My Wellness Journey

I have been interested in food and nutrition since I was a teenager.  I used to watch The Food Network before it was cool. When I was in high school (16 years old) I developed an eating disorder: Anorexia.  Being someone that is pretty aware of my body and myself, I realized early on that I had a problem. I just didn’t know how to pull myself out.

I think back to those years and I’m sad for my younger self.  It was a long journey.  It got pretty bad and I took years to literally crawl out on the other side.  During this time it was easy to hide things at first under the pretense of “I’m just really healthy now!”  I became pretty obsessed in a very unhealthy way with health and nutrition.  Then I had to heal myself, so I continued educating myself and trying to take care of myself, the best I could.

It took about 10 years to really find a healthy relationship with myself, my body, and food. Becoming pregnant truly brought everything full circle and cemented my dedication to health not just for appearance sake.  It really changed the way I viewed my body.  I went from wanting to eat healthy because I wanted to be skinny and fit, to wanting to eat healthy because I 100% wanted to take care of my body and my growing baby. That mental shift changed EVERYTHING. The mind is such a powerful force. Once I started really focusing on my health and not my looks, everything fell into place. It was easy to make healthy choices, and when I did indulge, I didn’t binge, or feel guilty. I was active because it feels good for my body and my mind and not because I was afraid to gain weight, so exercise, or just long walks outside never felt like a chore.  Since then I have read anything and everything, taken countless courses and cooking classes and earned a degree in Holistic Nutrition and Health Coaching.

I have learned to optimize my health. No harsh diets or crazy exercise programs. Just truly loving and taking care of my emotional and physical wellbeing.  Our entire family has embraced the Happy, Healthy, Whole lifestyle.  It has been so important for me to expose my kids to REAL healthy food from day one. I try to educate my children as early as possible about nutrition and why we eat the way we do.  I also point out the way certain foods make us feel, so they can make wise choices. Kids are so smart if we give them a little credit.

Which brings me to the next phase in my life. I love helping other women and especially mothers learn to love themselves and take care of themselves and their families from a place of kindness and care.  It’s not about being skinny, or trying to get their pre-baby bodies back (though those may be welcome side-effects).  Mainly, I want to empower every woman to take her health into her own hands.
to listen to her body;
to truly tune into her inner voice and wisdom;
to notice what works for her and what doesn’t,
so she can make the right decisions for herself and her family.