My wellness journey started out shortly after the birth of my third child. I was 33 years old and suffered from joint pain so severe that I couldn’t get out of bed some mornings. There were many mornings that my husband had to rearrange his work schedule in order to help me take care of our three children who were newborn, 19 months & 4 years old at that time. I ended up visiting several doctors before I was finally diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), a progressive and incurable autoimmune disease. I was told that my only options were monthly steroid shots and prescription medications. One doctor even told me to start planning for disability, as there is no “cure” for Rheumatoid Arthritis. 

Of all the doctors I saw not one of them asked about my diet or lifestyle. If they had asked they would have learned that I was 70 lbs. overweight, smoked a pack of cigarettes per day, couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without getting out of breath, averaged 3-4 hours of sleep per night, ate at a drive-thru 2-3 times per week, suffered seasonal allergies as well as sinus/bronchial infections at least 2 times per year. My health was a mess!

Fast forward three years and my oldest, who was now seven at that time, had started to become very ill. She had always suffered from frequent ear infections, averaging 4-5 per year; from the time she was 8 months old. For every ear infection the doctor would prescribe an antibiotic. Little did I know those antibiotics were wreaking havoc on her gut microbiome. At this point now, she also started to suffer from migraines, digestive troubles, stalled growth and much more. Each time we would bring her to the doctor they would write yet another prescription. At one point she was on so many medications that we had to keep track in a notebook. After one particularly long day in the local emergency room, due to a chronic cough that would not go away, we were sent home with yet another prescription for a medication to make her sleep since that was the only way to get her to stop coughing. I knew my child’s health was rapidly declining and I had to find a way to help her, as the medical establishment had repeatedly failed us. I researched all I could and found that so many of her ailments were symptoms of a problem with gluten. I immediately contacted the doctor and insisted she be tested for gluten intolerance. He was very reluctant to do this but I was rather persistent. When her test results eventually came back positive we had to make many family lifestyle changes including a gluten-free diet. Her health improved almost immediately and the longer we continued with this new lifestyle the better she, and all of us, felt.

It wasn’t long into this new gluten-free lifestyle that I soon realized I was not having RA flare-ups. I started researching all of the chemicals and additives that go into our food supply and started to realize the damage that all of these processed foods do to our bodies. Once we removed not only gluten but also dairy and processed foods, from our diets, our health improved better than I ever could have imagined. We eventually adopted a whole-foods plant-based diet with minimal processed foods and have never felt better. My body and my health became my own science experiment and I vowed to learn all I could about living a healthy lifestyle for my family and myself.

I never imagined that by taking control of my health, I would be healthier in my 50's than I have ever been in my entire life. I went from struggling to get out of bed most mornings to competing in 5K’s, 10k’s, ½ marathons, triathlons and 50+ mile bike races. Instead of struggling to climb a flight of stairs I now love rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking and swimming. Hands that could not pick up my children, during flare-ups, now can support my entire body weight in my yoga practice. I rarely get sick, haven’t taken a prescription medication in 12 years, experience regular sleep patterns and can honestly say that most days I have more energy than my kids. I have not suffered an RA flare-up in 10 years. My children no longer suffer from the common childhood illnesses (ear infections, strep, bronchitis etc.) that we are often told are just a part of growing up. Mine and my family’s health are my priority….no excuses!

I started my business as a way for me to share what has worked for my family throughout the years as we transitioned to a primarily plant-based whole-foods lifestyle while also embracing alternative health care. My goal is to teach others how to take back their health and to show them that many of the health challenges we face as we get older are not part of the normal aging process but rather consequences of the choices we make on a daily basis. Whenever I teach classes and work with clients I always remind them that wellness is not about a particular destination, but rather a continuous journey that is always evolving, changing and unique to each individual. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your amazing wellness journey.

YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO HEAR MY STORY FROM A RECENT INTERVIEW I DID.