From Busy Body to Balanced Being.™ Not so long ago, I was minding my own business in the corporate world, thinking I was a healthy 30-something, eating pretty healthy and consistently exercising to keep fit. I was completely caught off guard by the health crisis that took over my life. I now know, in retrospect, that I had not taken into account the role stress played in my health.

My wake-up call. At the beginning of another traveling 60+ hour work week, searing pain set in for me—literally overnight. I was unable to walk by the time I flew home at the end of that week. Soon after, I began suffering from a host of other symptoms and life-altering health complications that many doctors could not diagnose or treat. I was given conflicting advice or no advice at all. I was often doubted, dismissed, made to feel like I was imagining my excruciating symptoms.

For the first time ever, my tendency to think my way through problems was not working. I had to go much deeper than that. I had to become reacquainted with myself and learned to listen to and trust my body. It took me a long time to compile the pieces to the puzzle that allowed me to begin healing for real without just temporarily covering up the symptoms. My journey led me to the power of nutrition and to what I call “my team” – the brilliant integrative and alternative practitioners that were able to diagnose the root causes of my condition and support me through my experience. Along the way, I resolved lifelong battles with IBS, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and got rid of my gallstones without surgery. Given that I had to use my own body as a guinea pig and grapple with insurance to the point where these felt like full-time jobs, I also ended up becoming an expert patient!

You can listen to a 7-minute speech I gave about my healing experience here. I was the patient success story highlighted at the 2008 Celebrating Science & Soul Annual Fundraiser for California Pacific Medical Center’s Institute for Health & Healing Clinic, where some of “my team” practices.

During this time, cooking became my meditation and food became my medicine. Cooking got me through many tough days. I began to respond to the beautiful, real food I was eating. And I finally found my passion! Funny how life works. Today, I live in full remission with several autoimmune conditions and I am deeply committed to redefining balanced and delicious living for myself and my clients. It is my personal goal to serve my clients as the guide that I wish I had during my own journey.

You can continue reading about my story, in more detail, on my blog here.

My life before health consulting. I grew up traveling and living around the world. I’ve lived in Turkey, Egypt, France, the UAE, Kuwait, Malaysia, and traveled to many other countries. I now blissfully call San Francisco home. I almost went to art school, but my practical side weighed in heavier at the time. So I had an idyllic university experience at Penn State at studying Marketing & International Business at the University Park campus.

As a former management consultant with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, I bring a decade of experience in working with busy professionals and corporations. I managed teams for multi-million dollar strategic projects. The creativity, problem-solving, and intellectual curiosity required in my former profession kept me riveted for years. I thrived (or so I thought) on the constant adrenaline rush and by always pushing my own boundaries.

My Nutrition Training. I received my training as a Certified Health Counselor at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), which is the only nutrition school integrating all the major dietary theories—combining the knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts. Through IIN, I was educated by some of today’s leading nutrition and health experts, such as Drs. Mehmet Oz, Deepak Chopra, and Andrew Weil.  I am certified through Columbia University’s Teachers College and board certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

In my quest for lifelong learning, I am compounding my education at Bauman College, a leading-edge institution that complements my studies at IIN. At Bauman, I am delving deeper into holistic clinical nutrition to support clients with health conditions such as autoimmune (e.g. fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus) and gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. IBS, liver conditions, Crohn’s Disease), among others. I am certified as a Nutrition Educator through Bauman and will soon be board certified as a Nutrition Consultant as well.

Contact me today to schedule your FREE Delicious Health Consultation. Together we will review your health history and discuss how I can support you to accomplish your goals. I look forward to meeting you.