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I am by no means a stickler for rigidity in my pursuit of health, and my own journey to health was attained only through trial and error. I am a firm believer in moderation, and you can open up my cabinets in my kitchen and find items that are not considered 'optimally nutritious'! I have two small children and as much I tried to limit their intake of junk foods and things that give their bodies no benefits, I also know that to control too much of their worldly experiences at a young age may cause them to be against everything I tell them. So my approach with them was to control the 'junk' they were introduced to pretty strictly until they started school, and then they would begin to see the colorful and 'fun' foods that their classmates and friends brought to school. How can my daily quest for a rainbow of fruits and veggies game with them compete with fluorescent Dora fruit snacks, or magical Disney Princess cookies? Well to be honest I told my kids the truth about what happens to these foods in their bodies. I don't want them to worry about fat or calories or diets, which I dishearteningly hear many of the young girls in my classes talk about. I want them to understand that healthy eating means that their bodies will respond positively and grow happier and stronger with each and every day. When my kids want to try something at the grocery store that I am not all that excited for them to put in their little bodies, we make a deal. They can each pick out one 'treat' of their choice during a visit to the store. And I would allow them to try their treats (one per day) only after they had a healthy treat such as a fruit or vegatable first. During this time, I would play a game with them on what benefits of each treat was. For our fruits and veggies the benefits to our bodies were abundant. When it came time for their unhealthy treat, no matter how much we tried to think, there were no beneficial uses of these foods by our bodies. I allowed them to eat their treats but I would ask them if they could think of a healthier replacement that we could invent. So for example, the pre-packaged brownies with brightly colored sprinkles that one of them chose one day, was soon re-invented with black bean brownies and colorful berries sprinkled on top. And they actually had fun helping come up with healthier replacements of these foods that their bodies would actually be able to utilize to help them grow healthy and strong. I am the eldest of four girls and my second youngest sister was diagnosed with Celiac's disease in high school. I was already familiar with Celiac's for my grandmother had it, as well as my mother. I had assumed in my young age that you had to be 'old' to be diagnosed with Celiac's, but when my younger sister found out she had it, my world was rocked. That meant that I was at risk for it. And my daily diet consisted of gluten and in fact lots of it. Well after much resistance and a few years later, I finally decided to try giving gluten up for a few weeks. And yes it was somewhat of an adjustment at first, but my goodness, after about a week I was certain the results were good. In fact, I felt great. I was no longer so tired that it took me an hour to get out of bed in the morning. And I was able to run around with my kids and actually involve myself in what they were playing instead of just watching. I soon began to experiment with other ways to better my health. And before you know it, I was living much more healthily and loving life so much more. After a few unexpected events in my life, I found myself searching for a way to provide for my children. And I kept coming back to my desire to help others empower themselves into being as happy as healthy as they possibly could. My younger sister, who was diagnosed with Celiac's, wound up going through college to graduate and become a registered dietician. And shortly after she graduated, she wound up discovering the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and going through the school to receive her certification as a health and wellness coach. I attended one of her classes with her and instantly felt a deep connection and knew in my heart that I would wind up there some day as an eager student. And after a few years passed, I fulfilled that goal and here I am today. I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals. Learn more about my training and my unique approach to health coaching. Are you curious about how health coaching can help you? Let’s talk. Schedule an initial consultation with me today.
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I was raised in a health conscious home, where health and nutrition were always present. My interest in health and well-being stemmed from my passion for dance, ballet in particular. The winding and numerous paths that have led to me to my current location in life, have shaped me to be deeply interested in the whole body, mind and spirit. A balance in body/mind/spirit aspects are necessary to attain maximum health in order to feel completely alive and able to enjoy life each and every day. I have a very diverse background that includes fitness, fashion and dance. My current training from IIN has shaped my business to what it is today. I take a person who wants to better themself, and focus on every aspect of their life, not just dietary goals, in order to make a permanent and positive change in health and well-being. 
