Roger and I were talking yesterday about the quality of our life and relationship. He turns 36 on Friday (!!), and over the last few years, he has realllllllly made the connection between how he cares for his body and how he feels.
When he was introduced to my lifestyle 11 years ago, it was hard at first. He wasn’t used to sleeping 8 hours, prioritizing healthy fats, drinking green smoothies, eating a protein-rich breakfast (or ANY breakfast!), meditating, drinking allll the water and working out daily. But over time, he’s created a wonderfully healthy lifestyle for himself and it shows. His skin glows, his eyes shine, his body is lean and muscular and he wakes up with energy and a smile (I’m serious, this guy never wakes up in a bad mood!).
During our conversation, he shared that if he gave up on this lifestyle and went back to drinking daily, eating nachos and beer for lunch, rarely exercising and staying up until 2 am, that I should leave him. That it wouldn’t be fair to me for him to choose behaviours that lead to illness and disease while I’m committed to staying healthy and vibrant through my lifestyle choices.
Although we aren’t married, we’re committed to one another, and he said, “I don’t believe in, ‘in sickness and in health’. I don’t agree with that. It should be, ‘I promise to do everything I can to be the healthiest I can be, for myself and for you, for the rest of my life’.”
While I also know we would certainly be there for one another if we did become sick, if you know me at all, you’ll know his revised vow was music to my ears. Not only because what he shared is so deeply aligned with the way I feel about my health and its importance in our relationship (almost everything we like to do is activity/health-related), but because this mindset isn’t something Roger has always had! Remember, he was a nacho-eating, beer-drinking, non-exercising, night-owl! It inspires me to no end to feel his passion about his health and he motivates me to be my best self every day.
While we have exactly zero guarantees when it comes to developing illness or disease, we have so much more control over our health than we may even realize or admit. And I appreciated what Roger was saying. He was making the case for practicing radical self care in order to be the BEST we can be in our lives and hence be able to show up for our loved ones as our best, healthiest versions of ourselves (mentally, emotionally AND physically).
And while life will surely throw us curveballs, making choices that support good health can absolutely guarantee a better quality of life NOW. And now is the only time there is.
Nourishing and nurturing these bodies–these ANIMALS–feels GOOD. Really good. Even if we don’t see the results we want to see in just one meal or one day or one week, our bodies definitely feel the difference when we treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve. It’s a relationship we cultivate with them, after all, and a healthy lifestyle doesn’t happen by accident. We have to actively engage with our bodies and our brains. We need to work on our mindset to even have the DESIRE to do what our bodies need us to do. And these bodies of ours REALLY DO have very specific needs.
They NEED us to drink water. They are 60% water and need constant replenishing.
They NEED us to move. They were literally designed to move.
They NEED us to eat REAL food because it’s the stuff they can actually use (and that keeps us feeling amazing and staying healthy!)
They NEED us to sleep so that they can rest and repair.
They NEED us to spend time in nature (because we ARE nature).
They NEED us to reduce stress in as many ways possible and to find more joy in our lives because if we can’t find joy, then what’s the point to living?
I absolutely love the work I get to do. I did this work before I even knew I was doing it! I’ve been sharing tips, strategies, recipes and inspiration for as long as I’ve been on my wellness journey (over 18 years!), and I’ll keep doing it as long as I’m alive and able. I love the conversations I get to have. And I love the connections people make between what they DO (and don’t do) and how they FEEL.
Feeling really is believing.
If YOU are ready to embark on a wellness journey, or if you’re looking to find others who have started, I invite you to join my FREE One Bite At A Time private Facebook group. We’d love to have you with us. 🙂 You’ll find many of my best strategies that keep me on track and you can also grab a copy of my Recipe Guide with over 90 tested recipes when you join!
And if you’re ready to feel better than you have in years (or decades) and want to take a deep dive with me and a group of like-minded others where we work through a 12 week program designed to have you creating a life you LOVE, then I invite you to learn more about my flagship group coaching program called OBAAT. No diets. No products to buy. Just a common-sense (and FUN!) approach to wellness that will empower, motivate and inspire you towards becoming your healthiest self.
Because we get ONE.
And because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.
P.S. Here’s the link again to my FREE Facebook group called One Bite At A Time, where we share tips, resources and inspiration within a community of others seeking greater health+energy. Join us!
P.P.S.  And here's the link again to my OBAAT group coaching program, all done online. If you’ve been curious about the program and want to learn the BEST of what I've used in my own life to live with more food- and body-freedom, then I invite you to learn more. We start on Tuesday, September 8th, 2020 and live calls are every Wednesday at 7 pm ET (and if you can't make it live, you can catch the replay). I’d love to schedule a call to chat and you can visit OBAATCoaching.com to view the curriculum and read testimonials.
P.P.P.S. Join ONCE, stay FOREVVVER! That’s right! Once you join OBAAT ONE time, you get lifetime access to ALL future rounds of coaching. FOR FREE. Some of my students have been with me since the very first round as a way to go deeper, learn more, connect with others and continue to stay on the path. I love that. 🙂
P.P.P.P.S. Here are a bunch of the Frequently Asked Questions I get about my program. Let me know if you have any others by emailing me at Sarah@SarahTalksFood.com.
