On The Couch With…Caryn Sullivan
Happy New Year!
I know many people were not huge fans of 2016, and there is no love lost in seeing it go. However, I would like to extend a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported The Cancer Couch Foundation in our first year by donating, voting for us in the Harte contest (Which we won! $5000!), or even just continuing to follow along with The Cancer Couch happenings by subscribing. I can never thank everyone enough for the personal notes, cards, emails, comments, etc. that are sent to wish me well, offer strength, encouragement and support. It has been a mentally and physically challenging 14 months, and the love I have received from all of you carried me through it – truly. It makes such a difference, so thank you from the bottom of my heart, and my couch! :)
If you are like most people, you may use the start of a new year to set up some personal goals for yourself, self-improvement resolutions you aspire to maintain. However, apparently only about 8% of people actually achieve their New Years Resolutions. The rest of the 92% of us abandon our goals by about week 2 (guilty as charged over here).
Well, I’d like to introduce you to a very good friend of mine, a fellow breast cancer sister, Stage 4 survivor/thriver, Cancer Couch board member, wellness guru, and all around great gal-pal – Caryn Sullivan of Pretty Wellness .
If you are like most people, you may use the start of a new year to set up some personal goals for yourself, self-improvement resolutions you aspire to maintain. However, apparently only about 8% of people actually achieve their New Years Resolutions. The rest of the 92% of us abandon our goals by about week 2 (guilty as charged over here).
Well, I’d like to introduce you to a very good friend of mine, a fellow breast cancer sister, Stage 4 survivor/thriver, Cancer Couch board member, wellness guru, and all around great gal-pal – Caryn Sullivan of Pretty Wellness .
Everyone handles their reaction to cancer, and especially to Stage 4, in their own personal way. For Caryn, when her breast cancer (originally Stage 2) came back – this life changing news was the catalyst for her to overhaul some old eating and lifestyle habits and adopt new ones that promoted wellness and health in her life. What she discovered was that she not only felt better living a “clean” lifestyle, but she looked better too. Caryn therefore coined the term “Pretty Wellness” to describe her new lifestyle. She has made a name for herself, and has been featured on Dr. Oz and other wellness based media outlets, because of her ability to teach people how to make simple lifestyle changes, slowly but surely, to work your way to wellness and stick with it. Here is an excerpt from her Pretty Wellness website to give you a sense of what she is all about:
“Can you imagine eliminating your morning “pretty coffee” filled with sugar and reamed with toppings? What about cheese, desserts or fried everything? So many times people tell me they can’t stop eating their favorite foods, so they don’t even think about committing to a newish lifestyle. I get it. That was me. I obsessed over cheese plates, craved creamy frostings and longed for bulky pastas. I had been drinking tons of diet soda for almost two decades, so only remembered life being bloated. But that all changed when I started eating clean. And trust me, you can take small steps and get there, too.
Yes, my motivation was to be well … But after a few months, I noticed that I looked amazing. My skin was clear, my energy high, my hair less dirty AND I felt thinner. Yes, I lost a few pounds, but the bigger story is that not being bloated from soda, packaged foods and simple carbs made me feel toned and strong within my own body. I wish I would have understood how much better I would FEEL if I truly took care of myself.
That’s why I encourage others to do the same for themselves. Eating clean, being active and living with less toxins truly helps an individual look AND feel great. It doesn’t change over night. But it can be done by making a commitment slowly. Set little goals and once you progress, add a few more. It’s also important to check in with your doctor or naturopath to get their guidance, making it a recipe for success.”
I love Caryn’s message and, like her, I have made many of these healthy changes in my own life since my cancer diagnosis. Not that I think I can cure my own cancer just by using organic shampoo and eating broccoli, anymore than I could have caused it by eating a chocolate bar. However, with all we know in this day and age – it is common sense to be thoughtful about what goes into and on our bodies, especially if you are trying to optimize your immune system, and/or recover from toxic treatments and multiple surgeries. There are no shortage of websites and books out there telling us how important it is to get “clean.” However, what I found so cool about Pretty Wellness (before I even knew and fell madly in love with Caryn), is that she really teaches you how to make changes in a realistic way by breaking it down to small, reasonable things you can do one step at a time if you’re interested. This is why I thought introducing Caryn and her wellness website as a New Year’s piece would be perfect. Here is a link to some of her tips for those of you who want to get started now: 15 New Years Wellness Tips
Thank you Caryn! You have taught me so much already, and like a fine wine and a good cheese (both of which I’ll never give up!), I look forward to “pairing” some psych tips with those wellness gems of yours in 2017!
Stay tuned for more health and sanity tips from Caryn and I…just as soon as I finish my bacon wrapped-bon bon, put out this cigarette in my diet-soda can, and toss back a triple scotch :)! Don’t worry Caryn, I’ll chase all of it with a wheatgrass shot and kale juice!
“Can you imagine eliminating your morning “pretty coffee” filled with sugar and reamed with toppings? What about cheese, desserts or fried everything? So many times people tell me they can’t stop eating their favorite foods, so they don’t even think about committing to a newish lifestyle. I get it. That was me. I obsessed over cheese plates, craved creamy frostings and longed for bulky pastas. I had been drinking tons of diet soda for almost two decades, so only remembered life being bloated. But that all changed when I started eating clean. And trust me, you can take small steps and get there, too.
Yes, my motivation was to be well … But after a few months, I noticed that I looked amazing. My skin was clear, my energy high, my hair less dirty AND I felt thinner. Yes, I lost a few pounds, but the bigger story is that not being bloated from soda, packaged foods and simple carbs made me feel toned and strong within my own body. I wish I would have understood how much better I would FEEL if I truly took care of myself.
That’s why I encourage others to do the same for themselves. Eating clean, being active and living with less toxins truly helps an individual look AND feel great. It doesn’t change over night. But it can be done by making a commitment slowly. Set little goals and once you progress, add a few more. It’s also important to check in with your doctor or naturopath to get their guidance, making it a recipe for success.”
I love Caryn’s message and, like her, I have made many of these healthy changes in my own life since my cancer diagnosis. Not that I think I can cure my own cancer just by using organic shampoo and eating broccoli, anymore than I could have caused it by eating a chocolate bar. However, with all we know in this day and age – it is common sense to be thoughtful about what goes into and on our bodies, especially if you are trying to optimize your immune system, and/or recover from toxic treatments and multiple surgeries. There are no shortage of websites and books out there telling us how important it is to get “clean.” However, what I found so cool about Pretty Wellness (before I even knew and fell madly in love with Caryn), is that she really teaches you how to make changes in a realistic way by breaking it down to small, reasonable things you can do one step at a time if you’re interested. This is why I thought introducing Caryn and her wellness website as a New Year’s piece would be perfect. Here is a link to some of her tips for those of you who want to get started now: 15 New Years Wellness Tips
Thank you Caryn! You have taught me so much already, and like a fine wine and a good cheese (both of which I’ll never give up!), I look forward to “pairing” some psych tips with those wellness gems of yours in 2017!
Stay tuned for more health and sanity tips from Caryn and I…just as soon as I finish my bacon wrapped-bon bon, put out this cigarette in my diet-soda can, and toss back a triple scotch :)! Don’t worry Caryn, I’ll chase all of it with a wheatgrass shot and kale juice!