“My life before SWIHA was pretty much ‘going through the same old thing.’ I loved to cook and was always making food and giving it away and making my friends try it. I was stuck making food from the same ingredients I always have. I wanted something more and wanted to find different ways to learn about the foods that I was making and what nutritional value they had. I love to see people eat good food and feel good about it. Knowing that the food was organic, healthy, and fun to make was what I wanted to share with people.”
Carrie Ann Myers, a Great Graduate of the Holistic Health & Wellness Coaching Diploma program knew she wanted a change in her life. Carrie chose the Whole Foods Culinary specialty to fill her passion for cooking! Having been stuck in the ‘same old, same old’ when it came to food (and life), Carrie was excited to shake things up and learn something new! Carrie shares her defining moment during her time in the program, “I would say the defining moment was when I had to make recipes that I thought sounded terrible. The ingredients together did not make me want to cook them. I put aside my stubbornness and actually did what I was being taught and was amazed that I didn't know it all and that what I was being taught, made my food taste even better” she continues, “I was so against any kind of salt until the recipes called for it and I used it. I'm more open to salt now. Recipes that called for things like Brussel sprouts and cabbage, yuck, until I combined them with pumpkin seeds, coconut milk, and lemon, WOW! This was it, the moment that made me know I am on the right path.”
Falling in love with your passion again can feel so rewarding. And this is exactly what happened for Carrie. Oftentimes, life can get in the way and we can “fall out of love” with our passions. This could be because you are feeling uninspired or lost interest in some of your hobbies. There is nothing better than investing in yourself and your education to follow your true path! “It has reawakened the chef in me, and the desire to use as many different foods as I can. All the nutritional benefits from these foods that I didn't like have made me like them now and learn to be creative. I have heart disease and knowing what foods can help me improve my health and prevent other ailments from occurring, AND stay off medicine, is how my life has changed” shares Carrie.
Having finished her program at SWIHA, Carrie is working at a farmer’s market with fruits and vegetables and is able to share her wealth of knowledge with customers. In addition, Carrie is also working on providing personal chef services in the future! As Carrie reflects back on her time during her program, the greatest lesson she learned was to “set aside my ‘knowing it all’ attitude and be open. This is the only way I can listen and actually hear what I need to. I have learned to be resilient and not give in when I feel overwhelmed.”
Carrie’s advice to future SWIHA students is “Be aware of the fact that this program is going to strenuously push you to open your own business by the end of the program. Be open to what the classes are trying to teach you, take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth so to speak. It's easy to overwhelm yourself, just remember to breathe. It's progress, not perfection.”
