My First Unofficial, Undignified Blog Entry

Let's see...Where to begin? I suppose most people start by introducing themselves.

Hi. I'm Lauren Nelson.

Here are the basics about myself. I am a hardworking employee, a very serious athlete (seriously), health nut (nuttier than most), a yogini (a very, semi-serious sportsperson), and I’m an amazing artist... well sorta. Things that I am not: humble, funny, and extraordinarily good looking (I'm a little humble after all). But then, what can’t a tutor and a little plastic surgery fix?
Did I mention that I am also a student? I am in full pursuit of my degree in Nutrition. The letters that will someday share space with my name look like this, "BSNCA," which is a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Culinary Arts. Nutrition fascinates the holey crab out of me and culinary art, well, that's just the fun part where one gets to apply this knowledge! I've created some superb dishes. So as you can probably tell, my focus for this blog has mostly to do with eating well and a little to do with yoga, exercise and whole-health. As you continue to read you will encounter countless recipes that I have found to be rewarding and helpful in my own pursuit of whole health fulfillment. As a side note, I've both dabbled in and dedicated years to numerous different diets and health routines.  Much of what you will read in my blogs comes from my personal experience as well as an accumulation of knowledge I've acquired along the way (i.e. research, college, and jobs in the nutrition and health food industries. So go ahead. Read on. You may find a helpful recipe or two, or ten, and if nothing else, perhaps you’ll learn something, or, have good laugh.

Preventive medicine through food, herbal remedies, and water (and holistic or whole-health living) is a longtime passion of mine. I find it utterly fascinating (and something tells me you might too since some inkling of thought led you here, to this health nut, hippie blog) that we have to ability to control the well being of our bodies and minds with something as simple as food and water, the two most basic necessities for survival

. As far as Americans are concerned, regardless of the means for which we decided to head down this path, it seems we tend toward one of two actions in a constant pursuit of whole-health: (1) we over complicate the means in which we pursue optimal health, and (2) we under complicate the means in which we pursue any definition of the word. I feel as though most people fall into the former category (not to say you, the reader, are so easily categorized. No, you’re… special! I mostly speak from my own experience on the matter). All too often I hear people speak of the endless dead end “resolutions” they dedicated their time to, eventually only to conclude that such “resolutions” have little (if any) true ability to overcome ailments, or produce sought after health goals. Speaking on the latter of these two actions, those who don’t (how’s the old idiom go?) "give two sheets to the wind," these are the folks who have adapted the belief that goes a bit like this, “I’ma eat and do whatever I want. Besides, we all die from something eventually.” I suppose it sounds something like that to me. What’s lost on these folks is the fact that they’ve worked up to this carefree lifestyle just as one might work up toward a healthier, controlled way of life. Adaptation is key. Adapt to a diet (think of "dieting" as a way of life, not a short lived fad) that fits your lifestyle. Sure, this takes time but is it worth it? Look at it this way, the food and water we choose for ourselves is also the material with which we pave the road that lies before us."If you eat crap, you get crap." I think saw this quote in a friend's face book post one day. Being that it's so simply put, without much effort, it is quite genius. It has resonated with me ever since.  

Love and peas,

Lauren