Holley Porter-Wright Talks about Healthy Huntsville's Lucky Duck Days

Over a hot cup of tea, I recently interviewed my yoga studio partner, Holley Porter-Wright about her upcoming participation in Lucky Duck Days.

Q: Tell me about Lucky Duck Days and why you decided to get involved?

Lucky Duck Days is a Healthy Huntsville fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association, scheduled for May 11th and 12th. It’s part of the Healthy Huntsville initiative.

I wanted to participate because I am currently enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am eager to share what I have learned about nutrition and holistic health. There is an estimated 25.8 million people in the United States who have diabetes and many more who aren’t yet aware of it.

Q: How did you
start teaching yoga?

I first took yoga in college for credit because I had heard about it and it sounded very interesting. Turned out it was. I kept taking it for more “credit.” I started teaching a couple of years after I graduated from UAHuntsville.

Yoga is not only a beautiful system for counteracting the effects of stress in our lives, it is also the perfect way to cultivate self-awareness which is necessary to create healing around negative issues with food. I believe the skill of listening to our bodies is one of our most under-utilized resources in our efforts to lead healthy lives.

Q: How does your yoga practice factor into your view on a healthy lifestyle?

Healthy eating habits are the foundation of our health. So many of our countries’ pervasive health issues, diabetes included, arise from what we are eating and also, what is lacking in our diets, what our bodies are asking for.

Q: And now you’re in Health Coaching…what led you to that next step?

In yoga we are always listening to our bodies and I think as a natural extension of that I began to become more aware of some issues I had with my blood sugar, cravings, and emotions around food. I also noticed how much better I felt when I ate well and how it affected me on so many other levels.

I wanted to study nutrition and wellness more so that I could not only be an accredited professional in that area, but also so I could help others with their journey to having a healthy relationship with food.

Q: There is a lot of information… do your clients admit feeling overwhelmed?

There IS much information; some of it conflicting, on the topic of “healthy eating.” I think it can be quite confusing. As a health coach, I want to demystify the confusion and remove obstacles to eating well and leading a healthy, vibrant life.

Q: What is the best advice you could give someone who wants to be healthier, but feels overwhelmed?

Find a time and place to be still and then listen to yourself. I think it’s easy to give people a checklist as a route to healthy eating, but lasting habits have to come from a genuine place within. Know what you want for your health and why. That will keep you motivated.

Then keep adding more whole foods (think of foods with no labels, no packaging) into your diet. Drink more water! Sip it all day. See how you feel. The ability to listen to your body will allow you to know what dietary plans and theories work for you and which ones don’t. There is no “one size fits all.” You are in charge of your health.

Lucky Duck Days Details

Lucky Duck Days is a family street fair with crafts, food, hospitality tents and activities and games on Mother’s Day weekend, May 11-12, 2013. A closed street will host vendor tents featuring arts and crafts, a food court, and a green market focused on healthy alternatives.

The event will culminate Sunday afternoon with the Lucky Duck Derby in the adjacent Gateway Greenway where thousands of rubber ducks will race down the waterway to win a grand prize and be the Lucky Duck!