My Story

 

EATING CLEAN AND HEALTHY ISN’T EASY. IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING, OVERWHELMING, CONFUSING, AND DIFFICULT TO STAY ON TRACK WITH A BUSY LIFESTYLE.

I KNOW FIRST HAND AND AM HERE TO HELP OTHERS ACHIEVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR LOVED ONES.

I spent years obsessing about my weight and what I ate, going back to my childhood years.  I used food as comfort during my teenage years and suffered from digestive and skin issues that continued into adulthood.  In college I jumped on the low-fat bandwagon as so many of us did and wondered why I had low energy and couldn’t attain a comfortable weight. Then came a career that often demanded late nights, weekends, travel and big work dinners.  

As much as I tried to eat “healthy,” I found myself developing habits that were anything but; I used food, caffeine, sugar and alcohol as a means to manage high stress levels.  I skipped workouts from lack of sleep. While at the time I believed my diet was healthy, I was in reality naive on the impact of food and lifestyle on my body, no thanks to stories and promotions flooding the media. My dissatisfaction and quite frankly, obsession with my weight greatly hindered my self-confidence.  

In 2010 I went through a stressful period in my life that included the birth of our third child and a move to a new city with no family and few friends.  If that wasn’t enough, I started my new role at work in December, just two weeks after moving.

While my intuition told me that our new home in Minnesota was indeed a much better quality of life for our family, I underestimated the impact that the stress would have on me, especially without longtime friends or family nearby.  

It was after being introduced to Warren King, L.Ac that I learned about the role that food, herbs, supplements and homeopathic remedies have in healing.  Warren helped me through a difficult period and revealed my confidence that I would come out stronger in the end.

Soon after I found I was able to wean off my anti-anxiety medicine and calm the eczema issues that had persisted for over two decades; it was Warren who enlightened me about the key role that our gut has on our health.

My journey to health and happiness is one that has evolved over the past 20 years.  I didn’t start eating the way I do today over night. My approach with clients is similar to my own personal journey; adopt small changes to your diet and lifestyle, so that little by little they become a new habit you accomplish with pleasure and gratitude.

 
 
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Listen to my podcast with Marnie Dachis Marmet - The Art of Living Well Podcast.

 
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BASED ON YOUR PERSONALIZED PLAN AND GOALS, I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE PRACTICAL TOOLS AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO MAKE MORE INFORMED FOOD AND LIFESTYLE CHOICES FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

LET ME HELP YOU TO CREATE YOUR HEALTHIEST AND BEST SELF EVER . . . IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT YOU’LL HAVE FOR A LIFETIME.

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I am a board certified Integrative Health Practitioner and holistic health coach who guides and empowers women to feel amazing in their own skin and take control of their own health and happiness. As a health and wellness coach, I am passionate about helping women make real changes so that they can thrive, feel their best and live their best life. I inspire and guiding women to trust their intuition, cut through the BS, ditch the diet culture and create a personalized wellness plan for life. I help women who desire a balanced life in mind, body and spirit but are unsure how to make this happen for them.

Prior to discovering my passion as a holistic health coach, I spent nearly 18 years in the corporate world and understand first-hand the challenges of maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle while juggling a successful career and family.   My passion for wellness led me to become a health coach so that I could help other high-achieving and driven women prioritize their health to improve their energy, eat cleaner and integrate simple and sustainable healthy habits.

I am also the co-founder of The Art of Living Well Podcast and community which I created with a co-host to empower you to live your happiest, healthiest and most authentic life. Each Wednesday we bring you inspiring and motivating conversations to help you find more joy and purpose in your life. We feature candid interviews with amazing experts (including ourselves)  and dive deep into health and wellness topics including fitness, mindset, food, travel, product reviews and strategies. We offer a variety of community based programs and workshops focused on a mind, body spirit approach to wellness and motivate others to take charge of their own health.  Guests include nutritionist and biochemist Karen Hurd, cancer survivor and CEO of the Tea Spot, Maria Uspenski, Professional Organizer & author Michelle Vigg, Naturopath Dr. Stephen Cabral, college football and MN Vikings analyst Ben Leber, award-winning health journalist Pilar Gerasimo and many more.

As a married mother of three, I'm particularly interested in supporting families and children with learning how to fuel their body and their mind with delicious and nourishing foods.

I love staying active by doing a variety of fitness classes, playing tennis, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family and friends. I'm a graduate from John Carroll University where I earned my BSBA in Accounting.  

