For most of my childhood, I was a competitive gymnast. On the outside, I looked pretty healthy (aside from the rashes on my arms and legs). On the inside, my file indicated otherwise. I didn’t understand why my doctors kept pulling out their prescription pad instead of helping me figure out what was causing the problems. When questioned about food triggers, they all told us “it’s not related”. How could that be?

It was clear to me, even as a kid everything in our bodies is connected and the food we eat matters.

What I needed was someone who could think functionally. Someone who could dig into my health history and guide me on a path forward. Someone like the practitioner I am today.

In my quest to help others alleviate the suffering I experienced as a kid, I went to college to study biomedical materials engineering. I gained an in depth understanding of systems biology, biochemistry, and the interconnectedness of the body as a whole. My engineering classes taught me to not just memorize facts but to problem solve and break down complex concepts into clear next steps.

While there, I was an accomplished varsity diver despite my nagging health issues. My junior year, I finally had a kitchen to cook in and started experimenting with my diet. I knew there was something wrong with my gut.

It was then that I realized two truths.  One, to eat well and fuel your body, you actually have to cook. And two, what others eat to be healthy isn’t necessarily what I need to be healthy. I am an n of 1.

Why hadn’t my doctors told me this? Why hadn’t they recognized the healing power of food? Why didn’t they realize the food I was eating was the main cause of my health problems?

I went on to grad school to study biomedical engineering. By day I worked on cutting-edge cancer detection techniques and at night I turned the kitchen into my cooking lab and read every health and nutrition book I could get my hands on. I discovered that poor nutrition was the number one cause of the cancer we were trying to detect.

I sought out a functional nutritionist/health coach to help me figure out the underlying causes of my own health issues. Together, we uncovered chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and food intolerances. We worked together to heal my gut and quell the inflammation in my body. One by one my lifelong symptoms resolved. . . chronic eczema, constipation, allergies, sinus infections, gone.

There was a disconnect between what I knew to be true and what I was doing. I saw our sick-care system from the inside and left my doctorate program with a masters on a mission to shift the paradigm.

Nutrition is the interaction of food (what you eat) and your physiology (your body as a whole interconnected system). I longed to understand nutrition and how to help others heal.

This led me to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and in 2009, I founded my practice, Healthy Habits International LLC. In 2012, I wrote and published my book: Real Food, Real Simple: A Personalized Plan for More Energy, Less Stress, and Healthy Meals in Minutes. In 2014, I completed an MS in Human Nutrition, dietetic internship, and earned my RDN. From 2015 to 2022, I worked at Cornell University as a Wellness Nutritionist where I supported hundreds of faculty and staff members via 1-on-1 consults, classes, and cooking demos.

Today, I’m an Integrative RDN. I help intentional parents build the confidence to cook practical healthy meals that meet the needs of their whole family so they can take back their health, one meal at a time.

I use a food-first approach and meld principles of functional medicine with culinary nutrition to help clients like you learn what to eat for their bodies, how to fit nourishing food into their lives, and how to get out of information overload and into action.

I specialize in GI disorders like Celiac Disease and IBS, autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, food allergies and intolerances, and diets like gluten free and low FODMAP to support health and healing. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients since 2009 and completed extensive training in functional medicine and integrative nutrition.

When I’m not coaching clients, teaching classes, or running my business, you’ll find me in the kitchen creating something delicious with my three boys, digging in the dirt in our garden, tending our chickens, hiking a local waterfall trail, skiing, camping, biking, spending time with friends, or exploring with my family.

Life is a wonderful adventure. My mission is to help you uncover your unique diet so you can confidently cook healthy real food meals and nourish your best life, one meal at a time.