Honesty is the Best Policy

Today was another tough day for me.  With running low on money, hours getting cut at work, and still doing my internship without getting credit; I am one hot mess.  I am diligently looking for a new job, but the same predicament from the early summer is following me (very few places are hiring).  I have decided that I need to keep my spirits up and keep a positive focus so something will come along, whether it be in the health field or not.  I just NEED a job!

That being said, all of these thoughts came after a really hard day, and I'll be honest with you.  Although I am studying nutrition, I still have my days in which I can not control myself.  For whatever reason, when stress knocks, ahem pounds on the door so hard it flies open, I turn to food.  The good news is that I acknowledge this issue.  The bad news is that I am still working on a way to teach myself new and healthier habits.  After binge #1 today (at Parmida) I began feeling more sorry for myself, got home and began on binge #2 (cookies, chocolate, chips, anything sweet/salty to basically 'punish' myself for binge #1).  Proceeding that, I called my mom, who is always a great help, and she helped calm me down.  We talked things through and I am going to schedule an appointment to see a nutritionist.  It is not healthy what I am doing to my body and I know that, which is why I get even more upset with myself and just continue to binge throughout the day.

The good news here, though, is that I am planning on using this experience that I am going through to write a short book to give to my future clients when they are having similar problems.  It is a real issue that affects many people, so I wanted to be able to share my story with you just in case someone else needs help as well.  As will everything else in life, the first step is admitting your fault.

I did end up going for a quick (1.3 mile) run and then walked to the grocery store (about another 3 miles round trip) to buy some lettuce for Gus (Andrew and my tortoise, in case you forgot - I haven't mentioned her in a while!)  I feel much better now and I think I'm going to have a cup of peppermint tea.

Speaking of peppermint tea...

According to Harvard and many other scholarly articles/journals, peppermint has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes to cure many common ailments; especially in the stomach.  So the next time you are feeling stressed or have a stomach ache, grab a cup of peppermint tea or pop a peppermint lozenge in your mouth to calm yourself (they say peppermint also stimulates the mind, so you might want to try those ideas right before a test as well).

Luana ola!

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