July 31, 2007

INTERVIEW: CYNTHIA MAGG:
TURTLE BAY NUTRITION
"Helping people connect to the joy of eating healthfully"

Our relationship to our health and finances are two areas that greatly affect our quality of life. I met Cynthia at The Workshop In Business Opportunity course. I was moved by her passion to educate others on their health. Imagine my surprise when I learned that she was once a pastry chef!

Samarra: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I know you are very busy. I am dying of curiosity-how did you go from being a pastry chef to a nutritional counselor?

Cynthia: It was actually a natural progression. We shared part of a farm with several other families when I was growing up...so I was raised on lots of fresh vegetables. I have always eaten healthy - even as a pastry chef or when I was making 4 course meals for my friends, for fun, I used all natural ingredients. I've always been interested in my health and in the health of those around me. When I went to culinary school in France and worked at Hotel Le Bristol and a small pastry shop called SucreCacao, I began to really see people's connection to food. People were consuming mass quantities of sugars and sweets. Being in the kitchen, I was watching some consume it all day long. At the same time, I was encountering many people with major health issues - weight gain, muscle pain and arthritis. I had a lot of ideas about what I was witnessing. The transition to health counselor occurred because my ex boyfriend’s sister was starting a healing center. She is an acupuncturist and she asked me if I would join her based on her knowledge of my passion and the ideas I had regarding these issues.

Samarra: Funny how that happens.

Cynthia: Yes, it is. The timing was amazing. Do you know before I went to culinary school to become a pastry chef, I was a financial analyst for 10 years?

Samarra: What? Are you kidding me?

Cynthia: My undergraduate degree is from Boston University. I majored in Mathematics and Economics. Math was always easy for me in high school. When I went to college they had a dual program so I signed up for it. I ended up working for AT&T in an office with a helipad outside my window for my first job. Over the ten years that I was with them I transferred several times which provided me great experiences and I lived in Denver, New Jersey, DC and San Francisco. I was given the option to take my pension early and I decided to take it. I enjoyed what I was doing but I was working a lot of hours and it wasn't my passion. Actually being a pastry chef was very mathematical. You're measuring things out constantly. (laughter) Natural progression.

Samarra: (laughter) I guess that's true. Amazing. Were you encouraged as a child to take risks? How were you able to make such drastic life changes?

Cynthia: Am I a risk taker? I don't know. Actually I think I played it very safe. Every year and a half to two years I expected and received a transfer and salary increase. I think I was raised to do something that would provide stability. Stability meant financial stability. Although I was encouraged to live a life I was interested in, the emphasis was to get married and have kids. Maybe I am a risk taker. I always wonder what else is out there. I love traveling and reading, changing and growing.

Samarra: If on one end you were encouraged to be stable and on the other you really wanted to explore, how did you reconcile the two? Were you afraid?

Cynthia: Yes, I remember asking myself when I was working 14 hours a day, 6 days a week for no pay in a pastry shop in France just for the experience, "Am I crazy?" But I tend to put my whole foot in and then my whole body follows.

Samarra: But how do you put your whole body in, despite your fears?

Cynthia: I take action. When my friend asked me about becoming a nutritional counselor- I started a nutrition program with Bauman College, and then I eventually packed up my things in California and moved to New York. I have my practice now full-time. It's like when we're kids and we want to build, we just do it. This is my passion. It's not just about nutrition. One small aspect of what we eat relates to many aspects of our quality of life. We have to remember that the food industry is a business. They have a bottom line and they need to make sales. We take the information given to us in advertisements by manufacturers forgetting about our choices, options and the consequences to our own health.

Samarra: As with our finances. The key is to not stay afraid and avoid our ailments - but to face them head on and learn more.

Cynthia: Exactly. Four years ago when I started my business, I was focusing on my one-on-one consultations and I couldn't have imagined doing seminars. But now I am focusing on doing seminars and corporate conferences. I want to speak to as many people as possible at once because it will have an even greater domino effect than when I was focused only on one person at a time. When I first started doing the seminars, I remember asking myself "What am I doing in front of these people?" I was afraid. But I took action. I started speaking and then I would feel a natural poise and it was as if something greater than myself was channeling through me. We never know where our actions will lead us. I've started at square one twice in my life. It's wonderful because I have that to share with my clients. Each step IS a natural progression.

