I dealt with digestive symptoms throughout my entire childhood through early adulthood. Alternating between constipation and diarrhea, and spending hours in the bathroom with stomach pains was such a regular occurrence for me that it just became my “normal.” Others in my family had similar experiences, so it wasn’t seen as anything “wrong.” I always had a supply of Pepto and laxatives on hand. I was scared to go out on dates and socialize with friends because I never knew how my stomach was going to react. When my husband and I met, he made reservations for our first date at a Cajun restaurant. I was terrified! I called him and asked him to cancel the reservation and I was so embarrassed (lucky for me, I soon learned he could handle all the poop talk!) What I wish I knew then, was that “common” did not equal “normal.”
Fast forward to early adulthood, and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (autoimmune thyroid disease). Autoimmune disease runs in my family, so it came as no surprise. At the time, it felt like an inevitable diagnosis, and all I could do to manage it was take medication. Despite being told for years that my thyroid levels were “normal,” I continued to experience unpleasant symptoms of the disease. I was always tired, my skin was dry, my hair was falling out, I experienced migraines, and continued to have chronic digestive issues.
Frustrated that my doctors continually brushed off my concerns and based treatment solely on lab results, I began to seek out information on my own. This was life changing. I learned that nutrition, gut health, lifestyle, and environmental factors greatly influenced not only the ongoing symptoms I was experiencing, but the development of the disease in the first place. I learned that medication was supporting my thyroid hormone levels, but was doing absolutely nothing for the autoimmune part of the disease. Perhaps most importantly, I learned that this disease was not inevitable, or a life sentence. I began working with a nutritionist to make dietary and lifestyle changes that truly helped my symptoms subside and helped me feel like the best version of myself again. No longer in a constant state of fatigue, and no more long hours in the bathroom.
Several years later, I had a son who dealt with challenging and extensive environmental and food allergies. Again, while I am grateful to the medical professionals who provided help, the approach was temporarily masking symptoms while not fully resolving the issues so my son could thrive. Again, I delved deeper on my own.
I felt that I had to share my knowledge with others going through the same thing. As a licensed clinical social worker for nearly 15 years, I had dedicated my life to helping others reach their goals and find happiness and stability. I decided it was time to shift gears and help people in other ways. I returned to school and earned a Masters of Science in Holistic Nutrition degree, and went on to pass the Board Certification in Holistic Nutrition exam and accrued the 500 hours of clinical practice and research – to earn this highest level of accreditation in the field. In order to dive deeper into complex digestive issues, I completed Mastering the Art and Science of Gastrointestinal Healing to become a Restorative Wellness Practitioner (Level 1).
I am dedicated to uncovering and addressing the root cause of your symptoms to rebuild your health – not just putting on a band-aid to mask symptoms. As someone who has been there and is living with autoimmune disease, I understand how challenging it can be to take back your health. I believe in meeting you where you are in your health journey, working together as a team, and being as supportive as possible throughout the healing process so you can take your life back and bring your health back into harmony!
On a personal note – I live with my husband, super active 6 year old son, and two extremely fluffy cats. I love to read (thrillers and mysteries are my favorite “for fun” books when I’m not reading nutrition-related stuff), true crime podcasts/documentaries, and just about everything Bravo (and I’m happy to dish about any of those topics during our meetings!) I love the beach but don’t get there nearly enough, and I absolutely hate cooking and have zero kitchen skills, so I am your go-to for easy ideas and shortcuts.