My Personal Journey to Becoming Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition®

Born and raised 20 minutes north of Boston, I attended college at the University of Massachusetts with a major in nursing and a minor in psychology. Like it was yesterday . . .  I vividly recall being drawn to learn about health and the human body at a very young age. I also remember how much I truly enjoyed taking the initiative to help others. For instance, I remember at age four handing my grandfather his cane - taking his other hand - and telling him it was time for his walk. That said, my desire to someday work in the healthcare field did not fully develop until a few years later when I witnessed my grandmother painfully suffer and die from her battle with stomach cancer. So, you can only imagine when I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, and then soon after went a step further to become certified in Oncology, how I truly thought all my dreams had come true; that I was going to live my life helping others achieve a cancer-free life.

​

Within weeks of receiving my certification, I landed a position in one of the best teaching hospitals in Boston. I was working on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit as well as the Oncology/Hematology Units. At the time, I believed I had reached my ultimate career goal. In retrospect, all I can honestly say is that I received quite a wake-up call instead.

 

Sadly, I observed many patients return . . . more times than not, their condition, worse than the first time. As I started to question and research every single drug, their actions and interactions, and then all the side effects, I grew more and more disenchanted and disheartened by allopathic medicine and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole. I realized, that by administering chemotherapy (a toxic poison) into the human body, the stage was being set for a complete immune system crash. I experienced firsthand how chemotherapy and pharmaceuticals can be more harmful, damaging, and devastating to EVERY biological system (sometimes beyond repair) than you can bear to imagine.

​

I endured many sleepless nights just thinking to myself, “there has to be a better way.” I knew I was never going to find the answers I was desperately seeking if I kept swimming in the same pool of insanity; therefore, I decided to leave nursing and the whole field of conventional medicine entirely.

​

Not long after, I became certified as a Personal Fitness Trainer. I found it to be a fitting short-term career change strategy that came naturally to me - especially since I have always been very disciplined and passionate about exercise. Overall, I love that it gave me the extra time to seek and find my true calling. It was the perfect transitional road - after my awakening to the truth - that ultimately guided me to the straight path. My quest for a preventative and holistic approach to true health, wellness, and longevity was finally in sight.

​

Throughout my journey, with all life’s twists and turns along the way, I never stopped searching for what it takes to have the capacity to naturally heal, reverse, and dramatically lessen the degree of disease in the body. I would ask, “if the human body has the ability to heal itself when given the right tools, then what are the most important building blocks and major players that make it all possible for the body to do so?”

 

I felt compelled to learn and seek out as much as I could about natural and whole food nutrition, Eastern and Ayurvedic herbal treatments, and holistic and alternative approaches to medicine. It became an addiction to say the least. I was utterly fascinated!

​

Lo and behold, it led me to the healing power of Holistic Nutrition - that which can nourish and feed our body, mind, and soul:

• On a physical level, it is respecting yourself enough to fuel your body with plenty of whole and organic foods, that have been grown and/or raised with love and kindness for our environment and the ecosystem.

• On an emotional and mental level, it is the power of positive thoughts creating new belief systems and behavioral patterns that serve you.

• Spiritually, it is trusting your creator and having faith in the power that is YOU.