My Edible Sunshine: Amanda Carney
Meet Amanda Carney, Holistic Nutritionist, of "My Edible Sunshine" and "Crafted Wellness"!
Amanda is a holistic nutritionist from Pleasantville, NY who currently runs her business digitally and in person between Briarcliff, NY and Orlando, FL. Amanda steered out into business on her own and sometimes partners with her friend and peer Jackie Damboragian to guide others towards healthful, ethical and delicious foods that nourish the body and soul. In this interview Amanda told me exactly what she does as a "Holistic Nutritionist" and how she found her vision and what steps she took to turn it into a reality. If you are looking to improve your overall health and happiness she is a great go-to resource through the guidance on her blog and website and her one-to-one and group coaching. If you want to reach Amanda after reading this I will add her contact information at the bottom or you can go to one of the two links above, "My Edible Sunshine" and "Crafted Wellness" and reach her through there. Enjoy!
Q: Amanda, can you tell us exactly what a "holistic nutritionist" is and does?
Holistic health stresses the importance of taking the whole person into account when considering their health and well being, and understanding that everything is interconnected (both physical and emotional). As a holistic health coach, I work to help others understand this concept so I can better support them as they make changes to improve their health and happiness by addressing all areas of their life.
I have seen classmates do many things with their training, such as build their own health coaching practice, develop healthy food products, open restaurants that focus on healthy eating, work to create health and wellness programs that operate worldwide, form partnerships with doctors to integrate the importance of food and lifestyle into their medical practice, and much more, all with the intent to share the message of health, and to empower others with information and education that will allow them to create optimal health and well being in a natural way.
Q: Was this always a career you wanted to pursue or is it something you came upon later in life? Why?
I first feel in love with holistic health and healing when I was about 24, and I began spending my free time reading books and watching documentaries on different topics that related to natural healing (and often preaching to others about what I had learned). But it wasn’t until years later that I actually thought about turning that love into a career.
At age 27, I was sitting in a hostel bed somewhere in Italy and I was taking notes from an Andrew Weil book (who is still, to this day, one of my favorite health gurus). As I read about the wide variety of vitamins and minerals the body needs to function properly and evaluated my own diet, out of nowhere I had this “ah-ha” moment about turning this passion into an occupation.
At this point in my life, I had been bartending since college, traveling around the world with the money I made from bartending, and I was still completely unsure of what I wanted to do when I “grew up.” I knew that the office gig wasn’t for me, but I had no idea what I was meant to do. At that moment, sitting in that hostel bed in Italy, I realized what it might be. I thought to myself, if I love learning about this stuff, and I love the way it makes me feel, then I am sure that other people will want to learn about it to! I can help them by sharing all that I know and all that I have experienced!
From there, I began researching what people were doing in this field. There were licensed nutritionists, integrative doctors, weight watchers, life coaches… the list went on. After checking out a number of different programs and considering a few different options, I decided on The Institute for Integrative Nutrition because their core philosophy matched my belief system – that we are all different with different needs, and therefore there is no one diet or lifestyle that will work for everyone. Now, after completing my training and building my own health coaching practice over the past 2 years, I get to witness huge transformation in peoples lives by simply honoring their individual needs.
Q: What are the steps you took in order to turn the idea of becoming a nutritionist into a reality?
I started slowly and spent time checking out my options and seeing what was out there. I was originally pulled towards getting a Masters because I felt that it made me more desirable to the public, but as I learned more about different programs and tapped into what I actually wanted to create, I realized that it was most important to me to incorporate a holistic approach, something that the health coaching program at Institute for Integrated Nutrition really focused on.I continued to bartend and waitress while I was in the program, and began cutting back on the “casual” spending that I was used to. I created MyEdibleSunshine.com so I could share all that I was learning in a fun and assessable way, and began running workshops to share information on general health topics to groups of people (clean eating, superfoods, digestion and energy, etc.).
