About Me

My nutrition journey has evolved over several decades.  I was a highly sensitive, overweight, asthmatic child who grew into a  young woman who was always chasing the perfect diet.  After much soul searching and research, I blossomed in to an older, wiser woman and discovered health and happiness through holistic nutrition.  Like a seed lying dormant in the soil for many years, I have finally sprouted.

 

I recently retired from a 31-year career in public education.  Initially, retirement was bliss. I felt like I was on an extended vacation.  The days were filled with quality time with family.  I began volunteering with organizations I was passionate about and reconnected with old friends.  Long walks in nature while listening to podcasts on health and wellness became part of my daily routine. My thirst for learning became insatiable; I started reading everything I could about nutrition and spent a lot of time thinking about this new chapter of life. I loved the slower pace of life, but began to wonder about my purpose. It was clear that I was not done working, and I knew that I wanted to combine my love and experience in education with my passion for nutrition. The whisper of this idea grew louder each day.

 

When the whisper of this idea turned into a shout, I knew I needed to take the next step.  I enrolled in AFPA’s program for Holistic Nutrition in order to learn all I could about whole food, plant based nutrition.  I already had a fair amount of nutritional knowledge going into this program, but I also knew that I needed to unlearn some of the beliefs I had  about counting calories, restricting fat and counting macros that had led me to my own patterns of restrictive eating.

 

I was invigorated by my textbooks and couldn’t wait to share what I was learning. The research was clear:  while we can’t change our genetics, we can change the expression of our genes through diet, nutrition and lifestyle. The leading causes of premature death that are claiming the lives of millions of Americans each year are largely preventable. I resonated with the whole foods, plant based approach and began to take actionable steps in my own nutrition. I changed the way I cooked and shopped for our family.  Flaxseed, turmeric and cruciferous vegetables became staples in our home.  Honestly, I have never felt healthier. My digestive issues became non-existent; my energy level was at an all time high; I was sleeping better and feeling a vitality about life that I had not felt in a long time. I also changed my exercise dramatically, replacing my intense cardio workouts with hikes and leisurely bike rides, yoga and long walks.  I even added a daily meditation practice. And a curious thing happened:  when I stopped trying so hard to lose those last ten pounds, they just melted away, despite the fact that I was eating more (albeit nutrient dense) food and engaging in less intense forms of exercise.

 

So now with my holistic nutrition certification in hand, I just want to quote Michael Pollan as I shout from the mountaintop, “Eat REAL Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” And I want to empower you to make the lifestyle changes that will lead you to good health and vitality. Are you ready to sprout? Give me a call for a free consultation.

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*Disclaimer:  The information provided by Sprout Nutrition and Wellness is intended to help individuals make healthy nutritional choices.  All information is educational only and should not be used to replace medical care, treatment or diagnosis.  Please contact your health care practitioner before making any significant lifestyle or dietary changes.