I’m a certified Master Nutrition Therapist, a certified Natural Foods Chef, and a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher. I’m a very kind and compassionate person who just wants the best for everyone. I often find myself stuck in the middle. I’m the second of three children, I’m neither vegan nor carnivore, I can usually see both sids of an argument… middle, middle, middle. I feel my middle-ness helps me have a broad perspective and allows me to hold the space that people need in order to feel heard and to feel like they are worthy of that space. I have a tendency to want to really KNOW what I'm getting myself into; but I also know that despite my cautiousness, an occasional leap of faith is what really keeps us ALIVE. I’m my happiest when I’m in nature among the trees, grass and wildflowers, with my dogs and my beau, listening and watching and being.
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”
Nourishment
Throughout my life I have weaved through various changes in my dietary choices. My education taught me the importance of nutrient-dense foods and how each individual nutrient and compound within those foods affect the function of the body. These types of foods provide our bodies with all the teeny tiny puzzle pieces they need to make us whole. They are what sustain us and keep us living healthy, enjoyable lives. The vegetables, the fruits, the animals, the herbs, the nuts, the grains, and the earth they all live and grow in - all have components we cannot truly live without. Using my body as a guide, I am an open-minded eater choosing foods according to quality and nutrient density.
awareness
It could be said that the first step toward true health is to create a positive sense of self-awareness. This allows us to learn and grow from what has made us who we are and how this affects our everyday choices and interactions. The practice of yoga, which means "union" or "to yoke", played an integral role for me in my development of self-awareness many years ago. I became fascinated by the practice of introspection that yoga allows and how it affected me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Taking a deep dive into these practices allowed me to better understand my physical body, expand my ways of thinking, and more easily accept life’s ebb and flow.
connection
One thing you'll hear me speak of often is how we are all interconnected. The birds, the trees, the garden veggies, the creepy-crawlies, the falling leaves, the fungi, the grazers, the climbers, the swimmers, the humans… We are all made up of the same elemental ingredients and each of us contributes to the well-being and nourishment of another. Whether that is attained through physical/nutritional components like the living soil created through decomposed plants, or through energetic/emotional components like a pets’ unconditional love, there is a place for every being in the health of us all.
Relationship
It has been my experience that the relationships we share with ourselves, with each other, with nature, and with food are multidimensional and always evolving. These relationships are also a huge part of what keeps our bodies and spirits thriving. The roots of plants intertwine as they grow, allowing for the exchange of nutrients from surrounding plants and the earth they inhabit. This relationship has a cyclic rhythm of give and receive - just as we intertwine our roots with other people and our surroundings, exchanging energy, emotions, nourishment - as we grow along our way.
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”
Education
Natural Foods Chef Certification - Nutrition Therapy Institute
Master Nutrition Therapy Certification - Nutrition Therapy Institute
200 hr Yoga Teacher Certification - Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
BS in Hospitality & Food Management w/ minor in Psychology of Human Development - Ball State University