My practice is still a work in progress, and I think it always will be, but I finally feel confident that I am on the right path, one that will allow me to continue to evolve and grow.
Q: What bumps did you encounter once you actively began to pursue your vision?
For me, one of the biggest bumps I encountered was feeling financially stressed for one of the first times in my life. AT 15, I got my first job, and from then on had been blessed with jobs that provided me with financial security and also allowed me the freedom to do what I pleased. When I made the decision to step away from the restaurant and fully commit to health coaching, it was scary, and learning how to say no to trips, dinners and shopping was extra difficult. I understand that this is a good problem to have, and in no way do I feel sorry for myself, but it was the first time I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make my car payments and wasn’t able to pay off my credit card each month. I never realized the kind of strains this causes, and learning how to deal with those strains was a big lesson for me.
Q: What do you feel is the best part of your job?
I guess the best part of my job is that I get to live life as this big experiment. When I realized that I should see each day as a learning opportunity, my whole perspective changed. If I was going to be guiding and supporting others as they make healthy changes, I needed to know what foods to recommend, how to connect with them, understand what they might be going through, and offer advice from personal experience along with the knowledge I acquired in books. Each day, I am obligated to try something new, learn about a healthy food or health condition, practice a new form of exercise, or whatever else comes into my life. These experiences make me more relatable, and give me a broader knowledge base to connect with and help support others best.
Q: When things get tough, how do you keep yourself going?When things get tough, there is usually this beautiful lesson on the other side, so I try to remind myself of that and then determine how to best work through it. I worked with an amazing business coach for about a year, and she taught me to take note of the things that I am doing when I feel really good. This way, I know what I can do when I am feeling run down, worn out, defeated, distracted, sad, disconnected, uncertain, stuck, and all of the other emotions that I may experience. With this tip, I have learned that writing and spending time in nature help me to find creativity when I am feeling dull. I have found that journaling helps me feel clear when I am feeling uncertain and overwhelmed. I have learned that yoga and meditation help keep me present, calm and trusting in each moment, relieving me of stress and anxiety. Reading and learning helps me to feel inspired when I am feeling like I just want to lie in bed or park my butt in front of the TV. It has been extremely helpful to turn to this advice when things are feeling a little off balance, as I have learned what can get me back on track and feeling secure in what I am working to create.
Q: What three things/people/ROLES have contributed most to your success?
Like I mentioned previously, I was traveling a lot when I discovered my love for food and healing, and during that time I also learned a lot about myself, my priorities, my perspectives, and what that all meant to the world around me. Traveling by myself for 2 months in Australia and New Zealand, I learned what it meant to be alone, to trust in myself, and to look inward instead of outward when I was feeling like I needed something more. In Chile, I spent 5 days hiking in Torres Del Paine carrying all of my food and camping gear on my back and sharing a small tent with a friend. This taught me how to communicate openly and honestly, showed me how to put all the bullshit aside, and how to really appreciate the beauty that surrounds me at every moment even when I am tired, sore and in pain. In Italy, I learned a new appreciation for my family, in Berlin, a deeper love for one of my best friends, and in Peru, I learned how to let go of planning and allow each day to take me where it may.
Traveling has made me the person that I am, and I will always and forever thank that time in my life for teaching me all that it did.
Yoga is a close second for me, as I have learned the connectedness of all things through my practice. At first, I began to see changes in myself on the mat while practicing the poses and the flow of yoga – how my body moved and how my opinions of certain postures began to lighten (for example, the “oh god I hate this pose” began to change into “this is now, and it will not be forever”). About a year in, I began to feel the connection between my breath and my movements, and this is where the real magic happened. I found a new love and respect for breathing as I experienced how it allowed me to get fully present in each moment, on or off the mat. As I continued to learn more about the practice, I was amazed to see that practicing the yoga postures is just a small part of the yogic philosophy, and since then, I have been learning more and more about how to integrate this ancient healing philosophy into my life.
