I became a Certified Holistic Health Coach (CHHC) through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Additionally, I received my Food & Spirit Practitioner Certification (CFSP) through internationally recognized lifestyle medicine expert and functional health doctor, Dr. Deanna Minich. This certification enables me to balance our bodies' energy centers, known as chakras, through food, energy and lifestyle. I have also completed the Nutrition Health and Lifestyle Issues and Insights coursework through Vanderbilt University and closely follow the work of The Institute for Functional Medicine, Dr. Mark Hyman, Ultra Wellness Center, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab, Dr. Will Cole, Dr. Sara Gottfried, Dr. David Perlmutter, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Harvard Health and Stanford Medicine. My food philosophy is based on functional medicine that says our bodies need essential ingredients to work optimally. Functional medicine focuses on prevention and treats root causes, not symptoms.

 

My life philosophy is rooted in yoga. I received my 200-hr yoga (E-RYT) certification in 2010 through Moksha Yoga in Chicago and have studied with master teachers Noah Maze, Jason Crandell, Annie Carpenter, Kathyrn Budig, Gary Kraftsow, Gabriel Halpern, Sharyn Galindo, Tias Little, spiritual healer Ramaa Krishnan and pelvic floor therapist Judith Florendo. 

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I'm a self-taught chef and learned how to cook through blood, sweat, tears and laughter in my own kitchen. My husband is truly the chef in the house, but he uses ingredients that don't make me feel my best. I knew if I wanted to eat the way I wanted, I needed to learn how to cook. So I promised myself to cook dinner every single night for one whole school year - even if I made eggs! I did it! I was determined to make healthy recipes beyond tasteless poached salmon and steamed vegetables, and wound up making some of the best food I've ever eaten (husband agrees). Think whole foods slathered in healthy oils and healing spices. I went on to become a certified food handler to cook professionally in my own commercial kitchen, providing delicious organic prepared food to customers. I now run classes online to teach my clients how to embrace their own good health through cooking.

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I'm a lifelong learner and continue to learn and grow from every meal I make, every human I meet, every yoga class I take, every sight I see, and every breath I take. I feel so lucky to be here and want to soak up every single second.