My Journey
What Motivates Me
A foodie with a passion for nutrition, I am on a journey to help others become healthier while having fun and feeling great. I have a very supportive, funny, and compassionate husband, who is a great guinea pig for my recipe experiments. What a champ! I also have a two-year-old, extremely energetic Border Collie/Lab mix dog named Zeke.
My Turning Point
My journey started about eight years ago. After being diagnosed with a rare tumor condition, and having multiple surgeries, I turned to food and nutrition to overcome my health problems and get stronger. As I made adjustments to my diet, I recall having so much more energy and really feeling great for one of the first times in my life.
Shortly thereafter, I entered culinary school and took my first nutrition class. I was so excited with everything I was learning about nutrition and health, and wanted to figure out a way to further incorporate both into my cooking. And once I did, things started to click in place for me. I lost weight without trying and realized that it was because things had really started to change in my life. I was cooking healthy meals at home, getting daily exercise, and feeling stress melt away. Finally, I had shed the “diet” mentality and my obsession with weight, and as a result my energy started to improve.
But it just wasn’t about food, it was also about finding balance and nourishing my soul. The years I spent working as a producer in the fast-paced advertising industry had taken a toll on my body and spirit. So, after much research, I decided to pursue my dream to help others with the knowledge I had gained, and discovered a school that was aligned with my philosophy of healthy living.
It’s Never to Late to Learn
I received my training to practice Health Counseling at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. It is the only nutrition school integrating all the different dietary theories—combining the knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts like the USDA Food Pyramid, the glycemic index, The Zone diet, and raw foods. Through my training, I have also been able to deal with my caffeine addiction, control food cravings, find more balance, deal with my stress and anxiety, and incorporate even more healthy foods into my life. It’s been a great journey and I can’t wait to help you on yours!
Among my favorite healthy foods are fruits and vegetables (especially greens), roasted brussel sprouts, Michigan blueberries, honeycrisp apples and anything pumpkin. My favorite indulgences are anything French: crepes, quiche and crème brulée. Mmm… délicieux! I’m also a huge fan of barbeque ribs, chocolate chip cookies, crispy pizza and my mom’s homemade apple pie squares. I always tell my husband that I must be Southern or French because of my love for both cuisines.
As you can tell, I enjoy talking about food often, which is why for nearly a year, I shared my knowledge with the readers of Examiner.com as a healthy food writer. In addition, I continue to dabble as a Freelance Health and Wellness Writer on varying topics. I look forward to writing more about health initiatives in my local community. Take a look at my recent article on the newly founded Royal Oak Community Farm.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering, “If she talks and thinks about food so much, what does she do for exercise?” That’s a good question, and my methods for that are as varied as my favorite foods.
Get Moving!
Part of what makes exercising so successful is doing something that interests you. Not only will you break a sweat, but also you’re more likely to do it regularly. For example, if you like to dance, take a salsa class. Deal with a lot of stress during the day? A yoga class will help quiet your mind, and give you killer legs in the process. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, start training for that marathon you keep saying you want to enter. Pick a passion that will motivate you, but don’t feel like you have to go it alone. Find a workout buddy or a group of friends who you can share the experience with, and then give it all you’ve got!
You can usually find me outdoors spring through fall. Whether it’s camping, taking long walks or hikes, fishing, or biking, I relish the opportunity to be in nature as much as possible. And, I love to garden. Each year I get out my “green thumb” in anticipation of trying new fruits and vegetables. This past year I attempted a pumpkin patch. However, due to ravenous neighborhood squirrels, I only produced a couple. Note to self: get squirrel fencing next year!
Winter is another story. Once the snow starts covering the ground, I am ready to fly south and count the days until the big thaw. Thank God for the gym! If I can’t be outdoors, then this is where I’ll be. Trying new classes and having a good selection of music when working out always helps keep me motivated. I also recently started to play some basketball at the gym, and quickly realized it’s been a long time since I played in high school. Let’s say I’m a little rusty.
Now that I’ve talked about what motivates me, I’d like to share with you a few of my other favorite pastimes.
How I find balance
It seems like most of my other hobbies and interests tie back to my desire to live a healthy and well-rounded life.
By nature, I am a creative person. In addition to making jewelry and whipping up innovative recipes, I love to learn and try new things like taking a pottery class and learning French and Italian. Maybe one day I’ll even finish the mosaic table I started long ago.
My l
ove of the arts includes photography, interior design, art galleries, and art films—especially the ones with subtitles, which my husband hates!! And what better way to indulge in these passions than traveling? I will travel just about anywhere, and love little local, kitschy “mom and pop” sort of places. My favorite locales so far have been the Provence region in France and Tuscany in Italy. The next place I have my eye on is Switzerland, particularly where it borders Italy’s magnificent Lake District. I hear George Clooney has a home on Lake Como, and I certainly wouldn’t mind swinging by and sharing a meal.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know me better, and that hearing about my experiences will give you the incentive to start your own journey. Every day I learn something new about nutrition and how it affects my body. And that’s the goal: to give you the tools to do the same, so that together we can take the necessary steps to create a healthier life and live each day to the fullest.
