Hi. I’m grateful You’re here.
HOw it started.
One of the first times my husband (then boyfriend) cooked for me he planned to make me a delectable shrimp pasta dish with a cream sauce. It was a signature dish he had mastered and he was looking forward to presenting it to me. He raved about the Irish cream he used and how it made the dish decadent. I hesitantly let him down easy with the information that I was lactose intolerant and also avoided pasta (gluten wasn’t common verbiage then).
Fast forward a few years…
I experimented with elimination diets, supplements, meal replacement shakes, milk alternatives, grain free, dairy free….all the free’s. THEN I was pregnant with our first son and I had to get back to basics. I had several food aversions in the first trimester but wanted to pack my body with only the most nutrient dense foods; so we bought a Vitamix blender and started drinking green juice/shakes to fill me up. This ignited a long journey of finding the most nourishing foods to maintain my energy, fuel me, and our developing baby. I learned about healthy fats, quality meats, and properly prepared vegetables.
Post-partum I found the WHOLE30…
I was tired, bloated, had chronic headaches and an overall sense of blah. I had a one year old and was planning for my upcoming wedding. I completed my first round of WHOLE30 in January of 2013 and recorded exactly how eliminating certain foods and more importantly reintroducing them made me feel. I discovered that preparation matters. That chewing mattered! I also realized I didn’t care too much for eggs and started eating leftovers for breakfast and what a breakthrough that was!
We decided to have another baby…
In a blink of an eye I was pregnant with our second and I coasted through my pregnancy while toting a toddler and continued eating paleo-ish. I diligently introduced my little man to all foods, textures, flavors, and spices and got creative in the kitchen with protein and vegetables as my main focus. I had such incredible energy throughout the pregnancy! I learned about hypno-birth, breathwork, mindset, I saw an acupuncturist and put all my energy towards my anticipated VBAC. My second son was born as I had hoped and wished for and he came into this world as the most well nourished baby! He is still the one who loves to eat the most!
Raising our boys to be Wholistically Fed…
I hoped that because I have a passion for food and nutrients that my boys’ favorite food wouldn’t be boxed Mac n’ cheese, but that’s just wishful thinking! The introduction and reintroduction of foods throughout the years to keep their pallets excited can be a frustrating event for busy parents. I have many tricks to squeeze in the most power packed nutrition into their meals and we discover new tips almost weekly.
How I apply this to my client work…
I take a “food first” approach to health. We look at exactly what you’re eating, how much you’re eating with a macronutrient comparison and how the food you’re eating makes you feel. We chat all about how to set your kitchen up for success and to fit cooking nutrient dense meals into your busy life. Because I am a mom of 2, I know we can forget about ourselves and serve everyone at the table first before sitting down to enjoy a meal. We discuss eating in a parasympathetic state with a concentration on chewing and strategies to do this with kids running around. I will clarify the steps to take and the adjustments to make to fit YOU into your day. This is your road to optimal health, and I am here to walk it with you.