FAQs
Do you only coach women? Nope! I coach people with a human body and my programs are applicable to everyone. We are an inclusive group and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in our spaces.
Do you only coach people in recovery or those who are overweight? No. I coach all people who are seeking a healthier lifestyle and who want to live with more freedom around food, sugar, weight and their body. Often, people who do my program have either quit drinking or want to quit drinking/cut down and/or lose weight, and I work with anyone who is contemplating making a health change, no matter how that looks for them.Â
Is your program offered in person or online? Online. You can live anywhere and access it!
What is your program about? My program is essentially MY personal recovery program; the one I patchworked together for myself 18+ years ago and all the way up to today! I share the best of what I've learned from the many teachers, coaches, experts and healers who have lit my path as well as the countless books I've read, documentaries I've watched, and research I've conducted (both primary and secondary) that's all complimented my education to become a health coach.
I believe in a holistic approach, so we don't isolate the physical from the mental and emotional; we work through exercises designed to help us integrate all aspects of ourselves and to heal in a way that allows us to move out of our past & future, and into the present; the only thing we ever have. You can see the entire curriculum at OBAATCoaching.com by clicking "Learn More" and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at Sarah@SarahTalksFood.com.
Who are you and what do you teach? I'm Sarah! And I'm a woman in long-term recovery from alcohol addiction. I went from being a pack-a-day smoker, nightly drinker, and late-night junk food eater to a woman who cares for--and about--herself in ways I truly never thought possible. I became a health coach to share my best practices--everything that worked really well for me in my life around mindset, fitness and food after I got sober 18+ years ago. Along with teaching my students the basics of nutrition, how to navigate the world of sugar, meal-planning 101, and cooking easy recipes together, we learn how to soothe our emotions without food and we go below the surface to understand ourselves and our behaviors better. We learn healthier ways to communicate, we learn to be more purposeful with our time, we learn to let things go, and we learn how to never, ever, ever go "on" or "off" a diet again. Ever. (Hint: because they work in the exact opposite way than we think they do!)
I've tried everything to lose weight. How is your program different? The biggest difference with my program is that it's got nothing to do with dieting, restricting or sacrificing. It's all about learning to cultivate a relationship with our bodies. I've cultivated a relationship of deep love and trust with my body and I teach others how to do the same with theirs. Caring for and nurturing our incredible, resilient, forgiving, capable, powerful bodies (and BRAINS!) is the most loving thing we can do.
While it's not really about the food, but rather our mindset and behaviors around food, we certainly talk food all the way along because we still need to make sure we fully understand food and the way it works in the body (and brain!). Doing so makes creating a healthy lifestyle so much easier! It allows us to start wherever we are and know that every single decision we make to nourish and nurture our bodies, counts. The opposite is also true. In my program, we work to arrive at a place where we feel a sense of love and reverence for our body.
How long does your program run and does it run year round? OBAAT runs for 12 weeks and is held 4 times a year, seasonally. The next (Fall) session starts on Tuesday September 8th and ends on Sunday, November 29th, 2020. Once you enroll ONE time, you get unlimited FREE access to ALL future group rounds of OBAAT that I run. Some of my students have been with me since the very beginning as a way for them to stay inspired, motivated, accountable as well as being able to dig deeper into the emotional work of the program.
How much does your program cost? My program costs $497 USD which works out to about $6 per day over 12 weeks. Remember, you get FREE access if you choose to go through any future rounds of OBAAT, so that price could end up being much, much lower. 🙂
What does the program entail/What comes with it? The program consists of 12 weekly lessons, or "trainings" delivered via video inside your Private Member Portal. Each training is between 30 minutes and an hour in length. Each week, you'll be assigned homework and mid-week, you'll have a live coaching call with me, via Zoom; You'll receive a digital copy of my Recipe Guide; a private Facebook group for your group alone--a great place to find community and accountability partners; a digital copy of my book upon completion; and access to me inside the private Facebook group, or via email or text, if needed between weekly live calls.
How much time each week should I set aside for this program? Plan for 30-60 mins to watch the training. As for the assignments, you'll find they vary widely from person to person and based on how deep you want to go/how much time you want to spend cooking, etc. So, it's completely up to each student how much time they spend.
When are the weekly trainings available?The first one in the September 2020 round goes up on September 8th. After that, tranings become available every Monday at 5 am ET. They are located inside your private member portal.
When are the live calls? For the September 2020 group, they run on Wednesday nights at 7 pm ET.
How do I access the live calls? We use Zoom. There will be a link that we'll use every week that I will email you and also share in our private Facebook group.
What if I can't make it to a Wednesday class? You are encouraged to block it off in your schedule as it's your opportunity to ask questions and receive coaching, but if you can't make it to a live class, not to worry! You can always catch the replay (and ask me questions ahead of time in the Facebook group, if you like).
Does everyone see and hear me on their computers? Only if you want us to. You can turn your camera and your microphone off, if you like, but you're welcome to share and we create safe spaces.
Do you offer refunds? After 12 weeks, if you have completed the assignments and done the work and you truly feel you haven't benefited from OBAAT, then by all means, I will refund your money.*
Do you only coach people of a certain age? No. I coach adults from age 18 to 118 (no offence to 119 year olds) 😉
*I ask to see proof of assignment completion before issuing a refund.
Leave A Response