FIRST THINGS FIRST…

YOUR ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

It’s that simple, but it’s true! A phrase with quite a bit of history behind it, originating all the way back to 1826. In the 1960’s, the phrase became known as a hippy slogan for healthy eating! Having grown up with this phrase myself, I have adopted it as part of my philosophy for living a healthy and well life! So what does that mean to you? Simply put, eat real, whole food that is high quality and nutrient dense! If it’s made in a lab or has an enormous shelf life, then don’t eat it, plain and simple! Instead, eat lots of the real stuff. Eat fresh veggies, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, safe grains, healthy fats and good clean sources of protein. Real food is medicine! Think of real food as your “medicine chest” full of vitamins and minerals. Real food is meant to heal the body and sustain it, naturally. Stay away from the fake, icky, processed stuff and eat the good real stuff; and I promise you, you’ll be on your way to a much healthier you!

but wait, THE TRAIN DOESN’T STOP THERE - with my philosophy, I ALSO BELIEVE…

• YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK & FEEL

• YOU ARE HOW YOU MOVE & REST

• YOU ARE THE ENVIRONMENT YOU LIVE IN

• YOU ARE THE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH

• AND YOU ARE WHAT YOU CONTRIBUTE BACK TO THE WORLD…YOUR PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE!

MY “WHOLE LIVING” PHILOSOPHY.

I take it beyond food. While what you eat is important, it’s not just about diet; it’s also about a positive balanced lifestyle. You are a whole living, breathing, human being with a soul, a mind, a heart, emotions, and a heck of a lot of other stuff going on in today’s world. All of these factor in and are connected, which contributes to your well being. And when one of these is out of whack, your wellness is affected. If everything is in balance and working well, then you have a recipe for a whole and healthy life! So yes, eat well, but also think well, feel well, move and rest well, be conscious of what you put on your skin, live in a healthy environment with positive people and give back to the world with your purpose, your gift, and your energy; and you will have an amazing and well life! I know, it has been by living this philosophy, that I have made my life whole, healthy, passionate, joyful, grateful and fulfilling!

My Journey To Health

BLAME IT ON MY HUSBAND…

My journey to health began at age 20 when my husband (boyfriend at the time) gave me an ultimatum. I had developed a horrible eating disorder when I was 15 and had been struggling with it for 5 years. Seeing the destruction it was causing me and on our relationship, he wanted nothing to do with it. If I wanted a relationship with him, I had to ditch my relationship with my disorder. Might I add that he actually saved my life with that ultimatum, which I am forever grateful! I was in a very dark place, desperately afraid of food and treated it as my enemy; so in order to change my ways, I made a deal with myself…as long as I ate healthy food, it could become my friend. And so the journey began!

ENTER LIBRARY CARD CATALOG…

Mind you, there was no internet or google back in the 80’s so off to the library I went. I poured myself over stacks and stacks of books, articles, magazines…anything to educate me and heal my body. And I did! I became pretty darn healthy and found a love for cooking. I had always been into physical fitness, a gym rat since the age of 16, so combined with my new eating habits, my health was pretty spot on! As the years flew by and I became a mom of 2 beautiful children, I became even more passionate about nutrition and health, so I continued to educate myself. I researched anything and everything in the health industry from A to Z. I read books from experts like Deepak Chopra, David Wolfe, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Ann Wigmore, Joel Fuhrman MD, Andrew Weil MD, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Mark Hyman to name a few. I began juicing when it was still the “hippy” thing to do, although I used to get a lot of weird looks and comments from people who didn’t understand my love and desire for health.

HELLO FLU…

A few months prior to turning 40, while actually celebrating my husbands birthday with our first trip to Las Vegas, we got the flu sending us home. It was so bad that we both were literally camping out on the floor and sofa of our family room while tag teaming taking our kids to and from school and activities and managing our business. And then it happened…my asthma escalated and I stopped breathing, sending me to the ER. Quite a frightening experience to say the least, being rushed by ambulance, feeling as if I was drowning and not knowing if I was going to live. After being released from the hospital, I was sent home with what I remember to be about 7 different medications. I was a walking pharmacy. I hated being on all the meds and being so fragile and weak. This time with the help of the internet and google, I began my research to get off all the meds. And so at 40, I learned about the nasty’s of dairy, its connection to asthma and became dairy free.

ONE MORE HURDLE…

I was able to go off all of my medications with the exception of my rescue inhaler, and I enjoyed the affects of living healthy and dairy free for about several years. I juiced everyday, ate a mostly medium to high raw food vegan diet and steered clear of most processed food while cutting down on gluten. (A quick so sorry, shout out to my husband, kids and any friends who ventured into our household during those days and had to listen to all of my unsolicited advise!) I felt so dang healthy that I rarely got sick during those years. Better yet, 5 of those years, I burned the candle at both ends working 2 jobs and being around hundreds of kids during the flu and cold season. Then, convinced that my husband and son had developed a gluten sensitivity, I had my family tested and I was the lucky one diagnosed with Celiac Disease. (Disclaimer: Both my son and daughter eventually tested positive for Celiac.) At that time, my doctor informed me of the seriousness of my disease (a precursor for some forms of cancer and other autoimmune diseases). Since cancer runs in my family on both sides and I have lost several relatives over the years to it, I took my new diagnosis more serious than anything I ever had; and again, researched and educated myself about Celiac Disease and most importantly about cancer prevention. And of course, I became gluten free.

Unfortunately, during my peri-menopause/menopause phase, Histamine Intolerance/MCAS and Angioedema reared its ugly head, but through extensive research, nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle medicine, I have conquered its challenges and manage it well. And I am happy to say that to this day, I continue to educate myself in all areas of health and aging through continued education & research, medical articles & journals, summits, podcasts, conventions, books, websites, seminars…the list goes on and on. It has become my true passion.

MY MISSION…

I truly believe my mission in this life is to help inspire, educate, advocate, mentor, encourage and most importantly to empower those beautiful souls that are struggling with the challenges of chronic disease and age related issues. Our bodies are designed to heal; and I want to be that cheerleader that holds the hands of those souls and help them reclaim their health and life, so they can live it fully!

My daddy once said to me, “Michelle, life is for the living”. He went on to explain that we all need to live our lives to the fullest…mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Unfortunately, it pains me to say that I lost my father to cancer at 77 years young. Since his passing, I have dedicated my life to serve and help those suffering in honor of my amazing father, as I so wish I would have had the opportunity to help him in his time of need! So, as he once said to me, and now I choose to say: Life is for the Living, So lets get out there and make sure to live it ….. Younger, Stronger, Longer!

THANK YOU SO MUCH…

If you have read this far, I want to personally thank you so much for taking the time to read about myself, my philosophy and my story. I’m so happy you are here! I would love the opportunity to serve you and help guide you on your journey to health so that you can feel younger, get stronger and live longer, whether dealing with a chronic disease or the challenges of aging. Just click the coaching link above to get started! And if you’re already a health warrior and not in need of my services, no worries… I would still love to get to know you; so be sure to visit me with your comments and thoughts on my contact page and follow me on Instagram and Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you. Be well!!

xXoO Michelle