You’re an active woman who likes to spend time outdoors hiking, running or biking. You enjoy your time moving around on our beautiful planet and put health as a priority, yet you’re frustrated that you suffer from digestive issues like gas, bloating, and burning gut. And you feel extremely full and tired after meals.

You just don’t seem to have enough energy to get through your day because you’re having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. And the crazy cravings for unhealthy snacks every afternoon are hard to resist.

You’re feeling that it’s impossible to get rid of the digestive issues and and you don’t understand where the insatiable cravings come from, leaving you feeling defeated and discouraged. You’re frustrated with all the contradictory dietary advice you’ve read and just don’t know what to do next.

I’ve been there too, and I’m ready to share what I’ve learned to help you discover the cause of your symptoms.

Being physically active outdoors was an important part of my childhood – I did a 200+ mile bike ride when I was only 14 and climbed Mount Whitney when I was 18. My family valued eating healthy and being active.

We knew about the government recommended food pyramid and were conscientious about what we ate. There were always fruits and vegetables at every meal. However, breads, pasta and rice were always at our dinner table and we were limiting our saturated fat intake. Pre-packaged and processed foods were common because it was quick and easy to prepare for our busy active family.

During college, I continued my active lifestyle - I was always riding my bicycle, hiking/backpacking, or rock climbing with friends. I took a class on nutrition which lead me to believe that I was supporting my body (but later realized this couldn’t have been further from the truth!)

After college, I was introduced to running and completed my first marathon. I met my husband and we enjoyed hiking in Yosemite, mountain biking and playing volleyball. Together, we have two kids, now teenagers. We were an active family and continued to value healthy eating. We ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, but it was easy to turn to pre-packaged convenience foods, bring in dinner or eat out - especially on the nights with music lessons, sport practice or scout meetings

During these years, I dealt with digestive complaints, cravings and allergies. I began struggling with my weight and continued to use medications to manage the symptoms. I wasn’t happy and felt frustrated with my body, but in the end I wasn’t too concerned because it didn’t stop me from doing the things I loved. I just popped a pill (or two) and carried on.

But about 4 years ago, my world crumbled around me.

I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities of dealing with aging parents with health problems who were also going through a divorce. What started out as my mom visiting for the weekend turned into a 9 month stay. My kids had health issues and were struggling with school. Recent management changes where I worked and personality conflicts left me feeling misunderstood and unappreciated.

The daily workouts which usually helped me deal with everyday stress were no longer working. In fact, they were unknowingly adding to my load. What I didn’t realize was that the stress lead to changes in my diet. We were relying more and more on convenience foods, I was eating unhealthy snacks in the afternoon for quick energy and sweet desserts after dinner. Together, this put a huge strain on my body causing a downward spiral. I was gaining more weight and losing muscle mass despite regular workouts. I wasn’t sleeping and just didn’t feel like myself. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Eventually, my doctor put me on disability and prescribed all kinds of medications to manage my symptoms.

Working as a pharmacy technician in college I had seen firsthand how dependent people can become on these drugs, that many of them have unwanted side effects and pave the way for the need for additional medication. I didn’t want to go that path. So I made the choice to turn to holistic doctors, the internet, friends, food and supplements to try and figure out how to get myself out of this dark hole.

I began looking for answers…

When I found myself wide awake at 2 A.M., unable to sleep, I would surf the internet researching different nutritional solutions to various health problems. I was so frustrated with the contradictory nutrition information I was finding. Looking back, I realized that I had been interested in a more formal education on nutrition for a long time. I had researched nutrition programs off and on for many years but I never found a program that quite fit.

When a close friend told me she was planning to sign up for the Nutritional Therapy Association’s program, I checked into it myself. It wasn’t just about ‘eat this, not that’ - it would give me a good foundation about our body’s interaction with food. It spoke to my desire to know the how’s and the why’s.

Despite still being on disability and not knowing if I had the capacity to do it, I took the leap. At first, it was more about healing myself and my family than the possibility of a career change. The more I learned, the more questions I had and the more I wanted to learn. And the more I learned, the more upset I became with the current healthcare system. I wanted to be part of an alternative way to address health and wellness by sharing my journey and my knowledge.

A new path to health and wellness

After an intense 9 months of online coursework and 3 weekend workshops and exams, I was officially a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP). I put what I learned into practice at home. We started buying organic produce, grass-fed and pastured meats, dairy, and eggs, we increased healthy fats, and limited refined, processed foods.

I experienced marked improvement in my health and noticed improvements with my family, too. I learned that I am sensitive to gluten - it took 6 months for me to get it out of my system. Now, I don’t suffer from gas, bloating and heartburn like I used to. I’m sleeping through the night, waking up restful.

My energy level throughout the day is more consistent, I am thinking clearer and am more focused. I’m not dependent on allergy medications through the winter and spring. Getting sick every winter is not the ‘norm’, and when I do, it doesn’t turn into sinus infections or last for weeks. And most importantly, I am losing the weight I gained and am back to doing the outdoor activities that I love!

Today, I get to help amazing women learn how to recognize and interpret the clues their body sends them about their health and the foods they eat, and discover the healing power of eating wholesome real food that supports their body. Everyone needs a plan that is as unique as they are - we are all bio-individual, after all. There is so much that can be done to improve health just by making some diet and lifestyle changes. It is rewarding and brings me satisfaction when I’m able to educate and guide others in writing the story of their journey to better health.

To learn more about how I can help you improve your health through nutrition, check out my Work With Me page or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!