ABOUT ME
I grew up in Richmond, VA where I currently live now, and spent several years in college and post-college in beautiful Charleston, SC and Jackson Hole, WY. I play music in an acoustic-folk duo with my husband Colin, and I also love to paint. These creative passions have played a significant role in my life since I was little, and are what I consider my “Primary Foods”— The foods that feed my soul. But as it turns out, my other true love is and has always been food in general. My appreciation has only grown as I’ve witnessed the power of diet, movement, and lifestyle modifications as medicine. This, combined with my personal health journey and an inherent need to learn more in this crazy world of wellness have all played a role in me landing here, typing these words, and pursuing a career in helping others do the same.
BACKSTORY
After struggling with digestive issues and anxiety for years, I had tried just about everything— different doctors, diets, medicines, you name it. But nothing seemed to work. I finally found a functional practitioner who was able to properly diagnose me with Leaky Gut Syndrome. And finally, I had some answers! But then again, I also had a “leaky gut”.
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I followed a holistic, science-driven protocol that met my own body’s needs, and in three months I was able to heal my gut naturally with the right foods and supplements, despite hearing it could take a year. My brain fog disappeared, my anxiety subsided (introducing meditation also helped), I had more energy, my hair grew in thicker, and my digestive issues cleared up almost entirely. With this new baseline for my health in mind, I’ve since then taken a deeper dive into how the microbiome impacts nearly everything (mood, digestion, immune system, etc.)… all of which improved tremendously after my gut healed.
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I started Self Health & Wellness with this focus on gut health along with nourishing, whole food recipes. And while that remains a priority, I am so excited to introduce another scope which goes hand in hand with gut health and has become close to my heart over the past few years— Women’s hormonal & menstrual health.
I’ve personally had my share of run-ins with hormonal imbalance as a woman in our society— from dealing with painful periods as a teen, low AMH levels after prolonged birth control use, post-pill amenorrhea, navigating IVF and infertility… and then I became a mom. And that has opened up an entirely new dimension of appreciation for women and what we can do (and what our bodies can do). Talking to countless other women who have suffered through their cycles, navigated hormone imbalances, and struggled with infertility has only reinforced the fact that there is such a need for this kind of awareness in women’s health.
So… let’s begin shall we?