People often ask why I do what I do. “How did you get into this?” they will ask.
Here it is.. My story, if you will. It’s what inspires me each day to do the work I do…
I grew up in Brooklyn, one of six siblings. In short, my family of origin was one of dysfunction, chaos, poverty, and abuse. My father was mentally unwell, while my mother picked up the slack, working tirelessly to support six kids, earning a teaching degree at night, taking on more than two jobs at once, slowly digging us out of poverty, and used the means she had to get through. Her bike was the family’s main means of transportation, with a couple kids on the back, in the basket, handle bars, on her head. We made it work
I’m not gonna sugar coat it. Life in that environment was tough. I look back now and see it as one of the greatest blessings, but at the time it was hardly so.
As any child lacking the critical thinking capabilities and proper mechanisms to process chaos, I sought to find control wherever I could. For me, that became food, and manifested as eating disorders, compulsive and emotional eating, addiction to laxatives, body dysmorphia, an extremely unhealthy relationship to food, and an even worse relationship to my body.
Food was the most viable source of control I had at the time, as much a source of pleasure as it was pain. It was the outlet for my emotions. It got me, understood me, immediately comforted me, and then let me down.
In an effort to feel better by looking skinnier in order to be worthy of love, I’d jumped from one diet to the next, restrict food and then binge, hate myself for lack of self-control, and became addicted to laxatives. I had zero self-confidence. More so, my body was in state of dis-ease with chronic eczema, asthma, allergies and frequent bronchitis.
Until one day…
I had a life-changing a-ha moment! You know those blink of an eye instances when things just pivot and you start seeing with a crystal clarity you hadn’t had prior? That’s what this was for me- “Natural Cures They Don’t Want you to Know About,” by Kevin Trudeau. It instantaneously changed my thinking and eating habits. And just like that, initiated by my willingness to change my relationship to food, my healing journey began.
Within days of eating healthier and cutting out harsh, processed foods, I began to experience the powerful effects of naturally healing my body from the inside out. For the first time ever, I had relief from eczema and allergies without steroidal pharmaceuticals! I had energy, focus, clarity, and most importantly confidence that I had never felt before. This was life-changing!
I began experiencing a new sense of control, a deeply transformative feeling of empowerment that was very new to me. I was taking my life and health into my own hands! It was from this place where I realized the importance of not only healing my physical body, but my emotional body, as well. I knew I had two choices:
1. Continue carrying around my childhood story and feeling victim to it OR
2. Leverage the negative, see it for the gift it truly is, and turn it into a positive.
Needless to say, I chose the latter and made a powerful decision to begin taking responsibility for my life and for my happiness, because no one was going to do it for me. I made a commitment to my healing, personal growth, and spiritual-emotional transformation. And as my relationship to food slowly healed, so did the relationship to my body, followed by the relationship to my mind, my soul and consequently my life.
I know the purpose of particularly challenging circumstance is for the divine assignments those situations offer. We learn and grow from the pain, gain insight and wisdom through the struggle, and when the time comes, accept the assignment as teacher to inspire others.
It didn’t take long for me to realize I needed to share these gifts and insights with the world.
After I received my Teaching Degree from Brooklyn College in 2012, I went on to get certified in Integrative Nutritional Health Coaching through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where my growth and healing was unleveled a thousand percent. I discovered a life-changing methodology to healing my relationship to food, that literally changed everything for me. I now, not only, have the healthiest relationship to food, healthiest relationship to my body, healthiest relationship to my mind than I’ve ever had in my entire life, but I get to impart this wisdom onto others.
Throughout the past 15+ years of my personal journey, I’ve immersed myself in vast spiritual teachings, dove deep into personal and professional development courses, invested in many mentors, and as a life-long learner committed to this journey of self-progression, I continue learning.
Bringing these skills, tools, insight, knowledge, and methodology to my clients, I teach people the powerful healing effects of real food, nourishment of the mind, body, soul through sacred self-care, and the transformation that is possible when you set your mind toward willingness and a desire to heal.
…Our struggles truly are our greatest teachings, because without them, we wouldn’t find ourselves, we’d remain blocked from our truth, and others would never get to experience the inspiration from our triumph…
Share in the comments below. What’s a struggle you overcame and how were you a better person because of it?