Hey ThoughtFull Friends! I thought it would be cool to write a post so that you can feel more connected with me as a human and hopefully one day your dietitian. So, here it goes – Five Things About Denise!
1. I Wasn’t Sure Studying Nutrition was Going to Stick
My gratitude lies in the support I experienced from my circle of people – teachers, friends, and family. I studied my undergrad, graduate, and dietetic internship at Texas Tech University, and y’all CHEM 1&2 almost kicked my butt so hard that I considered leaving nutrition (my first and second semesters-YIKES).
Sometimes I wish I would have tried a different school for one of these endeavors, but I made great friendships and developed life-time relationships at Texas Tech. Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is hard work, but totally pays off once you’re there. School didn’t bring me all the knowledge, but it gave me a great base to decide that I wanted to be in private practice helping you discover the joy in eating instead of restricting foods. Boy am I glad that I stuck it out. I LOVE bringing the joy back to eating with you! Visit my Work With Me page to see how we can work together!
2. My Favorite Books are The Giver and Gathering Blue by Lois Lowery
The black and white thinking in The Giver and the search for blue in Gathering Blue is so comparative to my own food peace journey. My hope is to help you see that the controlled, black and white thinking when it comes to food has to go. Eating is so much more beautiful than a robotic mindset, just like the color blue.
3. My all-time favorite lotion is Flying Cow Tallow
*This is not sponsored* This buttery lotion is the cream to my dry-feet crop, especially now with COVID-19 and no pedicures. ha ha! If you’re curious, click here to learn more about their process and ingredients! I literally use this cream from my face to my toes. It is so nourishing for my skin – my face, arms and legs after a shower, my back after a sun-filled day, and my afore mentioned feet.
4. I played water polo in high school and college
Any water polo fans or players out there!? It’s such a fun sport, and one that I finally excelled in as a kid and adolescent. I was a very active kiddo, but sports didn’t come naturally – until water polo. The parents always said, “girl, you’re the shortest on land, but the tallest in the water!” (This is thanks to my big, strong legs that tread water so fast I could get almost my whole upper half out of the water).
Swimming was also a large part of my childhood. Being in the water helped shape my relationship with exercise. Sometimes it wasn’t a great relationship, but overall during high school swimming and water polo is when I really honed in on my hunger and fullness cues as well as my limitations when it comes to exercise. I, too have moments when I think “why can’t I do what I did in high school?!” My body has changed, and I stopped swimming competitively. It is okay that exercise looks different now.
5. Aerial Yoga is my all-time favorite way to move my body
When you move your body, do you feel a surge of excitement and joy?? Have you ever noticed? I urge you to take a peek at how your body responds to the way you choose to move your body. There is absolutely no wrong way to move; it’s just a great addition to your day, if accessible. Now, on to why Aerial yoga is amazing.
There is a hammock that you use for stability. This means that you can practice strengthening your body and practice deeper stretches knowing what kind of support your body needs. THIS. IS. GOLD. Especially in terms of being intuitive. This stability solidifies the other sources (coping skills) I have in my back pocket.
When I’m in the hammock, I feel supported. Sometimes, I let fear creep in before a challenging standing or flipping pose. That’s OKAY! I hold a space for grace to know MY limitations. I am supported by my inner self, peers, and instructor to respect those boundaries and limitations. Knowing I have support for my movement helps solidify the support I have for nourishing my body through food, movement, and meditation.
I get to explore. I’m able to figure out what positions I can express and hold, and those that I need to work on or modify for my needs. Exploration is a very important step in my journey to being my best and healthiest self. Having an open mind to exploration has opened many doors I would have never known existed. Try it today!
That’s all for now! Did that resonate with you? Do you want to have similar freedoms? Sign up for my freebie (top right corner of this page) to start your intuitive journey today!
Remember, you are worthy of holding a space for grace in everything you do!
