“I came to Inspired Wellness as my last attempt at achieving the healthy lifestyle I knew I was capable of, but somehow kept missing the boat. Everyone promises to change your life, but this has been the only program to actually do that.
During the time I worked with Sham, I was also in the process of becoming a nurse and reached a crossroads; what was being taught in Nursing school and all of the education I was receiving at Inspired Wellness on how to live a truly healthy lifestyle, conflicted.
I can remember, while studying for my Nursing exam, one of the exact questions I came across while studying:
A 14 year old client was 24 weeks pregnant. She came into the prenatal clinic for her first visit. She is underweight for her height and pregnancy stage. The nurse asked for a 24 hour diet recall which revealed a fast food diet. Which of the following meal suggestions by the nurse would be both nutritious and acceptable for this client?
A. Baked chicken, baked potato, broccoli, and milk
B. Fried steak, mashed potatoes, fried veggie sticks and iced tea
C. Double cheese pizza with sweet peppers and ham and a strawberry milkshake
D. Cheeseburger, french fries, fried apple pie, and a soft drink
At first, I thought, this question is so easy… I am trying to make my fast food teen eat well for herself and the baby … right? Therefore answer A would be my best choice of the available responses. To my shock, the answer was actually C. What an eye opening experience to the way the world views being healthy. Most people give in to the fads and the hype and take the “easy way out”. I was certainly one of them before stumbling upon Inspired Wellness.
All my life I was worried about how I looked. In turn I ate fat free everything, low fat this and sugar free that, only to find that reaching my goals was nearly impossible.
Now, “diet” doesn’t exist in my vocabulary. When I hear about a new “diet” or weight loss pill, shake, any type of gimmick to try and lose weight … I cringe. None of that stuff is important to me anymore. Looking good is what everyone wants but the price paid shouldn’t be FEELING terrible! I have discovered that you CAN have both, and actually feeling good is the best result of all.
Sham changed my life and opened a new page, really made me see what this world is coming to: chemicals, sugar, unhealthy lifestyles. My children adapted, too, as I began to teach them the importance of respecting their bodies and eating good quality foods.
Now I only buy healthy food, so after awhile they adjusted to it and now they love it! If they are hungry they grab fresh fruit or vegetables, not processed snacks. They prefer almond milk over regular and my son is going on eight years old and hasn’t had a soda, nor does he want to try one! My hope is that when they are old enough they will see, learn a lot more and follow in my footsteps.
I will NEVER EVER go back to the way I used to be. I learned the truth and I’m going to preach it til the day I die. I have grown not only as an individual but more importantly as a parent. I feel empowered to make healthy decisions for myself and my family. I walk with a newfound confidence and am excited about my new lease on life.”
Stacey L., 29
Licensed Vocational Nurse, LVN and Mother of 2
