In 1996, I graduated from the Medical College of Georgia specializing in Adult/Geriatric Rehabilitation and Mental Health. I spent years on the treatment side working with patients after the onset of illness; those who had suffered from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and the list goes on.
As a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, now I am working on the side of prevention. I am trying to turn around lives and helping to create transformative changes that hopefully will avert the devastating illnesses that I once treated as an Occupational Therapist.
I grew up eating the SAD (Standard American Diet), unaware of the long-term negative effects to my health, eating ultra-processed foods high in sugar, fat and sodium; foods that are calorie dense, but nutrient poor. These days, most families get their food either going through a drive-thru or out of a box.
The philosophy I now live by is:
In the wintertime, we share nutrient dense greens with our hens, ensuring that once they are ready to begin laying again, they produce the best, healthiest eggs, with the deepest orange yolks you will ever set your eyes on.
I Walk The Talk!
Our family moved to Cherokee County, Georgia excited to create a small homestead. We live a lifestyle different from the majority of Americans. What we primarily eat is homemade from mostly plant-based ingredients. When meat is part of a meal, I choose pasture-raised and finished meat and wild caught seafood. Finding wholesome, easy-to-follow recipes is very important to me! I am busy, as we all are, and finding the time to step into the kitchen and make a delicious meal for the family DOES NOT have to take hours or be complicated.
Our garden provides the greatest abundance of food from early summer into fall. And in winter we enjoy cold hardy crops of delicious greens like spinach, lettuces, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.
When not tending to the homestead, we enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, traveling, and seeking adventures wherever they may lead. I am an avid reader and love Sudoku puzzles. Exercising your brain is vital. As with any muscle in the body, your brain benefits greatly from daily challenges and continued learning.
The Relationship Between Food & Lifestyle
I believe if we daily give our bodies the most wholesome nourishment, exercise, and rest, while keeping stressors manageable, then the outcome is excellent health and a high quality of life!
The relationship between food and lifestyle choices and the impact they play on our health is the focus of an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.
My mission now as a “health guide” is to help clients achieve the best health and balance in their hectic lives in order to PREVENT a future, seen far too often, of both physical and mental deterioration, which carry tremendous financial and emotional costs!
