In this special week of wellness edition, we talk with Dani Shimits our wellness coach who enjoys spending time with her husband, their dog Remi, and since this article was written gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Everlee Ray.
Hiiya! My name is Dani Shimits and I was born in Tennessee but have lived in Ohio for the majority of my life. I have been a wellness coach for Wellness Coaches for a little over three years. Prior to this, I was a Wellness Coordinator for Verizon for a little over five years.
I currently live in Gahanna with my hubby and our crazy dog Remi! I got into the fitness industry because in all honesty, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life but I enjoyed exercise and movement. I grew up playing sports and enjoyed being around wellness. I love sharing my passion for health and wellness because I want people to have enjoyment in all aspects of their health and wellness, not just exercise and nutrition.
Morning
Mornings are my favorite when I roll out of bed, go for a run with my friend Caroline, and end with a cup of coffee and donut from either Java Central or Schneider’s Bakery, in Westerville, or Upper Cup, in Gahanna.
Afternoon
If I am done with clients or working from home ME TIME is a must! I am a homebody at heart. I watch reruns of Reba and Last Man Standing every afternoon that I am home. I practically quote every one of these episodes because I have seen them like a million times!
Evening
I stalk Pinterest all the time for recipes. I do not eat a lot of meat so most of the recipes I replace the meat with either beans, tofu or tempeh. A few of my favorites are Black Bean Burgers, Baked Chimichangas, and Taco Pasta.
After dinner, my evenings consist of chalking on the driveways or chasing frisbees with the neighbor kids Carson (4 yrs old) and Molly (2 yrs old.) If I was not doing health and wellness, I would be a preschool or kindergarten teacher. I absolutely love little kids and I would love to impact them on a daily basis. I also have a far-fetched dream of being an elite runner one day.
I enjoy letting others know I am not perfect when it comes to health and wellness. I am also a human just like everyone else. Health and wellness have affected my life in many ways but the most important aspect to me was my journey through recovery from an eating disorder. I started eating disorder behaviors in college. Looking back after being through recovery, has made me realize how much of my college and post-college life was taken away by my eating disorder. This truly opened my eyes to the importance of overall health and wellness. I also feel like this experience has made me the wellness coach I am today.
Top Five Wellness Tips:
1. BE YOU, enjoy exercise and movement and appreciate what your body can do on a daily basis.
2. Respect and take care of your mental health.
3. Enjoy and appreciate what you put into your body and how that food makes you feel.
4. You are the most important aspect of your life. Do not be afraid to be “selfish” when it comes to your own needs and taking care of yourself.
5. Coffee makes life better….in my opinion! Of course in moderation!
