My Journey Into Health Coaching And What Makes Me Passionate About Helping People

The First Shift

My first major shift in my life occurred shortly after my divorce. I would have to say, I was in the best shape of my life... so I thought. I was exercising constantly to try to help myself with all the things I was going through. I had just endured a few years of very intense constant stress. I was taking care of three children by myself. Trying to work at a very stressful 100% commission sales job. I lived in an area where I had limited support and no family. I had thought I had made it through and was maybe headed into an upswing.

On a May morning I got up from bed to let my dogs out. I was walking and all of a sudden I fell. I got up and fell again. I repeated this a few times and then I realized something was very wrong. I won't go through all the gory details I will just say I had a stroke at 40.

Once at the hospital, the doctors told me this was caused by a tear in an artery in my neck most likely caused by a severe trauma or injury.  I did not have any severe trauma or injury. Unless you count the couple of years of severe stress. Yup, that was it!

I was very lucky to be alive and with no major damage. I was told by the doctors "Take it easy". "Don't run anymore". And my personal favorite "You are a delicate flower". However, I couldn't live with any of that. I did a lot of research and it was bleak. Until I found an article about a football player who had a similar experience and went on to continue to play football. That was it! Right at that moment I stopped and decided I would go with that one positive story. I decided I loved running and continued to do so . It was very challenging in the beginning but I worked through it and ran my first 5k in December that same year!

I have run 1 Marathon, 5 Half Marathons, and 4 Ragnars ( 200 mile relay race), among many other fun races. So far I'm still kicking and still running today! The lesson I took away from this was don't take anything for granted and enjoy your life now. Not at some endpoint you're going to reach. I get caught up in life just like everyone else but I always bring myself back to a balanced place and I continue to learn more about being successful living on purpose!

The Second Shift

My second major shift was in 2013-2014 when my mom became ill. In a matter of two months she went from being a vivacious lively woman to being gone. She had passed away from cancer. Apparently it was so metastasized that there was not really anything they could do. While my family had some time to prepare it was unbearable to watch this happen. I felt very frustrated and helpless.

My Call To Action

These events created a call to action in my life. I was watching family members and friends struggle with auto immune diseases, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and weight gain. I myself struggled with stress, acne, and added weight around my midsection. Many of these issues are shared with the majority of the population including children. I decided I needed to figure out a plan to improve my odds, stay healthy, and help others do the same! My lesson from all these events in my life led me to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to get certified as a Health and Wellness Coach. This is where I learned the concept of primary food and secondary food. Primary Food is your physical activity, health, education, career, finances, creativity, spirituality, joy, social life, relationships, home environment, and home cooking. Secondary food is your nutrition. You need to create balance between all these things in order to live a healthy life. This is where I come in. During my health coaching sessions I will help you achieve this step by step!

How I Work With People

I like to follow a plant based (vegan) whole food diet. I stress whole food meaning real food because in this day and age a large part of the population does not eat real food. People ask me all the time, "Do I have to be vegan to work with you?" The answer is no, absolutely not. We are all different and our bodies need different things. It's best to learn what works for you personally. Do I push veggies on people? Definitely! :)

Because of my background I plan on specializing in working with busy women helping them de-stress, unplug, focus on self-care, get rid of those extra pounds, and create health and balance for themselves and their families. I can't stress how important it is to take care of yourself so that you can take of the people you love and enjoy your life.  Are you ready to take back your health and freedom to live a balanced full life? Are you ready to live on purpose?

I continue to love to share everything that has worked for me and strive to find the best things for everyone on their path to a Healthy Balanced Life! 

Take care of you,

Xo

Tina Stinson

Healthy Balanced Living

www.tinastinson.com

“The lesson I took away from this was don’t take anything for granted and enjoy your life now. Not at some endpoint you’re going to reach. I get caught up in life just like everyone else but I always bring myself back to a balanced place and I continue to learn more about being successful living on purpose!”

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Set The World On Fire

In fall of 1994 I was among the students of the incoming freshmen class at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.  The freshmen class was gathered at William and Mary Hall for the convocation.  One of the speakers told us to look at the person on our left and then on our right.  The speaker went on to say that our class was among the brightest incoming classes ever.  I forget the percentage but it was something like 90 percent of my class were either salutatorians or valedictorians of their graduating high school class.  More importantly, the speaker passed on some very smart advice to us young men and women that every college student should take to heart.  He said, "Take classes that interest you.  If you've never taken a kinesiology class or a philosophy class take it.  Major in what you want to major in.  Not what your parents or your brother or sister want.  Major in what you want."

I did graduate from The College of William and Mary in four years and I'm very proud of that.  But I did not major in what my parents had planned for me.  They had hoped that I would choose a career path just like my late paternal grandfather, Pastor Fabunan, who was an accountant.  The truth was that the economics and business courses were not meant for me.  Yeah, they definitely were NOT meant for me!  I struggled and I humbly withdrew from or failed a couple of those classes.  Instead I majored in Spanish.  Why?  In my junior year I took a hard look at my grades and immediately noticed that my best grades were from my modern language classes.  At the time I loved immersing myself in the romance languages and I excelled in them especially Spanish.  There was also pressure from my mom to complete my studies in four years so a BA in Spanish it was! 

And this is true for much of life.  By pretending to be something that we are not we can never be happy or be true to ourselves.  Life will always be an upward struggle.  I love this quotation by Saint Catherine of Siena:  "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."  Life is so short.  Why pretend or delve into misery, right?  

For about 12 years of my young professional life I was a banker for large and small banks and I did pretty well for myself.  The problem was that I pushed myself at work and I never really loved it.  I pushed myself to the limit working extremely late hours and even on the weekends.  I liked certain aspects of bank management like leading, coaching, and encouraging my team members but deep down inside I was never completely happy or satisfied.   

What changed for me?  I got married to a wonderful man and we had a beautiful baby boy.  But then my health spiraled downward and I hit rock bottom to the point of being bedridden.

Eventually I found the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and in a year I became a certified integrative nutrition health coach.  I utilized the knowledge that I learned from IIN and thankfully I started to heal my condition.  I was so intrigued with the use of food as medicine that I continued my education taking an alternative healing course.  I then used that education to help myself completely heal and my own family heal their conditions ranging from eczema, food sensitivities, high blood pressure, and heart burn.  I continue to take holistic health courses because of my passion in helping others heal their own conditions.  And, yes, since I've found my calling I want to set the world on fire!

I believe that any disease or ailment can be reversed.  Anyone can heal with the right foods, mindset, and proper rest.  That's the beauty of working with a health coach especially an integrative nutrition health coach.  We health coaches are trained to really listen to our clients and help them heal on a deep physical, emotional, and spiritual level.  

I love the flexibility that I am allowed.  I am able to be the kind of wife, homeschooling mom, blogger, and integrative nutrition health coach that I want to be.  Thanks be to God, my faith and family will always come first but I have found a wondrous joy in health coaching and there is nothing else I'd rather be doing.  Find your truth, your voice, and your purpose, and you will set the world on fire.  And after that there is no going back!

For A Healthy And Happy 2018

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““Take classes that interest you.  If you’ve never taken a kinesiology class or a philosophy class take it.  Major in what you want to major in.  Not what your parents or your brother or sister want.  Major in what you want.””

“I love this quotation by Saint Catherine of Siena:  ’Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.’”

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