My Whole Story

My story starts pretty simple. As far back as I can recall, I have been an avid athlete. Whether I was organizing teams in the backyard, or competing with the boys on the school playground, I just loved to be playing a sport. Growing up, I joined every recreation league and participated on many select teams and in development programs. In high school, I was preoccupied with a varsity sport every season and had my sights set on continuing in athletics at the collegiate level. I was fortunate enough to go on and compete through college (which has been an incredible highlight in my life experience). Following graduation, my desire was to remain connected and support other athletes in their endeavors, and I have been involved in coaching ever since.

Food Matters

Now, perhaps you are curious what any of this has to do with food? To most readers, the narrative above may lead to the assumption that I have been a pretty healthy individual throughout my life. I was an athlete, so therefore I must have been knowledgeable about healthy foods and been able to stay fit. Right? Don’t we presume that athletes are a model of good health and habits? The irony is that athletes are as misguided about food and nutrition as anyone else. I was certainly no exception. Throughout my teens and twenties, I trained incredibly hard but always struggled to attain optimal results. My weight always fluctuated and extra pounds never seemed to come off. Despite needing sufficient energy to function and thrive, I constantly battled with severely low energy. Not to mention dealing with the multitude of health issues that are typically chalked up to as “normal” things to live with – allergies, colds, eczema, acne, chronic pain, and depression…the list could go on. In the past, I never made the connection that it ALL had something to do with food!

unRecommended Daily Allowance

So, how did I go about nourishing myself over the years? In those very early days as a little girl, playing outside was actually a form of nourishment itself. Do you remember being a child and not having any concept of when lunch or dinnertime was? Children have little concern for food, so long as they are fed. It is instinctive and natural and they eat solely for nourishment. And then things change. Families grow and become busy. The need for convenience increases. What are soccer moms and dads to do? Turns out they generally resort to bringing juice boxes, soda pop, junk food, and baked goods to share amongst the little sprouts after the games and then stop for pizza, burgers, or ice cream on the way home. It is not fair to simply fault parents in this situation. Like the vast majority of individuals, I grew on the SAD (Standard American Diet) and my addiction to sugar and reliance on processed foods had begun.

SADly Misguided

When I became more focused on attaining goals as an athlete, I realized that nutrition must play a part. I started to seek out information and read about appropriate foods and diets. And again, like everybody else, I turned to mainstream media as a primary resource. Popular magazines, best-selling books, and the internet had me more confused than ever. I was misled down a path of restrictive diets, ate anything with a low-fat or fat-free claim on the label, and never recognized just how unhealthy I truly was. During the summers, before heading back to college for preseason, I recall training for a few hours each day and consuming such a low amount of calories. I subsisted on plain Cheerios and sports drinks! (If you are reading this and wondering what is so wrong with that, please consider arranging a health consultation with me!) Once the season rolled around, my mentality would shift and I would indulge more in my food choices. I figured since I was staying active I could afford to eat whatever was offered on the college meal plan. Before games, my teammates and I would load up on bagels, granola bars, bananas, and Gatorade. After games, the team would stop at a “healthy” fast food chain (and I can assure you…we were not ordering the baked potatoes or salads).

I finished college with a degree and plenty of extra pounds to go with it. As a young professional in the working world, I tried to eat consciously. Instead of eating out, I brought my own lunch. Lean Cuisines were stocked in my freezer. I gave up the Gatorade that I loved so dearly, and substituted this beverage with the sugar-free version. (If you want to learn more about the perils of trading sugar for artificial sweeteners, contact me to schedule a session.) As a twenty-something, I spent years trying to figure things out. This included a continued quest towards understanding nutrition and learning how to finally be truly healthy.

Finding My Way

It was an absolute blessing to discover the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Through this training program, my awareness was blown wide open. The connection between food and health could no longer be ignored. The devastating impact of our standard diet was exposed. I was introduced to the simplicity of natural, whole foods and experienced their health benefits.

By incorporating more whole foods into my diet, I actually ate much more and weighed less. I was done with dieting! I no longer crash into the wall around 3 p.m. and have adequate energy to work, coach, and train. My skin is much healthier too; I can get through the dry winter without being tormented by eczema. Things have come into balance – not just hormones and blood sugar levels – but the way I live my life has been totally transformed.

Coming Full Circle

An integrative approach to nutrition and food has changed me and opened up my world to endless possibilities. There is no way I could go on and keep this all to myself. As a daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, colleague, and coach, I am inspired to share my knowledge and support others through their own process of embracing a better way to eat and live. For those who are frustrated and confused with nutrition, as I once was, I strive to simplify healthy eating and ignite an interest in cooking and eating whole foods. I intend to guide other athletes feeling uncertain in their diet, and ensure that food will fully support their efforts to excel. I could not be more grateful for a career that I not only absolutely love, but also one that affords me the opportunity to help individuals and encourage others towards elevating their way of life.