My Journey

Where did this passion to help others come from?

When I felt how good feeling healthy could be, I just wanted to share it with everyone. My journey started much later in life after years of fatigue, brain fog, and feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. As many people may be able to relate, my childhood diet consisted of sugary cereals in the morning, deli meat sandwiches on white processed bread, chips made with canola oil, a little debbies snack for lunch (where were the veggies?), and non-organic breaded chicken, white rice/white flour noodles and butter, and canned vegetables for dinner. Since we had well water and no filtration system, we had sugary minute maid juice or similar sugary beverages. No wonder I always felt like I needed a nap! 

My early childhood years consisted of bronchitis every year, ear infections, allergies, and an asthma diagnosis. I was given antibiotics every time and an inhaler for the asthma. Why did the doctor not ask about food sensitivities, mold, or my processed food diet? As early as I can remember, I was always so tired and could fall asleep anywhere! 

When I turned 16, I went on the Atkins diet with my sister and we both lost weight but not by eating foods that fueled our bodies. We ate processed meats and cheeses, non-organic eggs, and “sugar free” jello with cool whip almost every day. Again, where were the veggies? At this time, I felt pretty good about myself because the weight was dropping off, but my hair was thinning, I craved sugar all the time, and I still didn’t have any energy. That diet did not last long! 

When I was 18, I put myself on birth control. The doctor never sat down and explained the actual side effects and what happens when you come off. I was on birth control for 12 years! My skin was dull, my hair thinning, low sex drive, and depressed. When I did tell my OBGYN about my low sex drive she said, “Wellbutrin helps with a lot of my other patients.” I never did take it because I never really liked taking medicine unless I really needed to. 

Here comes 30! Like many women, I wanted to look perfect on my wedding day, so I started to eat clean, and workout (6 days a week, mostly HIIT). I lost 25 pounds and tightened up A LOT, but I felt like I needed a nap after working out because I was going so hard. I did not realize my hormones were still out of whack from my previous lifestyle and birth control use. I came off birth control right after I got married after I became more passionate about educating myself on hormones and whole-body health. When I did, I had acne all around my chin, mouth and back. I had NEVER had bacne and I felt so insecure. I read Beyond the Pill By Dr. Jolene Brighton and I started to cure my acne with her advice, and work to get my hormones back in balance. This was not a quick process, but I was patient and started to feel much better each day.

I had been thinking a lot about holistic/functional medicine for a couple years and so June 2021, I started the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner program, and I was shocked at all the information provided, that I never learned in nursing school. After taking my own labs and getting the results and recommendations from an FDN-P mentor, I was surprised. For the past 2 ½ years I had been off birth control and really becoming in tune with my body, yet my hormones and gut function were still out of whack. This goes to show how dramatic and long lasting the effects of birth control are. I am happy to say I no longer have these issues that I was struggling with. This was accomplished through mindset shifts and lifestyle approach, in combination with having functional lab testing run to understand the necessary adjustments needed for balance and restorative function. And now, I help others achieve their optimal health and wellbeing!