Hello there!

My Story

When I was fifteen, I gained 60 pounds over the course of three years. My hair wouldn’t grow, my nails wouldn’t grow, and I was always so tired. During my yearly physical, I complained to my primary care doctor about what I would later learn was chronic fatigue. From there, a new door opened into a world of doctor’s appointments, medications, and hard life lessons.

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My mother went through three endocrinologists before she found one she liked. One put me on Synthroid to treat my Hashimoto's thyroiditis, with a water pill added for the side effects of the disease. As it turned out, that little side medication caused me to have three panic attacks within two weeks. I can’t remember one of them, but one occurred while I was doing my homework, and the other while blow-drying my hair. My sister found me on the floor of our room, unable to breathe, blow dryer and brush splayed on the floor. She cried for our mother, who rushed upstairs into our bedroom. No one knew what was happening to me, but my mother knew that was the last time I was taking that medication. And it was.

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I was also sent to a gastroenterologist to figure out what was happening with my stomach. Since I could remember, my stomach never cooperated. At nine years old, I could never finish my plate because of a stomach ache that sent me to the couch every night after dinner. In elementary school, I missed my school’s science fair because of a stomach ache after dinner. I cried when my parents informed me hours later that I had missed it, neither of them wanting to remind me since I didn’t feel well. At fifteen, I received another diagnosis: IBS-C. I could never go to the bathroom, and when I did, it was never enough. I constantly felt bloated, full, and nauseous. I relied on laxatives that, at one point, turned my stool black. I was so scared, I thought I was dying. No one knew how much I abused them, but they gave me the relief I was desperately seeking. My new gastroenterologist gave me a colonoscopy, which was mortifying for a teenager, but ultimately told me that I was fine. He prescribed Miralax with my meals and gave me a piece of paper on how to avoid hemorrhoids. None of this helped.

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The last thing I remember the endocrinologist telling my mother was that I had to start a sport—something to help me lose the weight I had gained. This was the best thing he ever did for me. Not long after, I saw a commercial with ninja-like kids on television and told my father I wanted to do karate. Two weeks later, I was enrolled in a program at my local school. There, I not only exercised, but I also learned how to eat ‘healthy’—at least, one definition of it. It wasn’t the end-all, but it was a start in the right direction. It took time, but two years later, their diet and exercise plan helped me get off Synthroid. My levels had apparently ‘evened out,’ and I no longer needed the medication. I lost weight, became fit, my hair grew, and my dependency on laxatives eased. I found a taste of freedom. I finally understood my body, and I thought my body finally understood me.

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Unfortunately, the harmony wouldn’t last forever. In my late twenties, the pounds started creeping back on. No matter how much I dieted, how many calories I ate, or how much I trained, I couldn’t lose the weight. I didn’t know what to do or how to deal with this rebellion. What I did know was that my body was changing, but not for the better. Thick hair was growing on my face and stomach; stubborn acne peppered my arms, back, and face; my legs would become so itchy that my scratching would make them bleed. My body changed again without telling me, and I didn’t know what to do. Simultaneously, my sisters were seeing endocrinologists about a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). So, I went to mine and updated my doctor about my family history. I was quickly informed that I must have it too, and was placed on Metformin to fight the insulin resistance in my body.

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In 2022, approximately 19,536,027 people in the United States were taking Metformin—about 5.88% of the entire population. A syndrome is a collection of symptoms, which don’t even need to be the same group of symptoms from person to person. I wanted answers this time: why are so many of us suffering from a mysterious collection of symptoms and being put on sugar-controlling medications for it?

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Metformin helped my body cope, but I knew it would never be enough. What I had learned throughout my life was that medications didn’t fix my problems—they only bandaged them. I knew I had to change my nutrition again to save my body and my sanity. This time, I started doing research.

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What did I find? Like most of us diving into research about nutrition and the conditions surrounding food and medicine in the United States these days, I found that our food is making us sick. Everything from the way food is created, processed, packaged, and delivered is done in ways that harm us. The people we go to for help are getting paid to write prescriptions and don’t know how to help us without them.

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Throughout all my struggles and years of research, I can confidently say that people are finally becoming wiser today and are exposing these companies—big and small, medical or food industry—for exactly what they are. The right knowledge is coming out, but it’s hard to find and even more difficult to understand if you’re just joining the conversation. I am finally in a place in my life where I understand what happened to me, why it happened, and how I can help others. Wherever I go, I share my journey and everything I’ve learned. This is not private information; it’s something we all need to hear—even though it may be difficult. It may ask you to change the way you’ve been living, change the way you’ve been eating, but I believe you’re ready for that change. You’ve been looking for answers, and I’m here to walk you through them.

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I will have you know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am not a registered doctor or dietitian—I didn’t need formal education to change my nutrition, and neither do you. What I am, by trade and extensive education, is a teacher. My goal is to teach you what you need to know and help you find the information to keep yourself informed, so you can manage your own health—away from doctors and false doctrines.

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Today, I live my life without counting calories, splurging on a treat when I feel like it, and exercising moderately—while maintaining a lean and comfortable weight. I know how my body loses weight, and I know how to gain it. I am finally in control—and you can be too. Let’s work together to get you there. When you do arrive at a place where you feel comfortable, say goodbye to me and enjoy living your life free of the constraints that brought you to me in the first place.