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Growing up as a female in sports left me comparing my talent by my size. I was not worthy of being a successful figure skater if I weighed over 110 lbs by the age of 20 on a body that had powerful ‘skater thighs’ and a generous tush or ‘Jamacian booty’ some might say. Over hearing conversations from my coaches, or being on a weight contract for my job desperately made me want a slender boyish frame that all the other girls were rocking. Night after night I would hide in the bathroom performing ab exercises since I was ten. I wanted to be able to fit into any skating dress, wear whatever color my coaches wanted to put me in and not think twice about my body when I stood next to my competitors. I hated how many layers of tights I had to wear. Each layer had its own job holding in a tummy roll or love handle.
Growing up in a very food focused environment navigated. Funny enough, I found myself wanting to make my dad proud which included eating all the food I could yet he would always polish off my leftovers. He’s already had one heart attack at 32yrs young with several major health concerns on the side
I rode the diet roller coaster hoping to get that “perfect body” for as long as I could remember – constantly being told I had to drop 15lbs or another 10. When I finally scored a job as a professional figure skater to travel the world, the glamour soon became a stress. Rather then judging the girls on their size, they judged us by our weight. My job was on the line when I finally hit 130lbs. The stress led me to working out twice a day for a total of four hours. I had no idea what I was doing but I did know I had to stay away from food. When I ate less crap I’d lose a few pounds, then I’d eventually binge on all the food I had. Upon waking up the next day, I would feel awful about myself going to work, so I would most likely restrict myself with only eating green apples and peanut butter (because of course PB was a non- negotiable) If I had more then that, I would try to make myself sick so I would’t have to pay the consequences later on the scale.
So how did I get off this roller coaster, reach my ideal weight, get super energized, and feel more connected to my work and whole life?
While dealing with my problems, my type 1 diabetic father had a heart attack followed by leaking kidneys and my mother became a type 2 diabetic in addition to other recent health issues. I needed and wanted desperately to feel better in my life. I sought out any amount of information available and made the decision to go back to school to be a nutritionist so I could help myself and my parents; but discovered Health Coaching. This led me to learn that health was MORE then just nutrition. It was connected to stress, lifestyle, finances, relationships and physical exercise. I didn’t know than that digestion played the biggest role in mood, immune, hormone balance, energy-pretty much everything. So I experimented by eliminating dairy from my diet. My IBS symptoms improved and so did my attitude. I mean, it’s not easy being Little Miss Sunshine when your insides are tied in knots. I then eliminated gluten. After a few weeks I distinctly remember thinking to myself:
While dealing with my problems, my type 1 diabetic father had a heart attack followed by leaking kidneys and my mother became a type 2 diabetic in addition to other recent health issues. I needed and wanted desperately to feel better in my life. I sought out any amount of information available and made the decision to go back to school to be a nutritionist so I could help myself and my parents; but discovered Health Coaching. This led me to learn that health was MORE then just nutrition. It was connected to stress, lifestyle, finances, relationships and physical exercise. I didn’t know than that digestion played the biggest role in mood, immune, hormone balance, energy-pretty much everything. So I experimented by eliminating dairy from my diet. My IBS symptoms improved and so did my attitude. I mean, it’s not easy being Little Miss Sunshine when your insides are tied in knots. I then eliminated gluten. After a few weeks I distinctly remember thinking to myself:
“Is this what happy feels like?”
I no longer suffer from debilitating dizzy spells. Symptoms of IBS have vanished, acne went away, ulcers disappeared, and I actually became hungry throughout the day. A.K.A my metabolism was back in action! The weight was FINALLY coming off! I continue to look to my diet and self care to stay balanced. I wake up in the morning ready to take on the world. In 2014, I l hung up the skates and became certified as a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Since then I’ve been psyched to lead thousands of clients from around the world through their own life changing experiences, using food as a catalyst.
I never looked back.
Today, I’m grateful to be living my own definition of a thriving life, and it started with learning how I need to eat and live to feel my best.
Is this about being perfect, never over eating and still burning myself out? Let me answer that with big “NOPE”. This is about creating a strong baseline and make good choices most of the time so you can feel sane and have fun all the time. Even if you are choosing that double ice cream cone after a long ass day.
I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means my focus is centred around all aspects of balanced wellbeing in your life. You’ll learn to listen to your body and explore what works for you! Manifest a vision, goals, and plan with your personal nutrition and wellness guide (yours truly). With ongoing support and a personalized plan, you’ll get tools for creating a healthy lifestyle so you can feel your best.
My approach is not to dwell on calories, carbs, fats, and proteins. It is not to create lists of restrictions or good and bad foods. Instead, I work with my clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and rewarding.
Today, I’m grateful to be living my own definition of a thriving life, and it started with learning how I need to eat and live to feel my best.
Is this about being perfect, never over eating and still burning myself out? Let me answer that with big “NOPE”. This is about creating a strong baseline and make good choices most of the time so you can feel sane and have fun all the time. Even if you are choosing that double ice cream cone after a long ass day.
I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means my focus is centred around all aspects of balanced wellbeing in your life. You’ll learn to listen to your body and explore what works for you! Manifest a vision, goals, and plan with your personal nutrition and wellness guide (yours truly). With ongoing support and a personalized plan, you’ll get tools for creating a healthy lifestyle so you can feel your best.
My approach is not to dwell on calories, carbs, fats, and proteins. It is not to create lists of restrictions or good and bad foods. Instead, I work with my clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and rewarding.
Yes, this is a business. Yes, we sell things.
Yes, we’re proud and deeply grateful to earn a living doing so. I’m no sage from the stage and I don’t have all the answers.
I make mistakes, have shitastic days and get mired in fear and self-doubt, just like the rest of humanity. But my commitment is to bring you the very best of what I’m living and learning, and keep it real and honest as I go.
Yes, we’re proud and deeply grateful to earn a living doing so. I’m no sage from the stage and I don’t have all the answers.
I make mistakes, have shitastic days and get mired in fear and self-doubt, just like the rest of humanity. But my commitment is to bring you the very best of what I’m living and learning, and keep it real and honest as I go.
So please don’t expect perfect polish (I’m too plain-spoken for that) but do expect thought-provoking ideas, timeless wisdom, some goofy antics and an unwavering devotion to help you live your most expansive, healthiest, happiest and meaningful life.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. I hope this is just the beginning of our relationship. We love nothing more than getting the chance to connect face-to-face. So if we are able, let’s get together for some good ol’ fashioned fun & if we are too far apart, let’s let the interwebs connect us. Here’s what we are up to …
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit. I’m thrilled we’re connected and I’m excited for the journey ahead.
With all my love,
XO