My Story

I was in the medical field and I was sick. I sought treatment to help my situation and seemed to be worse than better.  I had severe colic as a baby and have been plagued with digestive issues, environmental and food allergies, arthritis for as long I can remember. I have had a love-hate relationship with food.  I love food, but for some reason, it doesn't like me!  I would either be inflamed or allergic to what I was putting in my body. I was consuming six to eight Advil tablets a day to manage the pain.  I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia after a car accident. I did not or could take the prescribed medication due to the many side-effects I experienced. This journey lead me to seek natural solutions for my health. For me, traditional remedies did not serve my body.  I was seeking to find solutions to feel better, release weight, and improve my overall well-being. This pursuit of better health led me to seek out natural solutions, essential oils, and the Institute for Integrated Nutrition (IIN). Today, I feel better and lost weight in the process!! The weight came off naturally, without starvation and deprivation. I am eager to share my experience and help others achieve their optimum health and wellness.

My Training

I graduated from Valencia College with an Associate Degree in Nursing. I studied and practiced adult family medicine, women's health, post-partum nursing, and critical care nursing.  I've been certified in CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and various critical care courses. Throughout my nursing career, I've had the pleasure to be a preceptor/mentor to students and new team members and served as an assistant head nurse.  I've opened nursing units, centers of excellence, and educated the community on cardiovascular disease. I was honored when I was nominated to be "Nurse of the Year" early on in my career.  I've cherished my time at the bedside, caring for patients and their families. My career evolved into healthcare marketing where I managed a large women's health membership program, along with managing several high-profile health events that targeted family care.  During those 30 years in a structured corporate healthcare arena, I felt like I was missing something. I was given the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and reinvent myself. I wanted to help people take back their health in a proactive approach.  I discovered and graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I learned innovative coaching methods, practical lifestyle management techniques, and over 100 dietary theories; everything from Ayurveda, gluten-free, and Paleo, to raw, vegan and macrobiotics, and everything in between.  

I Studied With:

• Joshua Rosenthal, founder, and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition

• Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

• Deepak Chopra, MD, leader in the field of mind-body medicine

• Dr. David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center

• Dr. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, chair of nutrition at Harvard University

• Gabrielle Bernstein, bestselling author, and life coach

• Susan Blum, MD, MPH, assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine

• Mark Hyman, MD, founder of The UltraWellness Center

• Geneen Roth, bestselling author, and expert on emotional eating

• David Avocado Wolfe, raw food leader, and nutrition expert

• Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor at New York University's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health

• Mark Bittman, food writer for the New York Times and bestselling author

• Joel Fuhrman, MD, family physician and leading expert on nutritional healing

• and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities