When I was 13, the ambulance rushed my mother to the hospital. We learned she had polyps in her esophagus and colon… and they’d ruptured. We also learned she had diabetes, depression, anxiety, Hepatitis C, and cirrhosis of the liver from years of alcohol abuse. I knew of my father’s addictions at an early age. Mom’s alcohol problem was unknown until the ambulance left our efficiency apartment.
As I cleaned up the bile around our home, I swore I’d never been in my parent’s situation.
I spent the next 15 years watching helplessly, as I lost BOTH of my parents and my only grandfather to diseases.
Stroke, diabetes, addiction, liver disease, emphysema—diseases easily curable WITHOUT medicine. Yet that’s not what happened. Amidst all the confusion and the naivety of my youth, Western Medicine and BigPharma won. I lost both of my parents by 28… neither of them were 50. My grandfather boasted he outlived everyone in his family, yet he was only 76 when a second stroke and emphysema took his life.
I knew there was a better way to live—COMPLEMENTING Western Medicine with Eastern Medicine; and doing it on a budget. I knew because I had experienced it in my OWN health issues and remissions.
Frankly, I never had financial resources for medication or fancy supplements or diets. I’ve been plant-based since ’94, when we only had tofu crumbles and a few processed options. I had no choice but to use Nature as a cure—that struggle’s been my greatest asset.
I was 200 pounds and 24 when my father died. I had acid reflux, hypothyroidism, and heart palpitations. My doctor prescribed medications; I begrudgingly took them while changing my diet, discovering iodine in seaweed, and having a consistent exercise routine. Within 2 years, I was off all medication, had lost 45 pounds, and had no palpitations or hypothyroidism. My doctor was baffled, but pleasantly surprised.
In 2007, I had my first of two rounds of kidney stones. The emergency room staff misdiagnosed me with a UTI, told me how to wipe myself, and sent home with painkillers. When a follow-up visit revealed kidney stones in both kidneys, the doctor sent me home with a strainer and a script to pass my stones. Instead, I went on a raw soup gall bladder cleanse for 2 weeks, saw an acupuncturist for herbs, and started my journey in the world of herbal medicine.
I refused to be as powerless with MY health as I was with my family’s. I’ve been free from medication for 20 years.
Those struggles became my Mission. I knew I had to help others live healthier lives, while also reducing our carbon footprints on this planet. It became a passion that has grown through the decades. Being healthy doesn’t have to be confusing.
Since 1995, I’ve studied Ayurveda, herbs and nutrition. On dad’s birthday 2005, I enrolled for my Master’s in Holistic Wellness. I also enrolled in a Reiki/herbal course in 2006, started an organic skincare company in 2007, and developed a plant-based meal delivery service in 2009. In 2013, I began teaching about Wellness in yoga studios, dojos, organic farms, libraries, and adult education programs.
I’ve worked for insurance companies, hospital physicians, and chiropractors. I’ve seen all sides of our “sickcare” system and understand how it works and why it doesn’t. I’ve watched medical and holistic trends come and go; my mission is to eliminate the confusion about being healthy.
I didn’t create my health and standard of living by accident, nor should you. An architect doesn’t hand a contractor a sketch of a home; they design it with detailed blueprints. My mission is to give you those blueprints: recipes and cooking demos; essential oil and herbal safety classes; Ayurveda, mindfulness, and transformation flagship courses.
If you’re ready to learn Empowerment, strength, and sympathy, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome, my friend.
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