresh farm markets, organic products and seasonal eating. I am also a strongly passionate environmentalist and do my very darnedest everyday to minimize my consumerism, reduce my plastic dependancy, limit hazardous cleaning chemicals and use only natural body care products. I swear by Castile soap for just about everything! If I had a magic wand and could make any wish come true, it would be that the human race realized how precious Mother Earth is and started protecting her instead of destroying her. My distaste for the selfishness of humans does get me down on occasion.
My greatest shield is gratitude, even on the days I find difficult. As a blind person, some days can feel more challenging than others and the losses of independence, hard. I accept this and I choose to “see” all my many blessings. I am surrounded with love and support. What I value the most, aside from the life giving planet that supports us, is my family and friends, my cats, my amazing Guide Dog and my partner in crime who is my best friend and ally. Life is about the love we create, afterall.
I love my work as an RMT and a Health and Wellness Coach, both of which bring me a sense of purpose and contribution to the well-being of others. Constructing this newsletter and exploring fun and healthy recipes along with pathways to living in a mindful and healthy way is all apart of what feels good to me and this is why I do it!
If you made it this far, again, I want to thank you for your support and I do hope that somewhere along the way in one of these posts you find a gem that inspires you and reminds you of the blessing and joys of this wild ride we call life! It is truly a magical mystery tour!
Happy 50!
If you want another more personal read, check out this post I wrote on my journey through vision loss, it is real, raw and, well…me!
Yours in Gratitude,
Karyn