Life has taught me that there is a strong connection between diet, lifestyle, mood and health. Changing my diet and lifestyle changed my life. As a health counselor, I work with clients nationwide to learn these truths for themselves.

It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in 2006 that I really started to pay attention to how I was treating my body. My autoimmune disease woke me up. It was my body’s way of telling me to slow down, switch gears, and breathe!

I learned how to listen to my body. I tried new foods and got rid of others that didn’t make me feel as good. I discovered what natural energy felt like when I wasn’t dependent on caffeine to get me through the day. I tried new kinds of exercise, like yoga. Most importantly, I learned to accept what I could not change. That was when my healing really began.

I am a certified health coach through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). I received my education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City and studied under nutrition experts and leaders in their fields including Deepak Chopra, David Katz, Mark Hyman, Andrew Weil, Walter Willet and David Wolfe.

I am currently working towards my Master’s degree in Human Nutrition and expect to graduate in 2011. I am also a contributing writer on Examiner.com.