Up close with Danielle Fryer
Join us for the entire interview regarding nutrition, movement and inspiration with Donna Adinolfi with Danielle Fryer.
The Interview with Mindful Adventures Continues…
DA: What inspired you to go into nutrition, fitness and yoga?
DF: I was inspired to learn about food science after suffering with a dysfunctional relationship with food and my own body in high school. I used to binge eat and then purge through excessive exercise. It was a rollercoaster ride from hell. The shame, guilt, and blame of this behavior became my bondage. It was only after I surrendered to the Lord, that He showed me that food wasn’t my issue.
My struggle for control was the real issue.
Food was merely a symptom.
My education showed me that food can help heal and nourish us.
With graduation of high school, my gymnastics “career” ended. I didn’t know what to do with all this new found time on my hands, so I joined the new health club in my hometown. Immediately, “fitness everything” became my new passion.
I began a Yoga practice while still a gymnast in high school in the 90’s. Then the postures came natural to me. Today, I love describing how the body might feel if it moves this way or that way. To teach someone to move in their body is quite poetic. I love that about teaching. It’s almost like teaching water how to flow. How do we do that? Ha! The best we can do is point to it with our words and allow our bodies to resonate with the words and the feeling inside our bodies.
DA: What tips would you like to share with my readers to enhance their fitness and nutrition/healthy eating needs?
DF: I have a few for you:
My nutrition tip is to listen to your body’s intuition more!
Drink more Water! Half your body weight in ounces, per day!
Remember that nourishing food has no need for commercials.
LOOK at the “ingredient list” on EVERY food label.
*Calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. that are NOT more important than the ingredient list!
Think farm to plate.
Get familiar with the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen and toxic 20!
*There are apps called “Dirty Dozen” with this information at your finger tips.
Be aware of your emotions (mad, glad, sad, scared, confused) when thinking about food, choosing food, and even while chewing your food.
My fitness tip is move your body however you dig it! I encourage sincere exploration of different exercise types to move your body in a way that celebrates life.
Not everyone enjoys the same rhythm of movement. Just get IN your body and feel it!
DA: What’s one of your biggest life lessons so far and do you use it in your work?
DF: One of my biggest life lessons so far is relinquishing control – surrendering. I created an acronym called “J A R” that helps me. When I feel anxious, I am inside a JAR: Judgment, Attachment, or Resistance. When I can catch myself in that state of mind, I recognize that I am desiring to control something. I can struggle or I can surrender it. In that moment, I can choose between anxiety or peace.
I do use this life lesson in my work. It’s foundational. My soon to be published book, The Mindful Clean Plate: Food Freedom Sourcebook, goes into great detail on how to surrender control and find peace with food and body image.
DA: If you weren’t working in the wellness/nutrition/yoga field, what would you be doing?
DF: I would be a professional Christian Rockstar!
I love to play my guitar and sing. If I could make a living doing that I would shoot over the rainbow. I was born for the performing arts. There is a lot of performing arts channeled with my retreats, events and classes.
DA: What’s your favorite fitness activity (other than yoga!)?
DF: Anything with my dog, Sadie Pearl, is my favorite. We hike, trail run, walk, and Stand Up paddle board. I just bought a new road bike and am stoked to go pedal that bad boy. I also love strength training in the weight room and it is an essential piece of my weekly workouts.
DA: What do you do to stay educated about nutrition, yoga, fitness trends, research, etc.? What resources do you like?
DF: In regards to my Nutrition credentials and my Strength Coach credentials, I attend annual continuing education conferences nationwide. I have been a regular attendee of SCAN Symposiums (Sports, Cardiovascular and Nutrition) for over a decade. I am an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics member under The Commission on Dietetic Registration.
I just attended the NSCA coaches conferences in Nashville, TN where I joined the leading community of S&C coaches for athletes and learned the latest practical coaching with hands-on sessions.
I have enhanced my yoga practice and teaching techniques by reading, applying it in my own practice, taking other yoga classes, enrolling in yoga immersions and workshops nationwide.
DA: What’s next for you in this field?
DF: My goal is to be contracted for 12 National Retreats in 2017. I am open to location and specifics of what they entail around my professional offerings.
The publishing of The Mindful Clean Plate-Food Freedom Sourcebook is my ultimate goal for 2017!
The Mindful Clean Plate is a food freedom memoir and how-to book/workbook that is rooted in faith and science.
Three grounded platforms are:
1. Food: Eating farm to table food nourishes the body. Learn to use your senses to stimulate food satisfaction. This will enhance food choice quality, quantity and balance.
2. Movement: Intentional exercise that celebrates life. Choose an exercise type that works for you. Motion is lotion for the body.
3. Mindset: Training the mind to embody healthy lifestyle behaviors. Practice shifting your thoughts and recognizing your emotions. These actions will empower healthier choices.
I also have a vision to establish a missions based yoga community here in Gadsden, Alabama. My mission is to lead worship in motion through yoga asana and provide a healthy environment where my community can praise through movement & music.
DA: Do you have a mentor? If so, how has he/she helped you?
DF: The Lord has blessed my life with so many impactful and trustworthy advisors.
There are two names I’d like to mention:
Tom Brown. He was my gymnastics coach for 13 years. He showed me by example that following your passion will lead the way toward a successful creative business. One thing that really sticks out for me about Tom was when he entrusted me to lead strength and conditioning sessions for our gymnastics team. He knew I loved S&C. With doing this, it empowered me to learn how to get super strong and help others do the same.
The other I’d like to mention is Mary Baun. She was my first RD mentor. I never knew any real life RD’s before I was led into my field. But, the first one to touch my heart was Mary. She is a clinical RD, diabetes educator in Pittsburgh. She hired me right out of college. She was extremely patient with me and I learned some wonderful counseling techniques from her that I still use today.
DA: What is most rewarding to you in your field?
DF: Being in service with the specific tools that I feel anointed to make use of, while making a difference in another person’s life. It’s breathtaking to me to plant seeds for better health, that in turn brings a quickening in the mind and body!
DA: Anything else you’d like to share to assist others to refocus on their fitness/nutrition or enhance their current program?
DF: Awareness, Surrender and LOVE are the three most potent ingredients for enhancing anything! Often, we have not because we ask not. To focus your mind, ask in prayer every single day. Ask for faith, comfort, healing, restoration and quickening of the body.
Make a plan. Write in pencil because life happens. Be self disciplined in a sustainable plan. Take this step. Then this step. Take the steps and It will be given to you freely. You are NOT stagnant regardless of your past or current condition! You have what it takes. You are lovely.
Affirm this:
God doesn’t call those that are prepared. He prepares those that are called.
Contact Danielle directly with questions about nutrition, lifestyle coaching, or retreat information.
Photo credit: Danielle Fryer
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