January Whole30 Group Guest Speaker #4: Erica Ballard
From the first moment I met Erica, I knew I LOVED her and she spoke my love language (wellness). Erica gets how changing what you put on your plate can change your life and how to connect the dots between your inner dialogue and diet. Erica will be sharing more about mindset and food in our January Whole30 group and I can’t wait! Read on for Erica’s story.
*Reminder that we start with prep on January 2nd, our Whole30 will start on January 7th and then conclude with reintroduction and food freedom guidance. You can still sign up HERE! *
Tell us about yourself, what’s your story?
I am a healthy living expert and coach who is on a mission to show people that they can live a healthy life despite their busy schedules. I truly believe that better food leads to a better life and work with clients throughout the country to help improve their lives.
Of course, I didn’t always do this. In fact, I was on the other side of health for most of my career. I worked in public health and health care for about a decade. And while there, I was always trying to lose weight, but I could never figure out how to. And it frustrated me because I followed all their rules: I drank the shakes. I ate the low-fat bars. I worked out a ton. But despite all my efforts, I never looked or felt the way I wanted to.
Then one day …and ten years of chronic dieting… I decided to do something different. On my own time, I had been learning a lot about stress and agriculture and longevity and finally started to put that knowledge into action. I slowed down. I started to care about where my food came from. I began choosing quality over quantity. And those moves – well, they changed my life.
In six months, I looked like a different person. And in one year, I was living a totally different life. Left my corporate job to pursue my passion, started taking on clients, and really looked at who I wanted to be and how I wanted to live. It’s been an amazing ride and excited to share what I’ve learned with you all soon!
What is your relationship like with food today?
Man, it is so different than before. For most of my life, I saw food as “good” or “bad” and defined who I was based on whether I ate mostly “good” or “bad” food. Now, I eat what I want when I want and don’t have any hang ups about it. That doesn’t mean I gorge – what it means is I eat according to what my body needs, which makes life so easy. And, more importantly, it makes life so freeing.
What is your fitness routine like?
I love moving my body. So, I probably workout more than most people but I really love it. So, most weeks, I lift 3x a week. Do yoga 2x a week and do a cardio HIIT workout 1x a week. My workouts are never longer than an hour though (unless I get in a really good stretch session).
Do you have a favorite personal development book or podcast you would recommend?
I do: The Four Agreements. I think it’s one of the best personal development books out there and was definitely a catalyst for my journey.
I’m also going to put in a plug for The Blue Zones as reading it now and am loving it. It outlines what health really looks like, i.e. community, food you like, etc.
Have you ever done a Whole30 and if so, what did you learn from your experience?
I have not done Whole30 before. I tend to eat Whole30 90% of my life but have never committed 30 days to do it. Perhaps 2019 is the year for me to give it a go.
What advice would you give someone considering the Whole30?
To go for it. You can do anything for 30 days. So, do it!
Favorite Quote: The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
Where can everyone find you and learn more about what you do?
I hang out on Instagram a lot. Come find me at @ericaballardhealth. You can also listen to my health podcast, The Full Plate (it’s my favorite thing I do). And you can stop by my website www.ericaballardhealth.com.
She’s so great, right? Make sure you give Erica and follow and sign up for my group January Whole30 today so you can hear more from her and my other guest speakers! Sign up HERE.