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Proper nutrition has the power to transform one’s health – body, mind and soul."

Growing up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by
good cooks. Some of my fondest memories are of time spent in my great-grandmother’s kitchen. At a very young age, I would stand on an old wooden stool, in front of her farmhouse style sink, peeling potatoes or carrots, while she, my grandmother, mother and aunts all helped prepare meals. These experiences instilled the importance of home cooked meals and family time.

Over the years, my desire to cook was often diminished by a busy life: school, work, family and friends all crammed into a short day! Who had time to cook? So, we fell into the trap of believing going out to eat was easier. Unfortunately, eating out usually meant eating lower quality food.

While life was happening, I found myself focusing more and more on health issues that cropped up. I was seeing several different doctors but finding little relief. 

At a young age, I began suffering from migraines and had unexplained hypoglycemia. In addition, I had frequent digestive issues, including abdominal pain and bloating and other symptoms. In my teen years, I began to see associations between these issues and the food I consumed. This is when my fascination with nutrition began. 

My journey to becoming an RDN was a long one. I played with several careers along the way. After the birth of my daughter, while dealing with health issues, I decided to become an RDN. By the time I graduated, I was 45 years old, more than twice the age of some of my classmates, but I knew I was on the right path. 

By the end of my first semester in the dietetics program, I had severe insomnia, anxiety that lead to depression, nerve pain, GI
distress, severe weight loss and almost dropped out. Thanks to my very supportive professors, I made it through. In the fall of the second year, I met an RDN specializing in integrative and functional nutrition. With her help, I learned I had several nutrient deficiencies and an auto-immune disease, all of which played a significant role in my declining health. 

After making changes to my diet and improving my nutritional balance, I rarely experience migraines, and my digestion improved.
My insomnia and anxiety/depression are gone. 

My quest to heal my own body has led me to want to help others do the same. I believe that it is this quest that fuels my passion for nutrition and my desire to further my studies in integrative and functional nutrition.