Helping you make lasting lifestyle changes
My passion
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I am a devoted life learner - always expanding my knowledge and making connections among ideas and concepts. I love “translating” the scientific literature into practical ideas and healthy behaviors. And I love seeing how often this corresponds to the wisdom handed down by ancient traditions around the world.
I am especially fascinated with the psychology of behavior change, and how we can harness the power of our mind, our heart, and our environment to help us create and maintain a healthy, fulfilling life. And I love that seemingly small, incremental changes, over time, compound to big results!
I am also passionate about the interdependence of our health, the health of our communities, and that of the earth, with a particular focus on regenerative agriculture and the urgency of re-building our food system from the bottom up.
My health background
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Like nearly everyone today, I have been touched by health issues. My mother died of breast cancer at the age of fifty-three. This was a pivotal moment for me, losing someone so close. I was studying for my Master's in Public Health, so I threw myself into researching what may have contributed to her disease - I wanted to know how to protect myself and others. This was the beginning of my health quest.
I became interested in environmental causes of cancer, especially pesticides. I wanted to talk about safer alternatives, and so I needed to understand how these actually worked. I completed the excellent apprenticeship program at the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.
Learning how to work with the miracle of Nature in growing food, it seemed only logical to apply the same principle to our own health.
Later, I turned my research skills towards my own health challenges. These have included chronic yeast infections, and frequent colds and bacterial infections. Heavy metal toxicity. A serious mold exposure causing fevers, chemical sensitivity, and an ongoing sensitivity to everyday mold exposures.
And finally, a very stressful event lead to a cascade of symptoms: overwhelming fatigue; restless legs and difficulty sleeping, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, and sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from things like cell phones, WiFi, and household electricity.
My healing journey...
I have made many changes in diet, lifestyle and mindset that have been pivotal in my healing.
Diet and lifestyle changes
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Eating a low carb diet with lots of organic vegetables, healthy fats from avocados, coconuts, seeds and nuts, grass fed or pastured meat and eggs, and wild caught fish. I was vegetarian for fifteen years, and have a lot of sympathy for the motivations behind this choice. When done well, it can work for some, but it doesn’t work for my body.
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Calming my nervous system through a variety of practices, including meditation, breathing, Qigong, yoga nidra, and amygdala retraining (what I call "mind coaching").
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Eliminating as many sources of toxic exposures as possible, including cleaning and body care products, household items and furnishings, and sources of electromagnetic radiation.
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I am still rebuilding my stamina, but I walk and do Qigong every day and have started strength training.
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Various energy healing techniques have been a gentle yet extremely powerful addition to my toolbox.
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
Many of the keys to regenerative healing for me have been deep changes in mindset:
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Moving from resistance to acceptance of my condition gave me permission to slow down and give my body the rest it needed to heal.
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Shifting from feeling broken to seeing the absolute miracle of my own being-ness with gratitude for how much my body has given me.
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Changing from limiting questions such as “why me?” to “What can I do to support my health?”
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Seeing Nature on my side and surrendering to allow it to work through me.
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Recognizing that stress and trauma don’t arise from my life circumstances but rather my perception of these events and the stories I tell myself about them.
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Acknowledging the many limiting beliefs and behaviors based on these stories, and gently and loving working to heal them. And then repeating...
Mindset Changes
It has not always been a linear path - there have been a number of switchbacks. But, like peeling an onion, every layer is getting me closer to my center.
In so many ways, I am healthier now than I have ever been. My diet has expanded to include many healthy foods that previously would have triggered symptoms. I have a nutrient protocol that stops the restless legs. I rarely have symptoms from chemical, electromagnetic, or mold exposures. Colds are rare and mild.
A s an eternal optimizer, there are so many things I am still working to improve! I think of health as a journey with lots of landmarks to be celebrated, but no final destination. After all, our bodies, life circumstances, and environment are always changing, requiring us to learn new skills and grow.
My Gratitude
I am very fortunate to have not made this journey alone. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have, and continue, to support me:
My brilliant and creative husband, who, among many other things, re-wired the whole house (for EMR) and has never wavered in his belief in me. My funny, wise, and gentle son who provides encouragement, video editing and expert technical support. My most dear and precious cat friends whose love, life, and passing are teaching me many powerful lessons about the nature of the Universe. My father who shared with me the magic of Nature, and how to approach life with curiosity and questions. My mother who believed in me and showed me it’s okay to go your own way.
All my dear friends who listened and gave their support in so many ways. A mentor who asked me the powerful question “do you see yourself well?”. My compassionate and insightful naturopath. Thoughtful and creative mind coaches. Incredibly gifted and caring energy healers. Many guides.
The sun, the birds, the trees, the ground beneath my feet. I am blessed.
Now I am coming full circle, giving back by sharing my knowledge and experience with others who are in need of support.
Tell me about you!
There are many universal principles, and also infinite ways in which we are each unique - our bodies, our history, our lifestyle, our environment. Tell me about your health concerns and goals. I can guide you in exploring what gives your life meaning, what works best for you, and help you to create lasting, effective lifestyle changes.