Hello! My First Message to YOU

Hello and welcome to Laura Raymond Fitness!  I believe that in order for you to be truly healthy, you need to reach beyond fitness.  You need to be aware of what you are eating - everything we put in our mouths either fuels or famines our well being.  You must be humble and appreciate all of life, even the parts that you don't understand.  You HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF so that you can be a light to some one else.  It's treating your mind, body and spirit right and sharing that compassion with others that truly makes you YOUR HEALTHIEST YOU.  The WHOLEistic way.

While I have been interested in health and fitness for most of my life, I never really understood how important it was for me to go beyond my daily fitness routine and clean eating until recently.  

Yes, of course I felt better getting back in to fueling my body with nutrient dense foods instead of junk and getting my butt moving again, but it wasn't fueling my soul.  My fitness results were hindered by my psyche and so were my personal relationships.  Yes, you need to exercise and avoid fast food, processed food, sugar, etc for your internal health.  BUT by feeding your soul too, you are less likely to be depressed and anxious which will boost your internal health as well.  Think about it, when you are feeling down in the dumps (we all have those days) you don't feel good.  You may not have the sniffles or be vomiting, but your immune system is weakened by your mood.  Crazy you say?  Not really.  Stress can actually over-activate your immune system which can lead to an increased risk of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and arthritis.  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University monitored the emotional health of 300 participants and then exposed them all to an infections virus.  They found that the subjects that were happiest were 3 times more likely to NOT get sick than those that were depressed or stressed.

This blog is a place for for inspiration, tips, recipes, family, fun, and spiritual freedom!  I invite you to share your stories in comments or when I am holding an open discussion on Facebook. I want to hear from you on what you want to see so if there is ever anything that you like and want more of TELL ME!  I'm listening because it's YOU who keeps me my healthiest!

I just want to throw this picture in because to me, it is perfection and fills my heart with happiness! :)  I took this picture of the Tetons on top of Grand Targhee Ski Resort where despite the brutal wind that day, I felt warmth, purpose and spiritually fulfilled.  God is amazing.