SWIHA Blog

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, we actively encourage our students to work through their fears and hesitations around entrepreneurship. Harsha Bipin, a Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner graduate, is a brilliant example of what can happen when you take a leap of faith in yourself!

“My previous life was of a software engineer,” Harsha explains, “it had a lot to do with me and the needs of my immediate family.”

“I joined SWIHA while I was on a maternity break, hoping to just do the Holistic Nutrition program to learn more about eating right. I had faced a huge positive shift in my life by changing my eating habits, and I knew there was more to learn.”

While the food and traditions may vary, every Thanksgiving table has one thing in common: tons of food. Our digestive system is always hard at work, and the sweets, fats & gluten that come with the holiday season can be especially tough on our friendly flora. However, there are a few simple things you can do to help your body stay happy and healthy -- even if you reach for that second piece of pumpkin pie!

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of many. It means family, friends and (most importantly) food — what’s not to love? You don’t have to sacrifice your health goals or your happiness with these easy and satisfying side dishes that even the most particular eaters will gobble gobble right up!

“SWIHA changed my life,” says Caitlin Goehring, a Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner graduate, “I don’t know where I’d be without these courses - it catapulted my spiritual growth and journey and brought me more in alignment than ever before.”

Caitlin was pulled to study holistic nutrition after witnessing illness in her family since a young age, “I’ve always believed in the healing power of food and wanted to support others in this. I had no idea the amount of spiritual downloads that I was in! I can best support my clients through nutrition, intuitive eating, and other spiritual practices such as astrology, tarot, and flower essences.”

The fast-approaching holiday season means time with friends and family, laughter and gifts, and—of course—lots of baked goods!

Many people are opting to go gluten-free because of sensitivity issues, to reduce inflammation, or simply because they’ve noticed a positive change by reducing or eliminating foods containing gluten.  However, going gluten-free doesn’t mean missing out on delicious treats! Today, we’ll take a look at a few of the widely-available flour options that are friendly to this dietary need.

Before her time at SWIHA, Kimberly Balzan found her life at a standstill. She was going through the motions but not moving forward, fearful of life and what change may bring.

“I felt like I had no direction,” she describes, “I just happened to be at a friends Melissa Corter who was leading this meditation called Yoga Nidra. I honestly had never heard of it and didn't know what we were going to do. Well, when it was over I sat up and thought ‘That was the coolest thing I have ever experienced’. When I got in my car, I said to myself out loud: ‘I am going to learn this and teach it!’ I knew at that moment something incredible had happened.”

Veronica Wright, a graduate of SWIHA’s online Holistic Nutrition Wellness Practitioner program, has long held a passion for teaching.

“My life before SWIHA consisted of teaching my boys at home, managing a field trip based homeschool group, and working part time as a retail manager. Before homeschooling my boys, I taught early childhood education for 10 years,” she shares, “I loved my life before SWIHA, though I always knew I was destined to do more.”

We all have days where we’re in an inexplicable funk and can’t seem to shake it; nothing out of the ordinary is happening externally yet we feel unmotivated, sad, foggy or simply just blah. In recent years, scientific research into the connection between our brains and our bellies has suggested that these moods may not be as random as they seem.

In 2015, the National Center for Biotechnology Information concluded that: “Insights into the gut-brain crosstalk have revealed a complex communication system that not only ensures the proper maintenance of gastrointestinal homeostasis, but is likely to have multiple effects on affect, motivation, and higher cognitive functions.

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, we see the power and potential in every soul, and Jessica Bardzinski is a shining example of pure determination!

“Before SWIHA, I was a stay at home mom. I had two children in two years,” Jessica shares, “I felt like I was lost in the trenches of life. I felt there was something more but didn't know where to turn.”

Jessica initially came to SWIHA to study nutrition, after her daughter had health problems that  doctors couldn’t seem to explain. “I had been reading everything I could get my hands on about the American food supply and SAD (Standard American Diet),” she says, “I wanted to learn more and get a degree to share with other mamas all this valuable information I had been learning.”

Diversifying food choices is essential for keeping our gut’s microbiome healthy. When our digestion is performing optimally, our bodies can absorb the maximum amount of nutrients from the foods we consume, thereby improving the performance of all of the systems that keep us healthy!

There is also mounting evidence showing that what we eat affects physical health and mental health. A great way to keep our mind, body and spirit happy is by consuming a rainbow...in the form of a salad, of course!

This dish is able to be completely tailored to your personal preference. Read the guide below for suggestions on creating your own Rainbow Superfood Salad!