September - a great month for a fresh start!

I love September! Growing up it meant the start of a new school year - new clothes, school supplies, teachers and catching up with friends not seen over the summer. Today, I watched my daughter as she got ready for her first day of her last year of high school, Grade 12. She doesn't share my level of enthusiasm about new school supplies (strange, right?) but I think that she was excited about beginning something new. As she walked out the door to catch a ride with her friend, I told her to take advantage of the opportunity for a fresh start and to enjoy the possibilities that will come her way this year.

What fresh start will September bring for you? My first goal this month is to get back to regular exercise, I let it go, for the most part, over the last 2 years and I miss it! Being in school last year led to some belly fat accumulation due to elevated stress levels, and hitting the pavement and weights will be sure to help me get rid of some of it....or at least it will release some feel good endorphins so I won't care so much, haha! My second goal this month is to prepare and plan better for meals. Normally we eat pretty healthy, but July and August were tough for me. Writing case studies and prepping for my final exam in July, and then going back to work full-time right after, led to some very lazy meals with more packaged than fresh foods, and more restaurants than home-cooking! Deep down I think I was rebelling against all the knowledge I have learned during my nutrition studies (I am now a fully certified RHN Holistic Nutritionist) but now it is time to smarten up, make a fresh start and use my knowledge for good and not evil ;)

If your fresh start has you looking for ideas for hectic school morning breakfasts, lunch boxes or fast healthy dinners before kids go to activities, let me help. If your fresh start involves taking control of some health issues, I can provide you with nutritional support to help manage your symptoms. If your fresh start is learning what quinoa is and how to use it, I can help with that too :)

Here is my girl on the first day of school way back in Grade 1:

 And here she is today starting Grade 12: