As I sit down every day to write my next blog, article or book I always think, “what do my readers want to learn about? What will inspire them to take each step towards their goals?” I know you enjoy the recipes I post and the health and wellness tips and tricks about fitness and nutrition; however, I think I can get too caught up in educating that I forget about the fun stuff and that sometimes people just want to know a little more about who I am.
A friend of mine suggested this to me when I was discussing my side business and how to make better connections and build relationships with more people. She said that it doesn’t always have to be about business and that sometimes people just want to know the real you. Get real, get vulnerable and show people who you really are.
I took her advice seriously so in today’s blog I have decided to do just that…give you a little insight into me as I take you through a typical day, or two, in the life of this gal living a meatless life and I promise to write more stories about various adventures I have had, and continue to have, in my living meatless quest.
Who am I?
I grew up in Red Deer, Alberta on an acreage just outside of town. I sent my days playing with the animals, cats, dogs, horses and bugs. We painted the fences, played in the trees and helped my mother tend to the garden and the yard.
When I was six my dad became ill with schizophrenia. It was very scary when he was sick so to protect my sister and I my mother decided it was time to move out. My sister and I were very blessed to have grandparents who loved to have us so we spent a lot of time with them…grandparents are awesome!
Being a child of divorce and being raised by a single mom allowed the opportunity to get into some trouble when I was a kid.. luckily not too much trouble but enough to have some fun and learn some lessons in the meantime.
As a teenager I couldn’t wait to get out of school so I got the bare minimum credits to graduate and went to work at the racetrack for my grandparents. My mom’s parents raised and raced thoroughbreds for many years and since I was horse crazy this was a dream job. I worked there for a few years then decided it was time to go to University.
After two years of upgrading I was accepted into the University of Calgary. I started in the science department where I took courses for pre-veterinarian. However, after spending time with a vet I realized that the things I’d have to do as a vet would be too heart breaking from me so I switched to psychology. I absolutely loved learning about human nature and even learned, from abnormal psychology, that schizophrenia was a real thing and that my dad couldn’t help it. Something I questioned for many years as a child.
Realizing that psychology wouldn’t give me a career without taking many more years of school I was accepted into the kinesiology department where I majored in mind sciences (sport psychology). I loved this program and it lead me to my current career in heath and wellness, which is ironic since I never actually even completed physical education in high school.
Upon graduation I took a personal training certification, which kickstarted my career in the gym. I loved working with people and still do to this day. I have been a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for over 20 years. It is a wonderful business to be in. I get to help and inspire people to be their best selves, to gain better health and happiness. I absolutely love when I client comes up to me with a huge smile on their face and boast their latest accomplishment. Ask anyone in this industry and I bet they will say, “I do it because I love it.” I have since taken a variety of wellness certifications to enhance my knowledge in the field so I can help my clients even more.
In 2004, I graduated from U of C and began working with Alberta Health Services in a chronic disease management program. I was there for eight years and decided it was time to go back to school to get some higher education and perhaps move into a management position. In 2010, I graduated with a master’s in business degree. When opportunities with AHS fell through I was encouraged by my friends and colleagues to find a career in oil and gas, and make better money, but my heart was still in health and wellness. So, I decided it was time to start my own coaching business, which I still run to this day.
About six years ago I added a new sector to my business where I get to help people gain better health and wealth. I have a blast with this business and is my long-term retirement plan I’ve been lucky to have this side business as it has helped me get through tough economic times and when I couldn’t work because of injuries.
Along this professional journey I have also had my own personal growth opportunities including experiencing various relationships that have helped me grow and learn lessons about myself and others, managing an eating disorder and taking better care of my health to release excess weight and be healthier, and happier, than ever now that I am in my 40’s.
I believe now is a great time to be alive as there are so many opportunities available to us if we choose to take advantage of them.
My typical day…
I am very much a morning person, if I have had enough sleep. Once I am up I am up and usually happy to get going with my day.
My typical day always starts the same. I get up to my alarm, give my boyfriend and pup a kiss, and head to the shower to get cleaned up for the day.