I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I learned innovative coaching methods, practical lifestyle management techniques, and over 100 dietary theories; from Ayurveda, gluten-free, and Paleo, to raw, vegan, and macrobiotics, and everything in between.  Additionally, I continue to further my education and completed the IIN Hormone Health Course in January 2018 and am ready to see clients who have needs in this area. Most recently, I became a certified yoga instructor and am currently offering private lessons for women to thrive through the amazing benefits of yoga postures, breath work and meditation.

 
 

My Training

My education has equipped me with extensive, cutting-edge knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and prevention. I was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods.  I also draw on my personal background, health transformation and experience in the corporate world to help my clients achieve their wellness goals.

I will help you to create a personalized plan to achieve your optimal health and happiness, one that fits your lifestyle.  By working together with me, you will develop a deeper understanding of the food and lifestyle choices that work best for you, improving your energy, balance, health, and happiness.

Each session will leave you feeling inspired and motivated. We will talk about things beyond food, seeking to bring balance to important elements of your life such as love and relationship as well as career and money. I will personally and carefully guide you to make simple, small changes that transform your life.

You can learn more about my training at the Institute of Integrated Nutrition website.

I have also studied hormone health through the Institute of Integrated Nutrition website.

I have studied under Dr. Stephen Cabral and am a board certified level 1 and 2 Integrative Health Practitioner . Additionally, in the spring of 2021 I completed my 235 hour yoga teacher training through Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness and am a RYT 200 certified teacher.

I have studied with the world's top health and wellness experts including:

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

  • 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

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

  • 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 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

  • Frank Lipman, MD, expert in the fields of Integrative and Functional Medicine and founder and director of the Eleven Wellness Center in New York City

 

My Approach

I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means that I look at how all areas of your life are connected.   A healthy and balanced life is more than eating nutritious food and exercise. Although both of those are important, my personal belief is that everything in your life is connected.

Does stress at your job or in your relationship cause you to overeat? Does lack of sleep or low energy prevent you from exercising? As we work together, we will look at how all parts of your life affect your health as a whole.  My approach is not to dwell on calories, carbs, fats and proteins. It is not to create lists of restrictions or good and bad foods, nor is it about deprivation. Instead, I work with my clients to create the optimal self you desire in a way that is flexible, fun and rewarding.

Together we’ll work to reach your health goals in areas such as achieving optimal weight, reducing food cravings, increasing sleep, and maximizing energy. As we work together, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the food and lifestyle choices that work best for you and implement lasting changes that will improve your energy, balance and health.

What works for your friend or family member may not be the right approach for you; everyone is unique. By working together, we will develop a customized plan that takes into account your unique physical, emotional and lifestyle factors in order to lead you to a lifetime of positive change.  

Most approaches to healthy eating dwell on calories, carbohydrates , fats and proteins.  Instead of creating lists of restrictions and good and bad foods, I coach my clients to explore basic improvements and implement gradual changes during our work together.

 
 

With my knowledge of numerous dietary theories, I will create personalized plans based on your goals to help you achieve your ideal vision of health and lifestyle.

 
 

Integrative Nutrition® Plate

The Integrative Nutrition Plate emphasizes the importance of local and organic produce, whole grains, high-quality proteins, plant-based fats, and water. It shows you how a plate should appear at mealtime and emphasizes the importance of proportions and portion size. To complete the picture, the plate is surrounded with lifestyle factors that create optimal health: relationship, career, physical activity and spirituality. I’ll introduce you to some of the healthiest foods on the planet and teach you how to find what’s healthiest for your unique body!

Primary Food™

It’s easy to overlook all of the things that contribute to our sense of nourishment and fulfillment. It’s not just the food we eat that affects our health, but all of the other factors present in our daily lives. Healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, regular physical activity, and a spiritual awareness are essential forms of nourishment. When these “primary foods” are balanced, what you eat becomes secondary. I will support you in achieving all of your goals, from eating the right foods for your body to living an inspired, fulfilling life.

Bio-Individuality™

The concept of bio-individuality is the idea that each of us has unique food and lifestyle needs. One person’s food is another person’s poison, and that’s why fad diets tend to fail in the long run. Working on the principle of bio-individuality, I’ll support you to make positive changes that are based on your unique needs, lifestyle, preferences, and ancestral background.

Deconstructing Cravings

Cravings play a critical role in understanding what your body needs and shouldn’t be ignored. When you learn how to deconstruct your cravings and understand what they’re really telling you, you will be able to reclaim a sense of balance and harmony.

Crowding Out

Many nutrition experts give their clients a list of foods to avoid and foods to eat, which explains why so many people are turned off by nutrition. My approach is different – by eating and drinking foods that are good for you, you will naturally have less room and desire for unhealthy foods. Simply put, you will “crowd out” the unhealthy food in your diet. This takes a little practice to make happen, but I will support you all the way.