Before becoming a nutritionist I had experimented with a variety of diet changes. Like so many others I went from one fad diet to the next, never finding the sustainable changes I needed to thrive. Some days it seems like everyone is doing the most sensational thing to get attention to their social media page..but do any of those equate to actual health and longevity? This leaves many people confused about what to believe. As I made changes in my life I developed a passion for whole foods, exercise, meditation, mindfulness and the intersection between Western and traditional medicine.
I understand what my clients are going through because I have too. Can you believe that I was in the worst shape of my life while I was in the military? With all the mandatory exercise and discipline, one would think that I would have been in much better shape. It’s true, and a major reason why it was so is because while I was exercising, I wasn’t mindful of the impacts of what I was putting in my mind and body. I figured that as long as I exercised enough, I could eat anything I wanted. This couldn’t be further from the truth, because I was neglecting the nutrition and other aspects of health my body and mind needed.
My approach is grounded in evidenced based nutrition that utilizes fad free health solutions. Ultimately I work with clients to help them find the food and lifestyle habits that are going to give them a positive relationship with food, their body, and their environment for the rest of their lives.
Now that you have a better understanding of my philosophy here is a taste of my story.
I was born and raised in upstate New York’s Adirondack Mountains. I served in the U.S. Air Force from 2002-2007. After active duty I went on to get a Bachelor’s in Biology from the State University of New York: Empire State College, and a Master’s in Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin: Steven’s Point. During this time I was fascinated by our natural environment and passionate about helping people learn how to live in harmony with nature so that their children can be as inspired by the natural world as I am. After working in mostly enclosed buildings doing networking and server work for the military, I was ready for a new direction. This led to a career in the U.S. Forest Service where I worked in visitor information, taught conservation education, and worked with a variety of community groups for 5 years. Over time I realized that health and the environment are two faces of the same coin and that what I really wanted to do was to work with people one on one to help them find happiness, health, and confidence in their lives through food and lifestyle. At first I thought this was through physical fitness and so I earned a Certified Personal Trainer certification with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM/AFAA) in 2015. It wasn’t long before I realized that diet and all aspects of lifestyle are where real lasting change happens and that even some of those with the most buff bodies have a terrible relationship to food and their mental health. This led me to pursue a second Master’s degree in Nutrition and Integrative Health with Maryland University of Integrative Health, complete a 1000 hour internship leading to the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential, and to become a Certified Nutritionist in the State of Washington.
In addition to my formal education, I have also attended the following conferences to supplement my nutritional knowledge because I never stop striving to be the best nutritionist I can be for my clients. This also differentiates me from many fad diet pushers whose only nutrition education is in the products or fad diets they are trying to sell you.