Once I am dressed and ready I make my way to the kitchen. First things first, the pup and cats must eat before anyone else does. With six eyes staring at you in the morning it’s pretty hard to do anything else until the three little mouths are fed.
What do the cats eat?
My boyfriend’s cat Dahlia, gets about a 1/4 cup of raw meat and the other cat, Moxie, a high quality
dry food. We chose to switch Dahlia to a raw diet because she was getting regular nose bleeds and the veterinarian could not figure out what was going on. I reminded my boyfriend that cats are carnivores and require fresh meat to be in their healthiest state and that I thought we should switch her over to a raw diet. He agreed and she has been eating raw ever since. She still gets nose bleeds once in awhile when she gets into something she shouldn’t eat but other than that the nose bleeds have stopped since making the switch away from processed foods and closer to what she would eat in the wild. 
Moxie on the other hand…well, she’s a picky girl and won’t eat anything other than the junk dry food. We do our best and feed them both high quality food as much we can.
What does the dog eat?
As for my pup, Pebbles, … she also eats a raw, whole food diet and has since I got her at eight weeks
old. She is seven now, has no teeth problems (which is unusual for a dog of her age and breed) and has more energy than the younger dogs that live in our neighbourhood. Her diet consists of 1/4 cup or cooked brown rice, 1/4 cup ethically sourced, organic and local raw meat, parsley and other veggies and 1/4 tsp of healthy powder. The healthy powder recipe is one that I got from Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide To Natural Health For Dogs and Cats.
I choose to feed my dog a raw, whole food diet because I truly do not believe in feeding my dog dry, processed food. It is, in my opinion, nothing more that junk food that is full of crap. It’s the reason why so many dogs are overweight, sick and suffer from pre-mature death. My mother fed her dog, a Golden Retriever, this diet and she was 17 years old when she died purely of old age as she had no health issues and only saw the vet for her yearly check-ups. Dogs are omnivores so they can eat a diet that has variety, which is why my dog eats some grains, veggies, meat and lots of plant-based treats.
What do I eat?
After the three little mouths are fed it’s my turn. I like to start my day of with a litre of lemon water before I eat anything. This gives my body a chance to clear out any junk that has been left in the digestive tract overnight. I have recently embraced intermittent fasting where I stop eating around 6:00 pm and then have my first meal around 10 am in the morning. So far it seems to be working well.
With my water I take my supplements, which include:
- Dehydrated fruit and veggie capsules, which are made up of 30 different fruits and veggies. These capsules give me so much energy in the day, have helped my skin clear up and help reduce sugar cravings. I have been taking them for about six years now and I think I’ve only been sick a couple of times since then. Pretty cool.
- Plant-based omega blend, which is made of age, sea buckthorn, raspberry seeds and other high-quality plant based sources. This blend is by far the best I’ve found on the market. I much prefer a plant-based omega, obviously because I am vegan and there is no fishy taste. Besides, the fish are the middle man. They eat algae and other plant foods to get omegas so why eat them when I can go straight to the source.
- Vitamin B complex. I used to just take vitamin B12 because I know it’s an important supplement for vegans to take; however, my mentor, Dr. Brian Clement, Director of Hippocrates Health Institute, recommended that I take a complex as it is more of a whole food rather than isolating the one vitamin.
- Vitamin D spray. I also use a vegan vitamin D spray because living in Canada I am not exposed to enough sunlight for my body coproduce it’s own.
When I am ready to eat I usually make myself a smoothie or eat a bowl of oatmeal. I shared some of these recipes in a previous blog.
What I eat for lunch depends on what I’m doing that day. A typical lunch may include a salad filled with
a variety of greens, herbs and veggies, with quinoa or tofu and topped with a homemade or organic store-bought dressing, avocado toast topped with tomato or stir-fry. If I go out to eat perhaps a Beyond Burger from A & W, a salad from Chopped Leaf or Freshii or something from one of my favourite local vegan restaurants such as SaVeged Cafe, Veg-In YYC, The Coup or Thai Vegan Cafe.
