Functional Nutrition Counselor | Postpartum Doula | Holistic Chef 4

At the same time, I was navigating my own health challenges.

For much of my life, I experienced episodes of fainting, along with headaches, fatigue, dizziness, allergies, digestive issues, and symptoms that often felt disconnected from one another. Like many people searching for answers, I spent years trying to understand what was happening and how all the pieces fit together.

After one fainting episode resulted in a car accident, I realized I needed to take a deeper look at my health. That experience eventually led me to work with a Functional Medicine practitioner, where I was introduced to a different way of thinking about health. Instead of looking at each symptom separately, we started looking for patterns and connections.

My Journey to Functional Nutrition

The Seeds Were Planted Early

My journey into functional nutrition started long before I knew there was a name for it.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of spending summers in peach orchards and in the kitchen with my mom. We made glistening strawberry and peach jam, baked sourdough bread, and filled the house with the smell of simmering fruit, peach peels, and boiling pectin. I loved watching simple ingredients transform into something nourishing and delicious.

My mom had a way of weaving nourishment into everyday food. It wouldn't just be chocolate chip cookies; it would be chocolate chip oatmeal carrot cookies.

Functional Nutrition Counselor | Postpartum Doula | Holistic Chef 7

Over the years, I've come to believe that many people are carrying around symptoms that have become so normal they stop questioning them. They've been told they're getting older, stressed, busy, or that their labs are "normal," yet they still don't feel like themselves.

I know what it's like to feel frustrated, exhausted, and stuck searching for answers.

What I've learned is that symptoms are often important clues. When we take the time to step back and look at the bigger picture, we can begin to identify patterns that may be contributing to how we feel. Digestion, nutrition, stress, sleep, lifestyle, and daily habits all influence one another, and meaningful change often comes from understanding those connections.

Today, I bring together my background as a chef, my training as a Functional Nutrition Counselor, and my own experience navigating chronic symptoms to help women better understand their bodies and make informed choices about their health.

Functional Nutrition Counselor | Postpartum Doula | Holistic Chef 3

Over the next twenty years, I worked as a chef, pastry chef, business owner, and culinary educator. I spent countless hours in kitchens learning about ingredients, flavor, fermentation, and the ways food brings people together. At my bakery, I made naturally fermented sourdough breads using live cultures and traditional methods. Food was always at the center of my life.

Over the years, my work expanded beyond restaurants and bakeries. I taught cooking classes, helped families learn how to prepare nourishing meals, and guided people in creating practical kitchen routines that fit their lives. Whether I was teaching meal prep, helping someone navigate food sensitivities, or showing a family how to make healthy meals feel approachable, I found myself drawn to the same question: How do we make nourishment realistic and sustainable in everyday life?

That question followed me into my work as a postpartum doula. Inspired by books like The Continuum Concept and Spiritual Midwifery, I was drawn to a model of care that viewed birth, motherhood, and healing as deeply human experiences that thrive in the presence of nourishment, connection, and support. I spent time helping new mothers rest, recover, and care for themselves and their families during a season of life that often asks so much of women. It reinforced something I had already begun to see throughout my own journey: health is shaped not only by what we eat, but also by how we live, the support we receive, and the environment we create around ourselves.

.

Functional Nutrition Counselor | Postpartum Doula | Holistic Chef 5

For years, I struggled with symptoms that affected my daily life, but many of my appointments ended the same way: my labs were normal, nothing appeared to be wrong, and I was left without a clear explanation for why I didn't feel well.

While I was grateful whenever a test ruled out something serious, I often left feeling frustrated. I wasn't looking for something to be wrong with me. I was looking for answers that could help me understand what I was experiencing and what I could do to move forward.

What I learned is that normal lab results don't always mean someone feels well, and a diagnosis alone doesn't always provide a roadmap. Knowing what something is called and understanding why it developed are not always the same thing.

As I searched for answers, I became increasingly interested in the patterns behind symptoms and the everyday factors that influence health. I wanted to understand not only what was happening in my body, but what I could do about it.

I spent years researching, experimenting, and learning. I explored different ways of eating, worked with a variety of practitioners, and studied herbs, nutrition, and the relationship between food and health. Whether I was in the kitchen, the garden, or reading the latest book on digestion and wellness, I found myself asking the same questions: What helps the body function well? What supports healing? And why do some approaches work for one person but not another?

My background as a chef only deepened that curiosity. I wanted to understand not just how to prepare food, but how different foods, herbs, and ingredients support the body. I became fascinated by the connection between what we eat, how we live, and how we feel.

Functional Nutrition Counselor | Postpartum Doula | Holistic Chef 8

My goal isn't perfection.

My goal is to help you feel heard, supported, and empowered with a practical plan that fits your life.

Because you deserve more than a list of symptoms.

You deserve to understand your story.

Functional Nutrition Counselor | Postpartum Doula | Holistic Chef 6

Over time, those interests came together and eventually led me to Functional Nutrition—a field that combines my love of food, my lifelong interest in herbs and healing, and my desire to help people better understand their bodies.

Today, I help women who feel stuck in a similar cycle of symptoms, confusion, and conflicting advice. Many of my clients are dealing with digestive issues, low energy, cravings, poor sleep, stress, or the feeling that they're doing everything right but still don't feel their best.

Afterward, we shared a meal made from ingredients grown on the farm. I remember asking endless questions. It was unlike anything I had eaten before. Most of the meals I grew up with followed a familiar formula: a meat, a vegetable, and a starch. This meal was different. There was a cucumber, tomato, feta, and quinoa salad, fresh garden greens, homemade bread, hummus, fried eggplant, and herbs woven throughout the dishes.

It was the first time I remember experiencing a meal where plants weren't just a side dish—they were the star of the plate. Everything was colorful, flavorful, and surprisingly satisfying. Looking back, it expanded my understanding of what food could be and sparked a curiosity that would continue to shape my life and career.

On the drive home, my mom and I couldn't stop talking about everything we had seen and learned that day. We had both left with a new spark. I asked her to take me to the library so I could check out books on herbs, and that curiosity never left me.

Food, plants, and healing continued to weave their way through my life.

Around the same time, another experience sparked a different kind of curiosity.

When I was fourteen, I visited a small family herb farm with my mother. While she attended a Reiki session, I joined a nature walk where we learned to identify medicinal plants and herbs. I tasted a persimmon straight off the tree for the first time and later stepped into a small apothecary lined with jars of dried herbs and tinctures. I was completely captivated.

"Looking back, I can see that she planted many of the seeds that would later grow into my interest in nutrition and cooking."