Nosh One. Wisdom.
Why was I put on this earth? What is my purpose? There comes a time in your life when you ask yourself these questions and they are TOUGH questions. There are many things we like to do and are good at but am I and are these things making a difference? Are they fulfilling you and helping others? Purpose is a journey and takes time. It is so important to be gentle with yourself when the answers do not come as quickly as you like. But when the answers do come, it will all be worth it. The journey will be worth it. The joy will be worth it. The work will be worth it.
Because you are worth it.
~Photo credit and many thanks to my new friend and the beautiful Samantha Rasmussen for posting this picture with her adorable nails!
Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.
My conversation today is with Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach Andrew Salgado
As registered dietitians, we sometimes get mistaken for the expert in everything health related. We know as professionals that food, nutrition and physical activity have a very cozy relationship. I don’t know about you, but I was not trained at all in fitness and do not believe I am an expert, but I know how to find them. Which is why I wanted to sit down with Andrew Salgado who is a fitness expert, personal trainer and wellness coach. As Andrew puts it, whatever modality you choose you must have good programming because exercise is different from learning other things. You learn the concept and then your body executes the movement and you need proper body awareness for safety. Andrew is also very in-sync with communicating with his clients and meeting people where they are at on their wellness journey through wellness coaching, which sets him apart from a lot of other fitness professionals.
Nosh Three. Week in Review.
This week was pretty amazing! I had the opportunity to head to Salt Lake City, Utah and hang out with some of my favorite people, the Registered Dietitian's of the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It was a complete joy to meet new friends and be a part of something greater than I could ever be.
I got to kick off the second day of their meeting with my presentation and creating a conversation about our story, passions, purpose, philosophy and intentions as Registered Dietitians. As a profession, we are caretakers and I am all about making sure we are taking care of ourselves too.
I met some fascinating Registered Dietitians and RD's-to-be with sincere stories and passions. It is contagious being around others who have all the same feels I do. Kelly was one of those lovelies who inspired me so much and shared how passionate she is for our profession. It touched me deeply and I was lucky to have had a great conversation I will get to share with you later in a podcast.
The day was beautiful in Salt Lake City and I headed downtown to explore the city. It was the perfect night for a walk. The city is surrounded by beautiful mountains and city is a comfortable place to explore. As the sun was setting and I got my bearings, I realized how close I was to Temple Square and got lost around the 10-acre complex in the center of the city. The spring flowers and blooming trees were breath-taking. I have never seen so many tulips and daffodils, in a plethora of colors. There is gorgeous fountains and educations statures around the square. It was educational, beautiful and peaceful.
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| Salt Lake Temple |
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| Downtown Salt Lake City |
After Temple Square, I wandered over to State Street to catch a glimpse of the Capital at nighttime and then headed to the cool outdoor mall in the middle of the city, City Creek Center. I treated myself to a latte and did some window shopping (this girl can never just walk by a Tiffany's).
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| Pork Tacos with Radish! My favorite! |
I was completely losing track of time and started to get hungry. I did a lot of research on places to eat in Salt Lake City and there were a few places that interested me, but I ended up at a cozy place by my hotel. I have no idea what the name of the restaurant was, but the pork tacos hit the spot after my 20,000 step adventure.
Last year, I started watching this show on AMC called Hell on Wheels. It was a little out of character for me to watch a show based on the Union Pacific's construction of the first transcontinental railroad, but after the first episode I was hooked because the show starts in Omaha, NE. Knowing from the show and history of course, the Golden Spike National Historic Site was a little drive outside of Salt Lake, so I had to go and see where the final joining of the rails from the west met the trails of the east.
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| Site of the Golden Spike and where the 2 RR's joined. |
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| Chinese Arch named to recognize the Chinese who worked on the RR |
You could also drive through the park and see where the cuts were made into the earth for the railroad to pass through. I was in complete awe on how they were able to cut through the rock with dynamite and by hand. When the rock was moved, you can still see some of the piles they made.
I then headed back to the city and made a stop at the Great Salt Lake. It is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere and has a green color because of the algae in the water. I also learned most oceans have a salinity of around 3.5% and in some areas of the lake the salinity is up to 27%, so there is not any fish in the lake except for brine shrimp. It is an important place for a variety of birds who migrate.
I then took a drive through Little Cottonwood Canyon, up in the mountains. It was a bustle of hikers, campers and skiers. I stopped for a moment to take in the clear air and listen to the waterfalls amongst the evergreen trees. Gorgeous!
Then it was time to head back to grab a bite to eat, so I ventured around my hotel again and landed at Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana and had a delicious freshly made dinner with a funky wood-fired pizza with more radishes!
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| Panzanella Salad, look at the shaved Parmigiano Reggiano! |
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| Special of the Day: Sausage/Radish/Arugula/Avocado Creme |
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| The Tiramisu was delish, paired with an Espresso |
I ended the day, all cozied up in my bed and filled with so much joy from my adventure in Utah. I know I will be going back for more adventure to be had!
Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week.
Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.
I love that I was west enough to enjoy one of my favorite fast food places, In-and-Out Burger. This was my treat after my presentation. The cheeseburger, French fries and my favorite chocolate shake was the cherry on top of my weekend in Utah.
~AE
