At the age of 22, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This was a reality check; the invincible feeling one has in their teenage and twenties was cut short by this said “incurable” autoimmune disease. At the time I was a graduating Marketing student, spin instructor and fitness trainer. My vision to pursue a health and fitness career was shut down in an instant. Doctors regularly lamented with comments like-  “it will only get worse,” “medication is the only way to tame the disease” and “maybe you should rethink your career.” I was devastated by this life altering commentary. I didn’t know at the time how truly ignorant this expert guidance was. I needed a coach, someone to help me navigate the ugly healthcare system and find my way back to wellness but there was no one like this on my journey.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system- which normally protects one’s health by attacking foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses- mistakenly attacks the joints. This vicious attack causes swelling which further harms and/ or destroys the joints.

If this wasn’t enough, RA also comes accompanied with fatigue, stiffness, muscle weakness, dry mouth, jaw pain, just to name a few.

The toll this disease has on your body is more than physical, it’s incredibly emotional not only for yourself, but your loved ones. As a result of my physical and mental exhaustion,I gave in and was instantly subsumed by the healthcare system. I underwent 6+ months of agonizing treatments on (low dose chemotherapy) which made me feel worse. The doctor’s solution to this was to prescribe me with even more medication- drugs to ease the side effects of the other drugs!

Next, I was placed on an immune suppressing medication in an attempt to trick my body into not attacking itself.  In my heart, I knew that something wasn’t right about this. My body was doing something it was meant to do, albeit a little over zealously. Instead of stopping it altogether, why not figure out what was’s making it over react in the first place? Many of the doctors I approached, refused to entertain this question and for me that was match in the powder barrel, the catalyst for my incredible life changing journey to find recovery and find my inner Wellanista.

I found it!  The answer was right in front of me all along but to see it, I had to re frame the problem.  My body didn’t have a disease! It was going through a dis- ease or lack of harmony in my body. The solution to my experience was healthy eating, healthy living, mindfulness, and spirituality!

This is not as simple as I first hoped. It was and continues to be an ongoing experiment to find out what works for me and what doesn’t. Bio-individuality was the key to conquering my illness and getting my life back!  Doctors told me that I would need to continue to receive treatments at least once a month. In these treatments, they inject me with a cocktail of viruses so that my immune system would attack these instead of my joints. With this treatment, I fight one sickness but gain another. Since I have taken charge of my health, I rarely need this treatment. Instead, I prevent flares by making strategic moment-to-moment decisions about my diet, my fitness and my spirit. I prioritize ME in a way that the healthcare system never could.

I learned that I am in control of my own destiny, but that knowledge was hard fought. It was an uphill battle and I didn’t have a guide or a mentor to show me the way. I now know that I was meant to fight this battle alone. In becoming my own health warrior, I gained the skills and knowledge I need to help others overcome similar battles. My struggles have motivated me to help those who are undergoing similar dis- ease, or really any lack of harmony in your life that is manifesting as sickness, lethargy, unhappiness, or even boredom. I want to share all the knowledge I have gained throughout the years with you because you could spend endless hours researching and putting undue effort into dead ends or  you could spend this time and energy engaging in the practices that will bring you back to your best self. Together we will find your path to wellness!

Let me start off by saying Thank You and Congratulations! Thank you for taking the time to explore this far and Congratulations on taking the first step towards wellness and meeting the happier and healthier you. Whatever your specific goals and intentions are, I am honored by the opportunity to help you achieve them.

As a Wellanista, I pride myself on being a ‘Health Warrior’ devoted to the pursuit of wellness through the practice of healthy eating, healthy living, mindfulness and spirituality and I am eager to pass on the knowledge to those pursuing the same journey.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness so it is my mission to provide you with a personalized solution that will meet your needs. I am your partner on this journey so when something is not working, we will sit down together to find new strategies that compliment your lifestyle.

As a coach I provide individualized health coaching and/or physical fitness services that will help you become your best self. My holistic approach involves integrative nutrition and functional personal training methods. Using this approach, I not only provide you with the support needed to meet your physical health goals, I also help you optimize the alignment between the ‘eight pillars of self’. Working with me, you will find increased satisfaction and balance in your relationships, health, fitness, personal finance, career choices, living environment, family life, and spirituality.