About Me:
My Life's Journey to Physical and Spiritual Fitness:
I've battled with migraines, depression, IBS symptoms and blood sugar issues most of my adult life. I've tried to deal with these issues with traditional medicine but only experienced mild relief. In some instances the drugs used to treat these conditions were worse than the symptoms themselves.
In 2004 I was working towards my PhD in Bioanalytical Chemistry. I was spending long hours in the lab and not taking care of myself. I was on depression medication and my husband and I had decided to separate. That spring I had received a dissertation award that would allow me to spend the summer in Germany doing some cutting edge research. A month before I was supposed to leave I fell asleep at the wheel and was in a terrible car accident. Because of the trauma of the accident and the fact that my marriage was falling apart I decided to take some time off and focus on healing. If it wasn't for my car accident, I would have most likely gone to Germany and my marriage wouldn't have survived. The irony of the accident was that it saved my life and my marriage. I give all the glory to God that our marriage is thriving today. We have two handsome boys and a life beyond what I could have imagined.
In my attempts to get healthy and lose weight I tried a variety of diets, Jenny Craig, Vegetarian, and The Zone Diet. Each of these diets helped me lose weight but none of them had the impact on me to make a lifestyle change. Nothing really clicked with me and my weight fluctuated. I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies and was required to sit through the diabetes education class both times. I met with a dietician who lined out a meal plan for me to follow. I followed the meal plans strictly even weighing and measuring my food and I still ended up on medication to control my blood sugars. Being the research minded person that I am I read every nutrition book I could find to help me better understand how to take care of myself and my children.
After having my first child I was desperate to lose the baby weight and hired a personal trainer, who opened up a Crossfit gym. Crossfit training had a significant positive impact on my fitness level and I got down to the size I was in high school. After my second baby I was still doing Crossfit training and following the Zone diet but I wasn't able to reach my goal weight even a year later. That's when I was introduced to the Paleo Diet. I took on a 6-week Paleo challenge put on by my Crossfit gym and it changed my life. Forget about losing the last 15 lbs I wanted to lose. All of those life-long nagging health issues I mentioned earlier were gone. I didn't have migraines anymore, the brain fog that I had lived in for years was completely gone, I no longer had horrible intestinal pain and I had more energy than I knew what to do with. This ignited a curiosity in me to find out why.
During this journey my understanding of Christ and my relationship with Him continued to grow as well. At the same time I transitioned to eating a cleaner diet I could sense God really working in me. I continued to step out in faith and I've grown closer to Him than I've ever been. He was transforming me, both physically and spiritually. I believe there is a connection between the two. This led me to study holistic nutrition and I want to share what I've learned. I'm currently pursuing certification through the Nutritional Therapy Association. I'm also working on my RYT through YogaFit. My goal is to combine nutriton therapy and yoga therapy to help others reach their full potential in Christ. Let me partner with you on your journey to physical and spiritual fitness.
