My Story
Let me tell you a little about why I’m so passionate about helping others. Yes- I’m a Pharmacist and it’s my job, but that’s not the whole story.
For quite a few years I dealt with anxiety that would come out of no where. To the point where it would feel like I was having a heart attack. Crazy. So I went to see my doc and they put me on an anxiety medication right away. Never once did they ask- are you exercising? What are your eating habits like? Etc.
Well needless to say that anxiety medication just made me so damn tired all day long. I was in college and taking one too many classes and had no time to feel totally zonked all the time.
So, I took matters into my own hands. I started consistently running or doing some other type of physical activity daily. To put it simply- it was life changing. I was able to discontinue the medication and kept up with daily exercise to keep a handle on my anxiety.
Once I built that sustainable habit- it become such a part of me that no matter what, I found the time to make it happen in my day. Regardless of what got in my way through out the day. I then also started to improve my eating habits. Getting in my veggies wasn’t the problem. However, soda and other yummy sugary treats are something that I dream about. I lovedddd soda; orange soda to be exact. I decided it was time to part ways with my good friend. It may not seem like a big deal, but I was drinking a lot of soda, 2-3 cans a day. So, I started adding more water into my day. This small change lead to drastic results. I lost 10lbs in no time just from saying no to soda. I had less headaches, and the dips or spikes in blood sugar were less frequent. Just these small daily healthy habits kick started me on a healthier journey through life.
There was no quick fix shake or pill that created the results I was having. Adding exercise and removing soda from my life-didn’t cost me a dime! There are so many things you could start doing today that won’t cost you a cent, but they will propel you into the healthier lifestyle you want to create for yourself.
Fast forward a few years into my career as a Pharmacist I see so many people who feel totally trapped in their current health status. This country has the most incredible health resources and insane medical advances are being made daily. However, people are just getting more and more sick. I see this daily with the multitude of prescriptions for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, and never mind diabetes. Once on a medication many think that the medication will fix everything. However, in order to get the full benefits from the medication you have to take action too! This means looking into your daily habits:
- Am I drinking any water?
- What can I do to work on my stress?
- Am I getting any exercise in daily?
- What am I eating on a daily basis?
- Am I getting enough sleep?
Diving into these questions and seeing what improvements can be made are instrumental to improving your health. A medication or multiple medications are needed in so many situations, but you also need to take action in living your life. Feeling overwhelmed or not even knowing where to start when told you to need to make some improvements to your lifestyle is a very common feeling. Once told this, you are sent on your way and told to come back in 6 months for a follow up. Many don’t have the education on how to make changes or just feel so overwhelmed because they have tried to change their habits before and have fallen off track. I see the need for a stronger support system to help educate, encourage and hold people accountable to their journey on a healthier lifestyle. After all, isn’t that why many of us go into healthcare? I can’t wait to help people work on improving the causes of their problems rather than just treating the symptoms.
Em