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Nutrition Educator

Plant-Based Food Specialist

Nearly 11 years ago I embarked on a personal journey to address some minor yet life-altering health issues which doctors were either unable or unwilling to fix.  They merely prescribed medication without so much as the question, “What is your diet like?” It didn’t take long before I was fed up with taking meds I knew were unhealthy, had undesirable side effects, and did nothing to address the underlying causes.   At this point I took matters into my own hands and began researching health and disease.  The information I came across consistently related to food; that our diet is most often the cause of most afflictions from which people suffer in industrialized countries, not to mention the extra pounds most people seem to be carrying.  I thought I was a healthy eater, so this was very surprising to me.  However, the more I researched and looked at the actual science, I realized I was consuming anything but a healthy diet (I was naive and believed that olive oil, lean animal protein, lots of egg whites and low-fat dairy products were health-promoting).  Long story short – once I ceased taking any medications I knew weren’t helping, became an informed consumer, and changed my diet to one that comprised of primarily whole, plant-based foods – everything changed!  No longer do I suffer from migraines, insomnia, 3-4 colds a year (now its zero!), depression, horrible periods with an erratic menstrual cycle, and unexplained pain (diagnosed as Fibromyalgia). In addition to learning about the connection between disease and nutrition, I became sadly aware of the frighteningly deleterious effects raising animal foods has on our planet.  Thus began my quest to learn all I could about nutrition and health, hopeful that I would help others by empowering them to take control of their health as I did.   I LOVE cooking healthy, vegan foods and helping others do the same!  A few of my favorite things: animals – apes especially, as well as birds, doggies and kitties; spending time with my family; cooking and eating; sunshine; Hawaii; yoga and fitness; hiking; books; interior design; flowers; ladybugs, butterflies and dragonflies; trees; bourbon (guilty pleasure); tattoos (another guilty pleasure); listening to my amazing daughter Cambria sing http://soundcloud.com/cambriadetkeni; football (GO DENVER BRONCOS!)….just to name a few!

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