I usually have an afternoon snack that is either hummus veggies and crackers, a whole-food bar, smoothie or juice.
For dinner, this will vary as well and often looks similar to lunch. I try to finish my last meal around 6:00 pm so I can fast through the night until about 10:00 am. This allows my body to digest anything from the day. I find my stomach feels much better and I feel a lot lighter and have more energy when I do this. No eating after 6:00 pm is one of the many basic principles I follow each day to ensure my best health.
Although you might think this sounds super healthy I love my junk food as much as anyone else. I have just learned how to stay away from them more than ever before because I have now listen and tune in to how my body feels. When I eat too much processed and sugary foods my stomach doesn’t feel good, I have low energy and my face breaks out so I stay away from it as much as possible.
If I do enjoy a treat my favourites include coconut ice cream, raw vegan chocolate chips and sometimes a vegan cupcake or homemade vegan cheesecake.
What do I do during the day?
After breakfast I take Pebbles for a 15-30 minute walk then head back home. In the summer this is one of my favourite things to do first thing because the weather is warm yet not too hot and it’s quiet on the streets.
Once the dog has been walked I will gather my things and head to work, or to meetings I have set for the day. For work I do a variety of things including teach fitness and yoga classes, meet with clients one-on-one and support them in reaching their health and wellness goals, connect with new people who are interested in doing what I do and write blogs for the Living Meatless site.
If I have a day off I usually spend the day walking with Pebbles, going hiking, biking or other outdoor activities when the weather is nice. I also enjoy making myself a delicious elixir that is filled with superfoods and write blogs or relax and watch movies with my boyfriend.
I usually like to get a workout in early such as a HIIT training session at Orange Theory, a yoga class and another nice long walk with the dog at night when the temperature has cooled down. I find in the winter I am much more of a hermit and do more indoor activities as I am not a fan of the winter cold.
When I get the chance I like to spend time with my sister, nieces, mom and friends as I believe that
spending time with the people you love is very important. Although this doesn’t get to happen as often as I’d like I do it as much as possible. Even if it means booking three months in advance.
What are some of my dreams and goals?
The very first thing I help my clients do is to learn how to dream big and set goals. I know that dreaming big is something that I have to work on myself so I love hearing other people’s big dreams. This helps get my imagination going so I can start thinking big and visualize what I want for my life. Too often people have an idea of what they want but it’s often not clearly set out into well defined action steps, which is a big reason why people, including myself, fall short of their goals.
To each your goals figure out what you want, then really look at WHY you want it and then set small, daily action steps you can do to get you there. These small steps at times may not even seem like much but as long as you do them consistenlty you will make daily progress and eventually reach your goals.
Some of my big dreams and goals include:
- Building my business big enough so I can work from home everyday
- Developing an online membership program that will provide clients with nutrition and fitness information, yoga sessions and more.
- Doing some volunteer work with an animal shelter and people in need.
- Travel the world, meet new people and build business in other countries.
To be honest, there are so many things I want to do and will do one day. However, like anyone I am held back by fear, which is something I am working on for myself.
Some things I am doing to get over my fears so I can move forward with my life goals include:
- Having regular meetings with mentors and other successful entrepreneurs
- Listening to inspiring and educational podcasts such as Oprah’s Masterclass and Super Soul Sunday
- Reading business and personal development books by authors such as Wayne Dwyer, Napoleon Hill, T. Harv Ecker, Eric Worre and Ray Higdon.
- Developing a regular meditation practice where I can visualize me having already accomplished my dreams.
- Reminding myself that it is not up to me to determine what people want for their lives and to share with them opportunities that will help them reach their goals and dreams and not be worried about the outcome.
- Do things that push me out of my comfort zone as much as possible.
Do you have any goals and dreams you want and are working on? Do you have any fears that are holding you back from reaching your dreams? Please mention them in the comments below, and join the Loving Living Meatless Facebook group to get even more support from others.
So there you have it… a little more about me. I would love to hear what you do and some of your healthy habits that keep you Living Meatless so I can get to know you better as well.
Until next time,
Namaste,
Rachel Joy Olsen, BSc., MBA