I would like to tell you exactly when it all started. When did I become passionate about eating healthy “real” food and living a healthy life? I suppose as with any passion, it evolved over time. I would say it evolved something like this...

My mother was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, in the year that I was born. My mother suffered tremendously through the pain of this disease until the time of her passing, but I remember her saying how she wished she didn’t have to take so much prescription medication, the side effects of which were devastating.

Then there is me. I had many seasonal allergies as a small child but most critical was my anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. A peanut is in the legume family and by the time I was in college, my anaphylactic reaction grew to include the entire legume family: soy, peas, lentils, beans, etc.  I continue to have these anaphylactic allergies to this day. 

My daughter, in her middle school years, was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder.

For almost twenty years, I have taught and worked with children with autism. I watched and learned as so many parents of my students worked tirelessly to provide wholesome food and special diets in order to provide the best possible means for their children to learn.

Then in my adult years came my diagnosis of Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder for which the trigger is the gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. The only treatment for the disease is to eat a 100% gluten free diet. 

As an adult I have also struggled with anxiety, and I have learned how certain foods (and lifestyle choices) can significantly increase or decrease anxiety.

Knowing what I now know, my mother could have been on an anti inflammatory diet with attention given to how she felt after eating certain foods. She also should have been screened for Celiac Disease since having one autoimmune disorder increases the likelihood of having another. Gluten is a pro-inflammatory food so a gluten free diet may have reduced some of my mother’s joint pain. Research is also showing that gluten exacerbates autoimmune responses.  Perhaps these interventions would have given my mother some relief, had we known. Perhaps she could have taken less prescription medicine.

My daughter manages symptoms of her thyroid disorder by following a strict gluten free diet and by listening to how her body reacts to various foods.

As for me, I happily eat a legume free and gluten free diet. I eat real food! I know what I am eating and I listen to what my body is telling me. And yes I do go out to eat in restaurants!

(Also, I am a strong believer in keeping our lives as grounded as we can in that which keeps us connected to our earth and to each other.)

My Training

Through these experiences and my own research, it became increasingly clear just how critically our food impacts our health and well being. This knowledge led me to pursue my training to become a Health Coach. I received my training at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. Here I learned dietary theories and nutritional research led by pioneers in the field. My instructors included renowned authors, researchers and educators such as Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Frank Lipman, David Wolfe, Donna Gates, Dan Buettner, Marion Nestle and many other courageous and inspirational individuals in the field of wellness that are too many to name.

My training far exceeded my expectations. It taught me the value of eating real food, that no one way of eating works for everyone, that you must listen to what your body is telling you, that other areas of your life impact your food choices and your food choices impact other areas of your life.

What I KNOW is that the food we choose to put in our bodies matters!

I dedicate this work to my wonderful family and to my students with autism and their families.