Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, I was a healthy, active child and teenager. I chose to be vegetarian at the young age of 10 and continued until the age of 21 while in college. Then in 2007, at the age of 24, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and almost overnight, my life changed. I had just graduated with my Master’s degree in Criminal Justice and had gotten my first post-grad job, working as a therapist at a maximum-security juvenile prison in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was so happy to be living in paradise, having achieved my goal of obtaining my Master’s degree and quickly securing a job. 

Everything seemed to be in place. I tried to ignore the symptoms of abdominal pain and frequent bathroom trips until intestinal bleeding was a red flag that showed me I needed to be seen. I had my first of seven colonoscopies, something that is not usually recommended until your 40s. 

After my diagnosis, I was given a high dose of anti-inflammatory medication but the combo of the medications and my symptoms led me to be unable to work anymore, and I moved back to Massachusetts to get proper care at MGH Crohn’s and Colitis Center. There, I was put on additional medications, including prednisone, which I took on and off for a year. The prednisone caused insomnia so I was given two additional medications to help with sleep, another one to help with nausea from the sleep med and another one to help with heart palpitations that I was experiencing. I had 7 bottles of medication lined up on my bedside table by the age of 26.

When I decided to become pregnant, this is when everything changed. I had been researching the effects of these medications on pregnancy and I wanted to have a healthy, medication-free experience. I had to wean off all of the medications within a year which was a rollercoaster of increased symptoms until I was introduced to Integrative Medicine. I hired a health coach and an Integrative Medicine practitioner who conducted in-depth tests to discover food allergies, sensitivities as well as natural ways to reduce inflammation using targeted supplements. Within a month, I was able to make significant changes to my nutrition, create the proper supplement regime that matched my individual body’s needs and incorporate mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques including breathing exercises, yoga and journaling.

What started as a search for relief became a transformation. As I experienced the profound impact of nutrition and lifestyle on my health, I became passionate about learning more. In 2015, I earned my certification as a Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. My studies deepened my understanding of digestive health, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and the many interconnected aspects of wellness that influence how we feel each day. I was a new mom as well at the time and it was important to me to maintain the best level of wellness for myself as well as for my newborn daughter. 

I came to realize that true health is about much more than food alone. While nourishing my body with whole, unprocessed foods was essential, I also discovered the importance of regular movement, spiritual connection, stress management, and creating space for rest, reflection, and meditation. These practices became just as important to my healing as the foods on my plate. Today, my day looks much different than my life previously. I used to stay up until 2 am on my computer working with the TV in the background, eating processed foods on my couch. Today, I value the importance of quality sleep, starting my day with mindful exercises like breathing, followed by strength training, and daily walking outside in nature either in the woods or at the beach. I also enjoy holding a good book as opposed to reading a screen, journaling for self-reflection and listening to meditations or calming music for stress reduction.

As I developed a personalized approach to nutrition and wellness, my health began to improve in ways I once thought were impossible. What emerged from that difficult chapter was not only a renewed sense of self, but also a deep commitment to helping others discover their own path to healing and whole-body wellness. I believe that an individualized approach is important to honor the specific needs of each person rather than the latest trends. Health and wellness to me, is about creating a lifestyle that works for you and that is sustainable long-term and achieves real and lasting results.