As a young parent, something clicked. I wanted more for them, which drove me to challenge those definitions and look past them for something deeper. I didn’t want to parent on autopilot, nor did I want them to start life on autopilot. We did things differently even when different wasn’t as popular as today. We homeschooled (most days were not in our home) for years. We didn’t eat gluten or dairy to treat the root cause of my daughter’s health issues (it worked!). When we did drink milk, it came straight from a cow vs. the store. We ate organic before it was a thing. We belonged to a co-op to support local farmers and eat nutrient-dense foods. I learned so much about functional medicine before I knew it was functional medicine. I began understanding what the Standard American Diet (SAD) was doing to humans and all living things. I became frustrated that this was not common knowledge and that many people, including my loved ones, were suffering from conditions they could have fixed by lifestyle changes vs. the drugs or surgeries they were recommended as their only solutions, which came with even more symptoms.

 

The crescendo came when my brother died of ALS. After years of telling him how his toxic lifestyle was killing him and him looking at me like I was just a “health nut,” he lost his life in a way that no one should ever have to. No words can describe how awful this disease is, and I can remember the rage inside me when the doctor told us….” we don’t know why this happens.” I knew this was not true. I kept my mouth shut and loved on him until his last breath. 

 

After an enormous amount of processing, hurting, and healing, I knew I wanted to help as many people as possible to make informed health decisions allowing them to live vibrantly in health and longevity. However, I also realized that the same thinking and systems that get people here can not be used to get them out of it. Insert Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, the Institute of Functional Medicine, and the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (in collaboration with NBME). This shift in the HOW is where the magic is. We can all get a flood of information from the internet, books, podcasts, etc., but WHAT we do with it and HOW we make changes matters.

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When I’m not coaching clients~ I’m spending time with my favorite living things...my family (hubby x3 girlies), friends (my tribe), animals (dogs x2, horse), and nature. I’m usually fulfilling my insatiable need for all things health and wellness through books, podcasts, working out, meditating, grounding, drinking my favorite mushroom coffee, and making a healthy meal at home. All of this, while still satisfying my sweet tooth (teeth), dancing with girlfriends like I’m twenty-two (I’m not), and relishing my hair extensions (why not?) ~ yes, I’m human!

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