About me
I grew up in beautiful and rugged Terrace, BC, spending Summers in a remote area of the Chilcotin where my passion for wild foraging, plants, and nature began. These Summers were spent at a rustic log cabin, gleaning water by dipping buckets in glacial-fed Charlotte Lake and carrying them up cliffs, chopping wood, showering under a black bag, bathing in tin, reading by oil-lamp light, eating fresh-caught rainbow trout, gathering wild flowers to make paint, and sleeping in make-shift bunk beds made of wooden maps and scrap wood. The more I learn about foraging wild plants and exploring, the more fun I have in the forest, and trust that nature provides.
As soon as I graduated high school, I began my decade-long tree planting career, which is where my interest in nutrition began. I made the correlation between the most successful planters and the food they were fueling themselves with, while also realizing my own physical performance was directly in line with how well I ate.
After high school I earned a BA in International Relations at UBC. This taught me the value of perspective and the practice of cultural relativism. As described by Wade Davis: “The world in which you were born is just one reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit”. Throughout the years, I’ve realized this applies to individuals, too.
Shortly after completing my degree, I moved to Revelstoke with my partner, drawn by the promise of snowboarding in the mountains. Having grown up in Terrace, I immediately felt at home nestled in this wonderful river valley, strong community, and easy access to nature. A decade later, I'm still grateful to be Revelstuck every single day.
Completely tearing my ACL allowed me to appreciate the connection between food and inflammation and inspired me to alter my career trajectory. I began to notice how vegetable oils, sugars, and processed foods caused my knee to ache horribly, while a salad with wild salmon and olive oil lead to the blissful absence of pain. For the first time I had noticed the tangible and direct connection between inflammation, food, and mood.
I studied holistic nutrition through CSNN, obtaining my diploma to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and graduating with honors. I did this by distance, took my time, and became a foodie, teaching myself to apply my knowledge in the kitchen, make healthy food delicious, and begin writing my first cookbook. Spending several years cooking for tree planters taught me many cooking tricks, time-saving techniques, and strategies for catering to diverse mealtime needs. Catering to my own food sensitivities urged me to find quick and tasty swap-outs, and hone creative recipes. This past year, building a second business pushed me further in using my wellness skills for stress management and healthy meal plans that jive with packed schedules - skills that are very applicable for busy clients.
Somewhere along my studies I developed severe Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease which presents with irritated scaling of the skin. My whole face and much of my body was red, itchy, and swollen. Allopathic offerings were limited to indefinite chemotherapy. Diving deeper into the study of autoimmune disease and intestinal permeability, I shocked my doctors, healing my skin by healing my gut, using only diet modifications, supplementation, stress management, self-love, and yoga to heal. I’m grateful for this experience, as I’m able to use my first-hand lessons to help clients reach their health goals.
I’ve always been an obsessive researcher and avid reader. My passion for knowledge and my experience growing up with those close to me struggling with mental health issues spurred a desire to create change from a young age. Today I still research enthusiastically, and, seeing the importance of staying current and science-based, can often be found listening to audiobooks, functional medicine podcasts, and reading pubmed studies. The human body, mind, spirit, cells, microbes, neural pathways, and psychology fascinate me endlessly.
Evolution moves slowly, and I believe much of our dis-ease is related to an evolutionary mismatch between our wild nervous systems and modern-day stressors. My own practice and study of yoga, breath work, limiting beliefs, mantra, polyvagal theory, Wim Hoff method, and meditation all inform my nutrition practice, especially when is comes to lifestyle modifications that tone the vagus nerve, improve sleep, and move us from a fight-or-flight nervous state to rest-and-digest. I have taken trauma sensitive yoga trainings as well as Motivational Interviewing courses that inform my practice and help signal safety and acceptance.
I believe that self-compassion is the most abundant and powerful healing tool we have. The only way out is through, and self-compassion is your compass. I help my clients identify and resolve limiting beliefs by leading them to their own self-talk and self-love. My practice is a unique blend of research-based clinical nutrition with a heart-centred approach. This allows clients to honour their feelings and timelines, while seeing opportunity within dis-ease, as part of a purposeful path. A “why” to weather the “how”. My approach provides a deeper, more intimate journey to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, than a (more common) one-size-fits-all-approach to health. I believe making peace with your inner-eater can allow for profound healing, greater presence, joy and a better relationship with your body, food, and loved ones. Meditation, visualization, breath, and affirmations are all tools we can use along the way.
I’m passionate about seasonal eating, farmers markets, outdoor recreation, food and flavor, yoga, and all things health and wellness. I’m currently a member of the Adapt Academy, an institute for functional and evolutionary medicine.
I’m a budding herbalist, studying herbalism through Pacific Rim College online.
I’m a detective. Your whole health history, present lifestyle, mental/physical symptoms, and belief systems all give me clues as to how each body system and subsystem is functioning, what nutrients may be abundant, which ones may be deficient, how well you’re absorbing your food, the integrity of your gut lining, hormonal health, how your nervous system is handling stress, if limiting beliefs are holding you back, and whether you can further harness the power of self love.
I care. A lot.
I use simple diet, supplementation, and lifestyle recommendations that empower you to reset your circadian rhythm, absorb and digest efficiently, manage stress/anxiety, balance microbiome, blood sugar, and hormones, manage stress, tone your vagus nerve, and tap into abundant energy and mental clarity. This changes all aspects of life experience.
I’m on a mission. Some time ago humans started a war against the microbe and theoretically separated the brain from the body. Unconventional healthcare isn’t about denying the gifts and necessities of convention. It’s about the recollection that the body can heal itself when given the right circumstances (we need to get out of its way), the majority of microbes are beneficial (let’s nurture them!), and that the brain is part of the body, which means food affects mood, and the health of your body directly affects your mind.
You are the expert on yourself. I meet you right where you are, no judgement, shame, dieting, fads, or one-size-fits-all approach.
(You may find that honouring yourself where you are is what gets you where you want to be.)
I really listen. And ask the right questions so you can hear yourself speak the answers you need to hear yourself devise.
My aim is to empower.
My approach is collaborative; collaboration with you and with allied healthcare providers.
You don’t have to do it alone. You were never meant to.
This can be fun. Delicious. Life-changing. Joyful. Abundant. Challenging. Easy. Worth it.
Ready?
Let’s get started. Progress over perfection. One step at a time.
“Between right-doing and wrong-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” - Rumi
Education and Trainings:
My designation is Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.), and Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant (C.H.N.C). I studied nutrition through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, graduating with honors and remaining an active member of the CSNN Alumni Association
BA in International Relations (BA-IR) from UBC.
Transformational Eating with Clinical Nutritionist Jessica Flanigan
Motivational Interviewing with Elizabeth Guroff
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Training with Nicole Marcia
Yoga Immersion with Noelle Bovon
Theta Healing with Skylie Cash
The Numinous School of Intuition with Carmen Spagnola
Business School with Marie Forleo
ADAPT Academy of Functional Medicine with Kresser Institute
Community Herbalist, Pacific Rim College Online, current
