I have been the proud owner and CEO of TrueSelf TotalHealth for 10 years assisting and guiding people who have forgotten, or perhaps have never learned, how to stay healthy and balanced.  I am a transformational coach with an emphasis on mindset and lifestyle including:

Total Health

SLEEP & REST

NUTRITION & HYDRATION 

EXERCISE & MOVEMENT

STRESS & RESILIENCE

ENVIRONMENT & SELF-CARE

True Self

FUN & RECREATION

RELATIONSHIPS & COMMUNITY

CAREER & PERSONAL GROWTH

In simple terms I help you bridge the gap between knowing how to be healthy and creating sustainable behavior change to actually get healthy and more importantly staying healthy using a functional health approach.

Though the role of a health coach doesn’t include diagnosing illnesses or prescribing treatment, being trained in the Functional Health approach allows coaches to integrate seamlessly within a collaborative, Functional healthcare team. The Functional approach, when used in health coaching, supports clients’ ability to function as a whole rather than focus on one specific symptom or behavior to the neglect of others.

I have the skills, training, and tools to help you balance your health and transform your life by meeting you where you are to get you where you want to be.  My approach is to provide my clients with the skills and resources to make sustainable changes in a manner and pace that is comfortable, affordable, and practical.

I am the proud creator and host of the popular Your Life In Balance Summit; an event that included 17 thought leaders who provided  resources and practical information and strategies to create balance and flow in your life and a life full of joy, vibrant health, energy, prosperity, and fulfillment of your potential.

All too often, we think of a healthy lifestyle as “either/or”.  Either we’re leading a healthy life–or we’re not.

We put so much pressure on ourselves and with the very best of intentions, we complicate what should be simple, almost beyond our ability to bear it.

“OH, I’M FINE, THANKS.”

My own story began when I graduated with a degree in accounting (believe it or not!) and quickly moved up the banking and insurance ladder in the Washington, DC area. If you asked me how I was doing, I’d immediately say “Oh, I’m fine, thanks.”

But the truth was that I never really felt GREAT. A life centered only around work left me feeling stale. I got through the days, crashed at the end of the week, and subsisted on the standard American diet without really thinking much about it. I started looking for ways to get back to that great “I can do anything!” feeling that I still remembered, and thus began my own research into healthier lifestyle choices/

FINDING WHAT WORKS BEST

I gradually transitioned from a pretty typical American way of eating, with lots of meat and dairy, to a focus on fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. I felt better and better, started getting my mojo back, and eventually settled on a mostly raw diet, which is what works best for me. I believe each of us has to find the answer that works best for us. It’s not one size fits all. Eating meat’s right for some, vegan or vegetarian or raw food works best for others. In fact, lots of folks move back and forth depending on what’s working for them at that particular moment.

I also gradually realized that too many high-powered days in my executive office routinely ended with that flat, no-energy, weight-of-the-world-on-my-shoulders feeling that probably feels pretty familiar to you, too. And with that realization began my journey to find ways to stay active, to exercise restoratively, in ways that felt natural, comfortable and were kind to my body. That led me to explore yoga and Pilates.

FROM PERSONAL TO PROFESSIONAL

Over time, I started accumulating professional health and wellness credentials as my interest in the “why” and not just the “what” deepened.

I became an RYT-500, the highest level of certification awarded by the blue-chip Yoga Alliance.

I studied practical nutrition education at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, earning a certificate in Advanced Whole Plant Food Education, and became a chef and educator in the art of raw food preparation. In addition, I am completing my certification at the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology, focusing on using food and complementary lifestyle changes to correct hormonal imbalances.

Finally, I earned a teaching certificate from the Natural Vision Center, specializing in practical techniques that improve vision without glasses, contacts or surgery.

MY BIGGEST SURPRISE

The biggest surprise about working towards a healthier lifestyle was how complicated everyone made it seem. Recipes with lots of ingredients and lots of prep and gadgets galore. Stuff I had to buy or hours at the gym just to get active.

I thought I was getting back to the true foundation of life–but it felt like a second job and a lot of shopping!

What I came to realize over time is that…

….simple and sustainable actions yield the most efficient and effective results.

And the whole point of thinking about it–indeed, the only reason to think about what and how we eat, how we stay active–is to make sure that we love how we feel, all day, every day, so we can do what we want to do in our lives.

Turns out, it’s not just about “healthy” vs “unhealthy” at all.

It’s just about…balance.

Balancing intuition about what feels good and right for our bodies, with intelligence about the latest science and research.

Balancing emotional and physical strength with flexibility and resilience.

And balancing rest with movement.