Hello and welcome to the very first blog post on Vegfordays! i could not be happier that you tuned in.
So, what is the point of this page? What possessed me to finally succumb to my longstanding urge to create my own blog? Surprisingly, midterms week.
Does anyone else practice the art of "productive procrastination"? You know, when you have a ton of work on your plate (whether that be school work or job work.), and instead of actually spending the time to get it done, you start mindlessly doing other things that eventually need to get done but take less effort (like laundry or cleaning the kitchen). Well, i am sitting here creating this beautiful website, which I have been meaning to do for months on end, instead of studying for my midterm in about 12 hours. Amazing!
If you do not already know, my name is Morgan, and I am currently studying to obtain my Masters in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. In other words, beginning with my undergraduate degree in Health Behavior Science, I have studied theories, statistics, chronic diseases, and health-related issues to understand why humans do the things they do. My studies focus on how to improve and empower individuals and communities to live healthier lives through food, exercise, and other techniques for healthy living. The different dimensions of health (physical, spiritual, mental, etc.) are all important in their own ways, and I plan to use this platform to explore these, and to illustrate and share my personal tools and experiences.
So, what made me originally choose to study human health behaviors?
About six years ago, I made an uneducated and random decision to try vegetarianism. I thought nothing of it at the time, and had no true purpose in doing it, I just wanted to see how long it would last. Well, that decision spiraled into a passion for me, and now, almost six years later, I am continuing my studies in the field of nutrition at Virginia Tech’s Graduate School and have found an unbridled love for food, cooking, coaching others, and nutrition.
I do not consider myself an expert in health and wellness. Not yet, at least. However, i do spend the majority of my free time geeking out about nutrition, listening to self-help podcasts, meditating, and most importantly, snacking... so i guess you could say i am a health guru (not). Nobody is perfect, but living a healthy lifestyle is not about never messing up or treating ourselves to some less-than-healthy vices (darn you, sweet tooth!), its about the day-to-day choices we make and how they affect us - both inside and out. So if you have not taken the time today to say it, remind your body that despite its perceived imperfections, it is doing a great job. you are breathing, you are sitting here reading this silly post, and you are present. And that, my dear, is a gift.
While i could sit here all day and explain why i think this blog is going to be a hit, i really should get back to studying so I'll have more insight to share with you all later.
But first, a few wise words from the old soul within me.
The philosophy i like to live by is such: live your most authentic self, and the world will treat you kindly. What you give to this earth, you will get back. The same goes for your relationships with others, as well as yourself. my most precious value is authenticity; I believe anything or anyone void of this is simply a waste. within each of us, there is a version of ourselves that loves unconditionally and is not afraid to fervently care, even when years of social training has made us weary of coming on too strong. I believe in that version of myself, and i try never to lose her. She is the woman who fuels my creativity, my hope, my love, she is the woman behind the blog.
My health and wellness journey did not take place overnight, and i am still embarking on new paths of self discovery (and love) each and every day. I hope i can inspire you to do the same.