MY STORY

Who am I? I am someone who knew at age 5 that I wanted to be a nurse, and who over the years has been drawn to multiple healing arts. I am a nurse who continues to actively practice her profession. I have over 42 years of hospital and clinic-based nursing experience in a variety of specialties, including: dialysis, cytoscopy and kidney disorders, endoscopy and GI disorders, radiation oncology and cancer care/hospice care, pain management, kidney transplant, wound care and reconstructive plastic surgery.  I am by no means an expert in these areas, but I can speak to what the ramifications and challenges are as I’ve watched my patients struggle with chronic health issues or been faced with life altering changes, which has given me much compassion and empathy. I myself have been a patient in the western health care system numerous times and can speak to the frustration of red tape and impersonal care: I have lived with chronic pain, tried different diets, and struggled with weight loss. I’ve had my bruises and come back with new energy, new convictions, new goals and dreams.

Throughout my life, I have been interested in a wide variety of what is termed alternative therapies. I have been a part time practicing massage therapist, reflexologist, hypnotherapist and reiki practitioner over the years, and have personally benefited from receiving chiropractic care, personal counseling, hypnosis, acupuncture, reiki, massage and reflexology treatments myself over the past 30 years and can speak about their benefits to my clients both as a client and a practitioner.

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After watching my daughter and grandchildren go through the trials and tribulations of multiple food allergies and sensitivities (as well as my own experimentation with food) I decided to attend the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to lean more about nutrition and how different eating styles play into our individual health. Upon graduation I also attended a Raw Food and Detox retreat at the Graff Academy, where I obtained a certification in raw food preparation and juicing, all which helped to finalize the culmination of all of my prior education to allow my health and vitality to skyrocket. I truly understand the impact that clean allergy free eating provides in everyday life, and that every meal is an opportunity to thrive! In my experience life is certainly about reinventing yourself over and over again while maintaining compassion and a sense of humor, I understand the importance of having a good support system by your side as you go forward, and look forward to working with you in the future!
 

WHY WORK WITH ME?

As a woman with gluten and dairy sensitives, I have struggled with and witnessed many of the symptoms that you may be experiencing. I know that finding credible recommendations can be a challenge. In the last 11 years, I have found solutions for many who struggle with dietary challenges and helped them live healthier lives with less symptoms. I encourage you to let me help you make some changes that work with your lifestyle that can make a big impact on your health. You must be ready to commit to the process. Success is acquired over time and adjustment to your new lifestyle. As you know, Rome wasn't built in a day! 
 

Together we will:

• Review your medical history, medications, supplements, and lab work

• Review your current eating and exercise habits

• Set goals

• Review your food and symptom journal

• Discuss meal and snack ideas

• Discuss mindful eating practices

• Replace restrictive food rules with sustainable strategies
   

HOW DID I GET HERE?

I love food, and I’ve always loved to cook. I’m the kind of person who received cookbooks as gifts for my birthday and for Christmas. In the effort of trying to make balanced meals for my family, it has been a habit of mine to make weekly meal plans for many years, and so it is second nature to me. It is not unusual for me to take a cookbook to bed for some light, inspirational reading. 

Even before I became a health coach, I had a lifetime of experience cooking many foods in the Standard American Diet. With my mother’s instructions,  I started standing at the stove by age 8, helping by stirring ground beef in the pan to facilitate the browning process. In my teens, I helped her put together favorite comfort foods, make grilled sandwiches, hearty soups and satisfying breakfasts for a family of seven.  I loved to bake homemade bread, pizza dough and birthday cakes. I became a vegetarian when I was 18, and that “phase” of my life lasted for 7 years, up until my baby turned one. Then, the peer pressure came back hard and fast about how malnourished my child would be without “adequate protein.”  So, I succumbed and ate the Standard American Diet for the next 20-some years.  

Fast forward to 2008, when my daughter and granddaughter were tested and found positive for food allergies. Tackling them was quite daunting at first, but the focus of my inspiration made it very clear: I wanted to be able to eat safe, nourishing foods with my food allergic family. I want to be confident in preparing balanced, hearty, yummy meals that all of us could enjoy.  You can expect a period of adjustment, some trial and error.  It will not be unusual for you to miss and crave your old standby’s.  Be patient with yourself. I have found for myself that eating “safe” vegan foods has some wonderful rewards. You can lose weight, and maintain a stable weight. You may notice anything from decreased headaches or migraines to a loss of rashes or eczema. Others have gone on to lower their cholesterol and get off of their blood pressure medications. 
 

MY TRAINING

In 2014 I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative. The idea of integrative or holistic nutrition, however, goes deeper and explores the idea that the proper food and diet can help heal the body physically and emotionally. Some components include the following:

• Food-mood connection: Many studies have examined how specific foods, whole-food supplements, or both can affect depression, irritability, emotional eating, and behavior. Other studies have shown that a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and healthful fats can alleviate depression and decrease irritability among the elderly and adolescents compared with a diet high in processed foods and sugar.

• Food cravings and addictions: Identifying food cravings and teaching clients how to respond to them is a significant component of treating the whole person philosophy.  I can help deconstruct the cravings by evaluating the type of food, the timing of the craving, what’s going on in the brain during the craving, the events surrounding the craving, the client’s emotional status, and the release of specific chemicals related to cravings and addictions. In fact, food addictions have become a research focus. Current science shows that a food addiction presents itself in the brain similarly to drug addiction and that we’re “hard wired” to keep reaching for specific foods.

• Diet trends: These can include all the different fad diets that flood the marketplace each year, such as the Paleo diet. I can counsel clients about these trends, understand and explain why they may or may not work, and know-how to effectively relay this information to clients.

• Antioxidants and phytonutrients: While antioxidants play a role in integrative or holistic nutrition, I can help you understand how antioxidants and phytonutrients work at the cellular level and how they relate to gene expression. For example, which antioxidants turn genes on or turn them off, and what effect does this have on the body. Exploring the synergistic effect of multiple food nutrients also fits into this equation.

Adopting a holistic paradigm will expand your options and choices significantly and begins to create greater self-empowerment and understanding. Being restricted to a few options can lead to feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, lack of direction, lack of self –love - all of which contribute to stress and further the conditions for illness (stress is correlated with 90% of illnesses). I have witnessed this throughout my career, and it is fulfilling and rewarding.