YOU HAVE CANCER.

To be specific, it was Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and he had a football sized tumor in his chest. After 5 different chemotherapy regimens and a stem-cell transplant, he was in remission and has been ever since.

If you or one of your loved ones has ever had a health crisis, you know that the impact of this type of news is far reaching. He was the healthiest member of our family by far – able to run marathons like they were 5K’s.

If I’m being totally honest, his diagnosis gutted me.

That was in 2008 and I still get choked up when I talk about it sometimes. It’s only in hindsight that I can now see how big of an impact his journey to health had on mine. One of the things that terrified me, among the MANY, was the reality that this could happen to someone who was so thoughtful about his health.

It jolted me into taking a more serious look at my own.

I was in graduate school and my budget, coupled with my single girl status and disinterest in cooking for one, led to eating lots of processed food (a Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme was only a couple bucks and transported well to class!). When it came to anything sugary, I’d find myself in the following cycle: seeking out and eating way more than intended, feeling guilty, and then trying to justify my actions to myself or others who witnessed the Cookie Monster course of events.

I used to be so exhausted that I’d hit the snooze button four times before waking, take a shower, then take a quick nap before being able to start my day. I was used to feeling consistently bloated and foggy, having lots of trouble with my digestion and skin, and getting constant colds that would linger for weeks.

It was easy for me to brush each issue aside in isolation from one another, but after seeing what my brother went through I had a newfound appreciation for all that our bodies do for us and a yearning to treat mine with more care.

I wanted to collectively look at my lifestyle choices and assess where I could, and should, make changes.

Luckily, a friend of mine was studying to become a health coach, and through working with her I confirmed that both needing a nap 10 minutes after waking up and being sick all of the time weren’t normal... but it didn’t have to be this way.

After working together for a few months, I was less bloated and barely ever got sick, my skin cleared up, and I felt this new, incredible sense of energy, productivity, and clear-mindedness. From there, I was hooked on learning anything and everything wellness related and sharing what I learned with anyone who would listen.

Seeing how I was able to impact people's lives with my newfound knowledge motivated me to commit to becoming a Certified Integrative Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition™ (IIN).

While I’ll never know what caused my brother to develop cancer, I know I’m motivated to avoid foods, products, and habits that are linked to the disease. I’m excited to continue to share my passion for holistic wellness with others, whether their lives have been touched by a health crisis or not, and help them discover how to feel healthier themselves.

If any of my story resonated with you, or you have other wellness goals you're aiming to reach and just want that extra accountability, let's connect for a free 30 minute consultation. More information on offerings and my approach here!

Below are the most common myths and doubts I’ve seen arise when talking with people about health coaching. Have you ever thought any of these yourself?

They’re going to make you eat all kale all the time

This is a big and very common misconception, and brings up another common assumption…

They only eat all things kale all the time

True story, two of my favorite things in this world are cookies (this recipe in particular, and it gets made at least a few times/month in my home) and martinis (extra dirty, up, dry, and preferably with stuffed olives, to be precise).

I completely understand both of these myths, because before I got on the healthy train I assumed the same of anyone in the wellness world. In reality, there are people like that. My approach though, and what I hope my clients aim to achieve, is a life of balance.

I recently told a client that if he went to Italy and didn’t eat the pasta or gelato that he wanted, only because he thought it was “bad” if he did, that I’d have some choice words for him.

Health coaching is about helping you figure out what foods and habits make YOU feel your best, and knowing when eating or doing things that don’t serve you are worth it (see: my client in Italy). It’s about progress not perfection. It’s about making small but impactful changes to create habits that will stick around. It’s not about counting calories, jumping on the latest diet trend, or just eating something because you hear it’s the new superfood.

They don’t struggle with any health/wellness concerns themselves

Erroneous on both accounts!

One of the things that makes health coaches good at what they do is that they understand where you’re coming from because they’ve either gone through or still do struggle over the same things as you. This empathy makes the coaching relationship that much stronger, and it usually means they have that much more of an understanding of where you’re coming from and how to help. Perhaps something that they’ve tried will work for you!

They’ll judge your weight or your lifestyle habits

If they do, then they’re not doing their job. Similar to what I just mentioned, many coaches have been exactly where you are and the reason they’re in this field is because they want to use that understanding to help others get unstuck and make changes to feel happier and healthier too.

They don’t believe in Western medicine

My grandfather, father, twin brother, father-in-law and sister-in-law: all Medical Doctors. My grandmother and sister: both work in hospitals. My mother, mother-in-law, and older brother: all in the nursing field. I’d be kicked out of the family if I didn’t believe. In all seriousness, integrative nutrition is a means to supplement Western medicine and to get to the underlying root causes of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. My husband used to be on 2 different medications for his high blood pressure, and I never told him to stop taking them. After introducing yoga and more veggies into his world though, he’s no longer on any medication.

They’re too expensive for you to afford

The rates for health coaches vary greatly, but it’s often cheaper than people anticipate, especially when you compare it to the price of potential medical costs if you don’t take care of yourself. I encourage people to think about it as an investment in themselves.

We're so quick to spend in other areas of our lives (iPhones, gifts for others, new clothes/shoes, going out to eat or buying overpriced take-out meals, expensive beauty products, you name it) but we often hesitate when it comes to spending money on the things that really matter.

What's truly more important than investing in your own health and wellness?

They won’t be able to help you

Of course, there are no guarantees in life. But typically, if you go into the process with both an open-mind and a commitment to actually showing up for yourself and doing the work, then you WILL see results. How often do you spend 60 minutes talking about yourself with someone who is truly, enthusiastically listening? Often times, the simple act of slowing down and being in a safe space to just talk about what’s going on in your life can be healing in and of itself.

If you’re interested in figuring out what exactly health coaching in the workplace is, or are curious about how we could work together, reach out for a complimentary 30-minute consultation! We’ll chat about what’s going on in your world, what concerns you have, and how I may be able to help.

My Wellness Story

YOU HAVE CANCER.