I believe in the importance of story. Here is a bit of mine.

There is a photo of me from college standing by a table, looking at the camera.  It’s not a particularly interesting image, but it became a catalyst for my health.  I enjoyed cooking and entertaining so made lots of homemade meals but also loved breakfast burritos, pasta, and beer. I was aware that I’d become heavier than usual, but when I saw THAT photo, I saw that my face was round…puffy…and I didn’t like that at all.  My mom had recently started a diet with a simple mantra: “If God didn’t make it, don’t eat it.”  Basically, it entailed removing processed foods from the diet.  While I have never been one to “diet,” I decided to give it a go.  I lost 30 pounds (hello, inflammation) and for the first time in my life, I had daily bowel movements that didn’t hurt.  This was my introduction to the effects of processed foods and specifically gluten on my system, though I didn’t understand that at the time, and the power of food to dramatically change a person’s life. 

At age 30, I moved to Santa Fe, NM, pursued a career in photography, discovered ashtanga yoga and the mountains, and began exploring my internal landscapes for the first time.  My work in photography included teaching workshops and expeditions.  I loved being able to relay complex concepts in ways people understand and to influence the way people see the world around them.  The vast majority of this work was on the road, and much of the time I was actually in Santa Fe was spent hiking in the mountains and gardening in my back yard.  I was also learning more about holistic healing and became certified in nutritional therapy in order to better understand my own connection to food and wellness.  This was a chapter full of exploration, teaching, and food with a body that was strong and flexible and a mind that was focused. 

Nothing in life is static, however, and my experience was no exception.  Burn out is real, expectations go unmet, relationships dissolve, traumas arise. My days became a combination of high highs, with a job that carried me across the globe exposing me to places, cultures, and foods I’d never dreamed of, and low lows, as I battled with depression, chronic back pain, and debilitating migraines.  The vitality I had felt in my 30’s waned in my 40’s. 

I knew that I had gotten lazy about what I was eating and how much I was moving.  I knew there was a different way to approach my health, but I didn’t have the energy to seek it out.  Eventually, I looked again to nutritional therapy in my path toward healing.  Advances in this field now allowed me to work with a nutritional therapist who was trained in blood chemistry interpretation.  Seeing the data of what my bloodwork revealed was eye-opening…an out-of-whack microbiome and a suspected chronic parasite infection.  Further testing showed that, yes, I was sensitive to gluten, as I knew, but also to foods I was eating every day.  Perfectly healthy foods for most…things like almonds, avocados, and kale were leading to compromise instead of health in my body.  A series of protocols that included tweaking my diet, implementing lifestyle changes including strength training, and targeted supplements instigated a shift.  It was not a “light switch” change but the slow turning of a ship – and now I am on a different course.  There is still fine tuning underway, but at 47, I feel strong, focused, and energized again.

When I think back to a few years ago, it is hard to imagine that I’m the same person.  From an outsider’s perspective, I was doing the right things.  I was eating mostly whole foods.  I was slender with a dynamic job and a loving family.  But those close to me knew that there was more to that picture.  I was struggling.  That was not very long ago, and because of targeted protocols that addressed imbalances in my body, I am not only back on my feet, I’m feeling great.

This turning point in my health inspires me to pursue nutritional therapy as a service to others. I have advanced certifications in gastrointestinal healing, hormone optimization, and nutritional blood chemistry that allow me to design programs specific to my clients’ needs. My focus is to let people know that the tiredness they feel does not have to be what shapes their future.  There are alternatives to the stories that feeling worn down is simply a part of the aging process and that, for women, unstable emotions come with the territory of perimenopause.  My work is to help people feel alive again.