Health ~ N ~ Fitness

Step 1 - Nutrition and Fitness
 
This fitness and health journey of concentrating on my diet, excercise program, allowed me to look holistically at my health, encompassing my exercise program, diet and taking control of my life. Prior to my diagnosis with MS, I was diagnosis with Degenerative Disc Disease, from a near fatal car accident at the age of 17. Leaving me with chronic lower back pain, months and periods of time of struggling with my physical health. I sought out many treatments, physical therapy, injections, medications etc, with little to no relief. Through riding Horses, utilizing and stretching my lower back seemed to be the most impactful. I had always been an athlete therefore loosing my physical ability was difficult for me to deal with. However not truly until the diagnosis of MS did it really hit me, the health, my ability that I knew, I didn't' truly see and respect it as a gift, it wasn't something just owed to me. Therefore this newer diagnosis, this new challenge made me really look deep at what more, I could be doing “Holistically” to improve the quality of my life, focus on the symptoms I suffered daily and try to effect change. With a more holistic approach with a few diet changes, core muscle and fitness training, reducing my fat intake, increase my protein through lean meats, careful review of my Vit’s and increase my fluid intake with water and eliminate soda, allowing me to holistically impact my physical and mental health.

I suffered chronic fatigue, joint and muscle pain, difficulty with concentration and at times cognitive issue which made spelling and sentence construction often difficult, loss of taste, loss of partial vision due to a 6th nerve palsy as a result of optic never damage from my original onset of MS. I didn't’ approach my physical and mental health holistically, as that would impact my symptoms, putting all the pieces together like a puzzle creating the best plan for me. What could I change? Did my diet really have an impact? Did I need to add things and eliminate things to my diet? Holistically could I look at things differently? Started to really look into possible diet changes, fitness changes, joined a Fitness Center and started to really feel empowered by the positive energy.  I stared inquiring about diets, reading more, began to really educate myself about my diet and excercise choices. I began to concentrate more on my diet with proteins- lean meats, (I had been a semi vegetarian)  had chronic low B12 related to the MS. People started to notice a difference in my physical and my mental awareness, others started asking me about my fitness program, my diet, my illness. "People I knew with MS, started to see a new way to live!" I then, was approached to be a spokes person for MS- as the call to change!!  Thought to myself..... can I? Should I? Can I really help?  My neurologist- felt I was a excellent candidate- as a force to be reckon with and a leader for others that struggle.... He stated,  "You are a person that has made the faces change and and empowered others......You are have stamping out and helping MS stand for mystery solved" !!

Step 2 - Figure Competition

Please join me in step 2....... of the Call To Change The Face Of MS
Life and living can be possible... through believing in your ability to fight!!

 As I begin this journey, I challenge my friends/family with or without a chronic illness, and those that have felt powerless in their journey, or those looking to get healthy and fit to take this journey and travel with me, explore the unknown and discover what lies living past your potential with exploration of your nutrition and fitness program