It is such a privilege to see my client's hopes reignited. I get to watch them transform themselves and want to be in their body. Wow, it's amazing. I get to participate in this now. The joy of seeing what is possible once their food choices and fears are addressed makes me want to share it with as many people as I can. When we are educated about our nutrition and health, the possibilities for the quality of our lives are vastly improved.

Samarra: As one who has obesity and diabetes in the line of both sides of my family weight has always been an issue for me. I love honey buns but I am getting older. As I'm also focusing now on getting out of debt and saving money, I'll buy the prepackaged meal because I tell myself that eating healthy costs much more.

Cynthia: I help my clients to see how it all adds up in both the short term and long term. How many days are missed from work, how much are the medications? I look at this way, we have to eat to live and every meal we eat we have an opportunity to make healthier choices for our bodies...the choices we make are cumulative...the healthier you eat, the better the odds for you being and staying healthy.

Samarra: I never thought of it in quite that way before. What are your top recommendations towards improving our health?

Cynthia: 1. Hydrate Daily with 64 ounces (8 eight-ounce cups) of spring or distilled water.
Most people are chronically dehydrated...this impacts your digestion, your elimination, your sleep, your ability to lose weight, your ability to concentrate, your pain and inflammation issues—just to name a few. If you drink caffeinated beverages, you make it extremely difficult to stay hydrated because coffee, black tea, and caffeinated energy drinks all de-hydrate, i.e. 1 cup of water plus 1 cup of coffee = 0 (zero) for your daily water consumption. Try to avoid or limit excess juices or water that has sweeteners (natural or artificial) in it.

2. Eat 5-6 smaller, healthier meals daily.
Your stomach is about the size of your fist. We have a tendency to overeat for many reasons. We are tired, stressed and have limited time to eat. Eating smaller meals will aid in digestion, give you a reason to take a mini-meal break at work, provide consistent blood sugar for your brains and bodies to function throughout the day.

3. Eat balanced meals that consist of good proteins, healthy fats, carbohydrates—all of which should be minimally processed.
Never eat a carbohydrate alone. Carbs are vegetables, fruits, grains, and sweeteners. When you combine carbs with a good protein or healthy fat, you are able to balance your blood sugar levels. This is key to weight loss/weight maintenance and your ability to function and live your life.

4. Vary your diet.
We have a tendency to eat the same 10-15 items every week. It is good to vary your choices to ensure that you are getting enough nutrients (vitamins and minerals) from your real food source. Taking vitamins and eating poorly is not the solution....it's actually very expensive when you add it up.

5. Deal with your emotions and your stress.
Nutrition isn't all about food. It is important to deal with your emotions (anger, sadness, resentment) in a healthy way. Do not suppress these emotions as they can impact your health in a negative way. Try to find positive outlets for dealing with your emotions and your stress levels. Suppressing your emotions are linked to diseases.


Samarra: Thank you so much for sharing your journey and your passion. You truly are practicing what you preach: "Helping people connect to the joy of eating healthfully."

Cynthia: It has been a pleasure. Remember to take action. Our bodies are constantly trying to give us signals when things are not working well in our diet or lifestyles. As you mentioned in your blog last week, our bodies are constantly regenerating and restoring itself...and the better nutrients we provide for our bodies, the better and faster it regenerates and repairs itself!


To work with Cynthia Magg and/or schedule a seminar at your office you can contact her at turtlebaynutrition@gmail.com.

PLAN OF ACTION:
Share this information with at least 2 other people.

Please pass this information to a friend and/or loved one. We are experiencing alarming rates of poor financial and physical health. Foreclosures/credit card debt and obesity/illnesses are becoming the norm. Take action. Address your financial and/or health fears today. Cynthia and I guarantee, hope greets you on the other side of the past familiar habits and fears!

RESOURCES:
OTHER ARTICLES DISCUSSING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUR FINANCES AND OUR HEALTH
Persistent Stress Caused by Financial Worries Can Lead to Physical and Mental Problems Such as Hypertension and Eating Disorders, Say Experts

By January W. Payne
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, July 24, 2007; Page HE01
(If you are unable to retrieve this article, email me at:
samarra _am_management@yahoo.com and I can forward it to you.

Personal Finance for Dummies: Discover how to lower expenses, tame debts, invest wisely, and achieve your financial goals. 5th Edition
by Eric Tyson, MBA
p.107 Organic Food Worth Spending For



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