I didn’t dream of becoming a Naturopathic Nutritional Consultant when I was a kid. It took quite a journey to get here—from art school to taking random jobs that let me live in foreign countries without yet speaking their languages, to eventually moving to the Amazon rainforest. But food has always had a prominent place in my life, sometimes bordering on obsession.
In my mid-thirties, I frequently found myself suffering from intense intestinal pain and desperate for a good night’s sleep. That’s when I turned to a Traditional Chinese Doctor. He ordered some blood tests and asked me about my diet. He explained the results like this: “You may look young on the outside, but inside, you’re like a 50-year-old woman.” He put me on a detox diet, and within a week, I was sleeping again.
Over time, I discovered that not just what I ate, but when I ate made a huge difference in how I felt. That’s when the seed of becoming a nutrition coach was planted. It took some time to grow, but while living in the jungle, I became a certified naturopathic nutritionist—with myself as my first patient.
Living in the rainforest was a unique experience: no fridge, no supermarkets, zero fashion, plenty of spiders and snakes, and houses with no locks on the doors. Panic attacks kicked in.
Fear, along with food, had always been a close companion of mine. The jungle just brought us closer together. Looking back, I feel lucky that things escalated at that time because I finally had the tools to address the challenge. First, I worked with a great therapist to address emotional difficulties. Second, I adjusted my diet, which had slipped due to the challenges of isolated living in the Amazon. Once my diet was back on track, the panic became less heavy and it was much easier to confront deeper issues. Some time affter that, simple and affordable dietary tweaks also eliminated menstrual pain I’d endured for nearly 30 years!
So, am I in perfect health and brimming with energy today? Not yet. I still struggle to feel fully nourished here in the forest. Which may also be caused by another ongoing challenge which has been harder to solve: I’m considered underweight, even though I eat like a horse.
The reason I ended up at that Chinese doctor years ago was that I was trying to prove to the world I wasn’t anorexic, but simply a high metabolism girl-who loves to eat (especially pasta, cheese, veggies and chocolate chip cookies).
It hurts when people say there’s something wrong with your body, as if that means something is wrong with you. I let those words affect me so deeply that I made myself sick.
This is why I’m passionate about making everyone feel beautiful—whether you’re Round, square, triangle, pear-shaped, what truly matters is that you’re healthy enough to laugh, dance, and chase your dreams.
That said, I’m fed up with constantly being hungry and spending twice as much on groceries as my friends. My new frontier is figuring out what’s preventing me from gaining weight. You can (soon) follow this journey on my blog. If you’re facing a similar challenge, reach out—I’d love to have company on this path!
So, this is my food story. We all have one. Food isn’t just the stuff we eat. The food we’ve loved, the food we’ve hated—it’s part of our life journey. Our emotions and self-image are closely tied to our eating habits, which is why change can be so difficult. Learning this inspired me to train in health coaching, so I wouldn’t just know what people should eat to heal, but also how to help them implement the changes they need.
I hope that by sharing my story, I’ve helped you feel more at ease with yours. If you’d like support in changing your diet, reach out, and let’s work together to improve your health.
The term ‘Food Story’ was coined by Ian Rubin, who does amazing work helping professionals provide better support to their clients.
Read more about nutrition for: Women’s Health – Mental Health – Better Sleep – Detox Diets and Diet Advice.
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