Why am I doing this?  Here's my story!

We all have turning points in our lives, a point in time you know changed your course.  The one that led me here began when I was 17, about to graduate from high school, and couldn't talk my way out of a 7 day hospitalization for severe ulcerative colitis.  Those details aren't pretty, so I'll share the conversation I had with the doctor who was finally releasing me (they DID let me leave for a few hours to accept my diploma!).  He told me this condition was caused by diet and stress, and that I'd take a medication to manage it.  To the horror of my mother, an obedient nurse, I drew up every inch of my 5'4", looked into the eyes of that MD expert, and told him that I wouldn't take medicine for something that was caused by the food I ate and the lofty expectations I placed on myself.  So began my holistic, if strong willed, approach to healing.  I learned all I could about how food really works in the body, and experimented with many dietary theories, supplements, and alternative therapies.  I eliminated foods that were hurting me, added ones that heal, and signed up for yoga classes.  The past 16 years have been full of vegetables, breathing, and books, but not one prescription medication.  Nada.  I healed digestive distress, asthma, allergies, eczema, and was attentive to preventative measures for anxiety, depression, and hormone imbalance, which I knew plagued many women in my family.  I carefully pruned my schedule to include self care, and I'm giving it my best shot at providing a nourishing foundation for my daughters.  I am truly passionate about the work I do because my choices have led me to a healthier place every year that goes by.

At this point, I want to dispel any myths that may be forming about my journey!  For me, I haven't measured my health by how perfectly I live or eat - there is no perfect.  I've stumbled along this path long enough to know that it's not about walking perfectly, it's about walking forward, and introducing a kind, gentle voice in place of the critical, negative one.  I don't always eat a particular way, nor have I found it necessary to eat the same way as time goes on and healing takes place.  I don't always come from a zen place of love and joy, but I strive to apply peace and an open heart wherever I can insert it into my daily grind.  I'm not always happy or feeling in top form, but I'm intentional about being present and embracing a full spectrum of feelings, and I'm conscious of my effort to apply what I know as best I can.  It is not perfection, but active intentions that have led me to vibrant health and well being, and it's an experience based strength in the area of wellness and personal growth that I offer my clients.