Food Matters
By Heather Leigh Brown
Licensed Massage Therapist, and Holistic Health Coach
Licensed Massage Therapist, and Holistic Health Coach
As I was going through a stack of magazines for the vision board creation week we're having at The Soul's Garden in Norwalk, Iowa in January, this issue of Mindful magazine jumped out at me. (All photos are from the Mindful magazine, April 2015 issue.)
My intention is to inspire the public, my teenage sons and my clients about why food matters and how we can each get excited about how food can transform our minds, bodies, communities, and relationships.
In 2011, my then husband and I, our two young sons plus our wide-eyed Golden Retriever embarked on an epic journey. We had decided we would travel the United States housesitting and volunteering on Organic Farms via the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. We had nothing to lose. Both of our parents had died. We had both had our share of health issues and complications. We wanted a better life for our family. It was hard work being on the road but we learned a lot and eventually, we came back to Iowa.
The people I met and experiences we had are never far from my mind and heart. We learned about sustainable living and were deeply involved in the day to day operations on homesteads. The ripe smells of the farm animals, buzzing of bee boxes we worked with, fresh fruits and vegetables on our plates daily that we picked and I helped prepare were just a few of the essences we were steeped in. The daily weeding, digging, animal tending and building projects were a joy and also backbreaking at times. One night we woke to frightening sounds outside of Sacramento that we later learned were the peacocks in the trees near the olive tree farm we were volunteering on.
Upon coming home to Iowa in late 2012, my whole life was completely turned inside out. Attending professional massage therapy school in 2016 and then health coach studies through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition gave me a creative outlet and the education to share my expertise with others.
Studying anatomy, physiology, health and working as a licensed massage therapist the past 2 years has given me an intimate look at how the body operates as a whole. What prompted me to become a health coach was my desire to understand how what we eat, how we move and how we live affects our muscles, minds, and lives. People were coming to me to feel better. Massage therapy is a wonderful way to relax, heal and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. Health coaching is about the person as a whole and finding balance in every aspect of our lives as individuals, communities, and families.
Why does food matter? Scientists and doctors are finding that food affects our moods, mental health, our guts, prevents disease in the body, cures disease in the body and it can bring us together in ways that are needed right now more than ever. There is a health crisis going on now because we hesitate to invest in food that can heal us and put money into the hands of family farmers who care deeply about us as a nation. It wasn't until everyone in my family had experienced a health crisis, I was hospitalized (and almost died) that I finally came to understand on a deep level that I must invest in my health in order to create a better life for myself and everyone around me.
What I'm doing now is creating a life around health and beauty. My massage office is a beautiful and healing place surrounded by trees and a small town away from the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced life. I am surrounded by others who care deeply about their lives, their families and community. We gather for healthy potluck meals, small group health coaching sessions, meditations, yoga, art and craft events, we set intentions and express our gratitude. We come from all backgrounds and religions. We're all learning from our own lives and experiences.
Food matters and so do you! May you take this opportunity to make small incremental changes to your life that add up to huge changes in your life.
Thank you for caring about your life, your family and your health.
Sincerely,
Upon coming home to Iowa in late 2012, my whole life was completely turned inside out. Attending professional massage therapy school in 2016 and then health coach studies through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition gave me a creative outlet and the education to share my expertise with others.
Studying anatomy, physiology, health and working as a licensed massage therapist the past 2 years has given me an intimate look at how the body operates as a whole. What prompted me to become a health coach was my desire to understand how what we eat, how we move and how we live affects our muscles, minds, and lives. People were coming to me to feel better. Massage therapy is a wonderful way to relax, heal and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. Health coaching is about the person as a whole and finding balance in every aspect of our lives as individuals, communities, and families.Why does food matter? Scientists and doctors are finding that food affects our moods, mental health, our guts, prevents disease in the body, cures disease in the body and it can bring us together in ways that are needed right now more than ever. There is a health crisis going on now because we hesitate to invest in food that can heal us and put money into the hands of family farmers who care deeply about us as a nation. It wasn't until everyone in my family had experienced a health crisis, I was hospitalized (and almost died) that I finally came to understand on a deep level that I must invest in my health in order to create a better life for myself and everyone around me.
What I'm doing now is creating a life around health and beauty. My massage office is a beautiful and healing place surrounded by trees and a small town away from the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced life. I am surrounded by others who care deeply about their lives, their families and community. We gather for healthy potluck meals, small group health coaching sessions, meditations, yoga, art and craft events, we set intentions and express our gratitude. We come from all backgrounds and religions. We're all learning from our own lives and experiences.Food matters and so do you! May you take this opportunity to make small incremental changes to your life that add up to huge changes in your life.
Thank you for caring about your life, your family and your health.
Sincerely,
Heather Leigh
Office Located @ 501 North Avenue, Norwalk, Iowa 50211
515-689-2001
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