The past 7 years have been pretty transformational for me, and over the past 4 years my partner Tim has been supportive and understanding of my never-ending need to shift, grow and learn. He continues to encourage me when I am feeling down, motivate me when I am feeling dull, and knows how to let me go and do my thing when I have a new obstacle to tackle. He has shown me what true love and support feels like, and I am extremely grateful for him.
Q: If you knew then what you know now, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?
I would explain the beauty of trusting in each moment, the importance of finding the lesson in each experience, and the power of believing in myself.
Q: For a woman (or anyone starting their own business), what three things are most critical for them to be aware of?
Most importantly, I would say that it is ok (and sometimes necessary) to ask for and receive support. When you are embarking on a journey to start your own business, or even something similar, there are a lot of factors involved, and it is ok to not know how to do all of them. Get support! Ask for help! Figure out where you struggle (or even what you aren’t excited about) and find someone who can help.
Secondly I would explain that it takes work. Not the kind of “sucking it up and getting it done” kind of work (although you will definitely experience that too), but the kind of work that opens you up emotionally, work that pushes you mentally, work that you must own and take full responsibility for, which can be a really scary, but also a really beautiful thing.
Third, I would share how rewarding the work can be. It can feel extremely intimidating and overwhelming at times, but it also nourishes this other part of you that makes you come alive! It helps you learn and grow, gives you a new appreciation for yourself and those around you, and gives you an opportunity to work really hard for what you love.
Q: What was the most defining moment in your career to date?
About a year ago, I was at a social event and I got chatting with a couple I was meeting for the first time. After chatting for a few minutes, they asked what I do for work. This question is one that I always wanted to avoid because I was nervous of what the person asking would think. I would squirm and give a half-ass answer about being a health coach, BUT (there was always a but) I was still in school OR I was just starting out OR I was still picking up shifts at the restaurant. I always threw a comment in that would cut me down. There were a few reasons I would do this; I was scared about others not taking me seriously, I felt uncomfortable about following my dream when they were might be working the 9-5, and I felt like I didn’t deserve to call myself a health coach.
At this moment a year ago, I dropped the bullshit, told them that I was a health coach and explained a little about what I do. They were excited and asked a few more questions, curious what it was like working with clients, what my programs look like, when my next workshop was, and how I got into this. When the 3-minute conversation about “my job” was over, I realized that I had survived. No one died, no one felt bad, and actually, they seemed to walk away feeling inspired about healthy eating, discussing with one another how they should “really start drinking smoothies again.” It was a success! I realized in that moment that by cutting myself down and not sharing myself authentically I was preventing the message (my message) from getting out there. I was denying people the opportunity to think about their health! I was sabotaging the work that I was dedicated to. This was a big realization for me, and since then, I share my story with pride and enthusiasm.
Q: What three things could you not live without?
I surround myself with books. They make me happy, they teach me so much, and they bring me back to certain times in my life. I have gained so much from all of the books in my life over the years, and I could not imagine living a life without them.
Music has always spoken to me. I remember knowing all of the words to every tape my mom played during road trips. I remember spending hours making mix CD’s for friends. For me, there was always an escape in music. It was a reason to dance, a reason to sing, or a reason to just lie down and listen. I have always loved listening to lyrics and connecting to someone else’s experience through a beautiful string of words. I listen to music everyday, and I always will.
Whenever I start to feel disconnected, uneasy, and anxious, or like I have spent all day frying my brain in front of the computer, I go outside, take my shoes off and dig my feet into the grass. This small action does wonders for my mind and my body. It helps me disconnect from work, from “to-do” lists and social media, and allows me to get back in touch with nature, puts me back in the present moment, and helps me to feel grounded and free. There is scientific research about allowing ourselves to be barefoot on the earth and how it helps our body get back in tune with the rhythms of the universe, and although I fully believe in that, I also know it just helps me feel really good, almost instantaneously.
To reach Amanda or for further info go to: http://myediblesunshine.com/contact-me/
