P.O. Box 1726, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania 16066, United States
Hello & welcome
My love of nutrition
For as long as I can remember I was cooking, planning meals, and carrying around a binder with exercise goals. In my teens I had a summer job working at a local nursing home preparing the dinner meal, solo. This ignited a passion to work in long term care; which I did for many years, both in a clinical role and later in management as the director. Fast forward, I married and took time off to raise my children.
During this time my focus changed due to personal health issues. Looking back, I now realize my body had been giving me clues, through symptoms, that something was amiss. Like many, the symptoms were mild at first, not that troubling, and certainly nothing I felt justified a Dr.'s visit. I suffered from bloating, gas, diarrhea, stomach pains, fatigue, brain fog, runny nose, and itchy skin with no visual appearance. I finally took action when my days with symptoms out numbered my good days. On my own I trialed eliminating one of my favorite food groups, dairy, and felt much better. This was hard as I LOVED dairy, but hated the symptoms more. The bloating and diarrhea improved greatly for about 3 months but something still wasn't right.
This is when I decided it was time to seek out professional help. I had a host of testing done. Everything through my PCP and GI specialist came back normal, which can often be the case. I did some genetic testing on my own and discovered I had non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. Out went more favorite foods that contained gluten. My symptoms again improved but I still wasn't feeling as well as I knew I could. I came across a food sensitivity test called LEAP MRT and became a certified LEAP therapist. This test helped me to remove the lingering symptoms that persisted.
All the while I was passionate about a new emerging way of looking at health and haven't looked back since. It came under many names: functional, holistic, or integrative. I continue to seek out training and educate myself with the most current research and programs available. I've had quite the journey over the years. I gained experience through my personal health journey, continuing education, and continue to learn through my clients. Each client is unique and what works for one won't necessarily work for the next. Most importantly, I've helped myself and numerous others implement a new way of eating to nourish the body, improve symptoms, all while not feeling deprived. Yes, you may have to give up certain foods for a short time, or forever, but I have lots of tasty recipes to replace favorite items that are no longer working for your body. My healing took time and it continues to evolve even today.
