I've invited the women who inspire me to GUEST BLOG on my website. I think you're gonna LOVE our first guest blogger, Breanna!
xo, health, and happiness,
Noel :)
A little about Breanna from The Soul Shakedown!
Meet Breanna Orentlikher
Blogger, Jewelry Designer and Founder of Bracelets by Breanna
Birth of the Soul Shakedown > I started my blog initially in 2010- when I was in the process of moving from White Plains to Brooklyn, NY. I came out of a stressful living situation and into a new life with my (at the time) boyfriend. When we moved to Brooklyn it was a fresh start for the both of us to live together. Our new life had finally begun. We soared. We quickly became engaged and life couldn’t seem better. I started to blog about my life during the move and really just used it to vent. This was not what I wanted to use my blog for, so I put it on the back burner. After a couple of months of living in the city, I felt sick and tired ALL of the time. I had come down from that “I just moved to NYC!!” high, and had to face reality. Something was wrong. I had to get used to living around a lot of noise, people, dirt, and had to get used to long commutes. All of these things took a toll on my body, I started losing hair from stress, and I had to do something about it. I was happy to be around my best friends, and was happy at my job, was happy to do things that were simple, yet culturally satisfying, but I didn’t feel GOOD. I felt “ok.” I wanted to feel GREAT. This is where my healthy journey began.
Healthy Pursuits > When I lived in White Plains, I worked part-time with a health coach. I learned a lot about integrative nutrition, and all around how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, just by being around a family who really cared about their health. I was introduced to sea vegetables, kale, organic supplements and products, etc. These were things that I never grew up around, so everything was new and awesome to me! I slowly integrated some of these new holistic remedies into my diet, but didn’t take the plunge until we moved to Brooklyn. After doing some research, I started to drink green shakes, took up half-marathon training, did yoga daily, and really paid attention to what I was putting into my body. It started to work! I was sleeping better, feeling better, and eating better. After I started to train for my first half-marathon, and when I reached my first long run of 7 miles (I never ran more than 4-5 miles at once since College Cross Country training!) a light bulb went off. I will never forget it, either. I was in Prospect Park and I literally had an “A-HA” moment while listening to the Black Eyed Peas trying to catch my breath. I pushed myself. All alone…I did it, ALL by myself! What else can I do? What else am I capable of? So after my first 13.1 mile race day, exhausted and accomplished, I promised to run a FULL marathon as soon as possible. After all of these changes, I felt GOOD, but again, I didn’t feel GREAT. So what is it? What was missing?
What happened next? > City living is fun, and there is nothing like it. Everyone should experience this once in their lifetime. It was a great time. I built a shield and took away serious experiences and friendships, but it is not for us. We decided to pursue dental school, graduate school, and working full time in higher education in Upstate New York. When we moved to Buffalo, we both were burnt out and exhausted. We took a month long vacation abroad and came back ready to rock and roll. Things started to fall in place, the way it should be. My Husband was beginning his new journey in Dental School, and I landed a great job in Higher education. We were close to family, made new friends, connected with old friends, became financially comfortable, extended our family. We were excited and ready to live again, refreshed. I became healthier than ever, organic, raw and whole food diets for the both of us. Wheatgrass, yoga, and running every day. My hair and nails grow like weeds, my skin is clear, my body looked better than ever, I just felt (and feel) so much better! I felt so great with my new fit lifestyle I decided to go back to blogging, delete my old entries of frustration, and start something healthy. I use my blog now to track my healthy lifestyle adventures, from cooking, running, yoga, art and crafts, my Jewelry bracelet line, and everything in between!
So what inspires me? > After I crossed the finish line of my first 13.1 race, I knew I had to do more. I knew at this moment I COULD do more! The sense of accomplishment I felt, and the new perspective of self-motivation I gained led me to become unstoppable. Two half marathons, one full, and now training for another are all under my belt. Those feelings inspire me. My father passed away prematurely when I was very young due to Diabetes, my step-father was diagnosed with cancer- and beat it, in his early 40s. My mother is on lifetime pills for blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. (a thin, normal, 40+ year old woman). These health ailments scare me. This runs in my family genetics, so I have to make sure I am as healthy as possible to prevent or slow down all of the above. This means eating healthy, and living an active lifestyle. The personal gains I achieved for myself, by myself, with the support of my loved ones are the most inspiring. The results are inspiring. Seeing the results and hearing positive feedback from my loved ones and friends from afar inspires me every day to keep on truckin’!
Your body is a temple; make sure to nourish it with love and care!
For more on Breanna, subscribe to her incredibly inspiring blog The Soul Shakedown!
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Hope you enjoyed this guest blog post...
many more inspiring women are coming your way!
many more inspiring women are coming your way!
