They say you need a strong “why” to truly be successful in whatever it is you do. I felt compelled to invest in a health coach and then become a certified coach myself. I felt this strong pull, this intuition that, to be honest, I have not felt many times in my life. I was starting to think I wasn’t as intuitive as other women in my life. And then bam! I felt the pull and my “why” at the same time.

Foodie for Life

I’m very Italian and Greek. So our traditions are centered around food. But not just Christmas and Thanksgiving, every single time we get together (which is a lot). I wouldn’t change this for the world. My memories in the kitchen cooking with my nonna are everything to me. I grew up eating incredible food but also a lot of it. Many times my life is centered around what meal I’m eating next. Once everyone at the table is finished and stuffed, then comes the “I am disgustingly full” or “ok that’s it I’m starting a diet tomorrow”. It turns from a positive experience to negative ending leaving me questioning the last hour. 

Yo-Yo Dieting

I could go on about how since high school, I was either on or off a diet. I would gain 10 lose 15 then gain it back. I tried various different diets that ranged from extreme to counting my calories. Same thing goes for my workouts. When I thought about it like that, who really wants to be either “being bad” or “being good lately” for their ENTIRE life? I sure don’t. 

Mental Health

By the time I was a senior in college and I had to face the real world without a set plan, I panicked. And truthfully, didn’t stop panicking for a few years. I took dozens of personality tests, spent hours trying to figure out my strengths and passions. I even hired someone to help me with this. A couple of years post grad, I came to the conclusion that I needed to talk to my doctor about my anxiety. The physical symptoms were there almost daily and I wanted to fix that. My doctor asked if I wanted to go to therapy or medication and I knew I wanted the medication. 

Holistic Health 

Fast forward about a year or so and my little sister was really struggling with her mental health. It impacted me more than I can put into words. I started seeing a therapist. My sister had been seeing her therapist for years, bouncing from medication to medication. At one point she had to leave college to focus on improving her health at an outpatient program and then away at a wilderness program for four months. I wasn’t going to be happy until she was. My mom, who was a dietician, was hopeful about the Hawaii program because it was centered in holistic health. This program taught the young adults to grow their own food, eat fresh vegetables. They taught her what adaptogens are and how to incorporate them. They focused on mental health and relationships and nutrition and meditation etc. Mind and body are so interconnected and I saw it clearly for the first time. Growing up my sister was constantly physically sick. It started when she was an infant and when she got older, strep, the flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection, you name it. Sometimes all in one year and the frequency became almost comical. Now putting this together with her mental health struggles, it just made sense that the body gives us signs and we need to listen to them. 

My “why” is because I want to help young women struggling with tumultuous period of their life understand the mind body connection. Because I want to guide people in understanding the importance of holistic health and integrative nutrition before they get too far deep. I believe this should be something everyone is educated on at an early age so they can take the necessary steps in bettering their lives.