Did you know that just because you’re a _________ doesn’t give you health superiority? Or better yet what worked for you when you were _____ may not be in alignment for you at present.
Even though I’ve been a vegetarian for over a decade (and it happened by accident) I’m proud to say that I’ve never done a diet. Much of this is because of my upbringing–my parents were “body positive” before it was cool and never labeled food as good/bad, forced us to finish, or scolded us for getting more.
(Note: I don’t consider vegetarianism a diet, because I don’t hold allegiance to it. I’ve always said that if I ever desire meat/fish/seafood or ________, I’d eat it again without guilt or regret.)
However, I’ve noticed that during this pandemic it has been a struggle to nourish my body well. I love plants, but I’m not eating enough. I don’t enjoy Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream as much as I used to, sadly. I forget to eat lunch, because I’m wrapped up in work and then I’m so hungry at the end of the day that dinner isn’t enough, so I munch in the evening.
Bottom line: I’m over it. I deserve exceptional support in this area too. And I don’t want to meal plan or meal prep, which leads me to the first expert I’m hiring…
- Meal Planner — Yes, I’m hiring a human to plan my meals. No, I’m not married. No, I don’t have kids. And I couldn’t care less if you judge me. Ha! Seriously. I have zero desire to DIM (do-it-myself) and figure it out, I will pay for help.
- Nutritionist/Dietician — So I kind of cringe at the title of “dietician” as I’ve never done a “diet” and don’t plan to start. However, I’m hiring an expert to get to the root of me and what my body loves, likes, and detests from a scientific perspective. This will also help my meal planner, because he/she will know what they have to work with when it comes to food.
- Self Care Coach — I was born in a society that praises workaholics, honors hustle over rest, and expects Black women to be superwoman even if it causes their immune system to be in consistent stress. I’m hiring an expert to help me reprogram my behaviors and habits, because I want to be an exceptional leader to my future daughters, a positive role model to the women in my circle, a powerful partner to my future husband and most importantly, I deserve it.
- Personal Trainer — Similar to the food, I don’t want to figure out what movement methods work best for my body or plan them. “What exercise should I do today?” will not be uttered out of my mouth. I want to follow instructions and that’s it.
- Functional Medicine Doctor — Yes, I have a primary doctor. Yes, I get my annual wellness exams. Yes, I have a gynecologist. Yes, I’m well. And I want excellent health.
What’s a functional medicine doctor? Their goal isn’t to give you medicine to quiet your symptoms, (which is the case for conventional doctors, and they aren’t anti-medicine like naturopathic practitioners) they’ve gone through conventional medical training and are actual doctors AND they’ve also done additional training with a heavy emphasis on nutrition and healing the body from a holistic approach. The only downside is health insurance only covers conventional doctors and not functional medicine doctors, but that’s okay WE INVEST IN WHAT WE VALUE. - Healthy Home Consultant — Okay I forgot one, and this expert may be hired in quarter 1 of next year instead of this current quarter. But have you ever wondered how healthy your house is? The water, air quality, materials, etc. I’ve paid more attention to the cleaning products and body care products that I use and proudly invest in companies who don’t use chemicals that trigger an allergic reaction in my body. However, I’m curious how I can improve the overall quality of our home.
So there you have it, five experts I’m hiring for purely selfish reasons!! I hope it encourages you to get the support you need unapologetically.
By the way, when’s the last time you hired an expert for a purely selfish reason? Have you hired and had a positive experience with an expert listed above? You’d make my day if you shared who you last hired and how they helped you in the comments below!
