My Story
I have been in your shoes.
I will take the time and effort to get to the root cause of what is going on inside your body.
Before
After
How I Lost 140 Pounds and Reclaimed My Health
I was once 320 pounds, struggling with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and more. But through determination, learning, and self-care, I turned my health around.
Early Struggles
I was a chubby kid, a victim of bullying in middle school for my weight. In high school, I watched all my friends have boyfriends. I remember my friend once telling me this guy would go out with me if I lost 15 pounds. I never focused on taking care of myself—even from a young age. I was the primary caregiver to my two sick parents by 15.
After having kids, I really started to put on weight.
Battling Weight and Health Issues
I was always interested in being healthy; I could just never get there or take the time to care for myself enough to get there. I lived a life of shame and felt like I had to prove myself in most situations. People think if you’re fat, you’re lazy. We are not lazy people!
I had some success, but then nothing I tried was sustainable, and I always gained the weight back. I read a lot of nutrition books and hired a coach who taught me how to lift weights, but I never stuck to anything. I knew how to cook and bake, but I focused more on foods that were not good for me. I wasn’t connecting dots or even thinking about how food could help me. Food was a pleasure to me, and it masked my pain from all my trauma, but I didn’t realize it.
Needless to say, I had not set up a healthy food environment in my home, and it had an effect on the rest of my family.
The Turning Point
I was flying a lot internationally for work, and it was hard to fit into the seat and buckle my belt. In 2018, I started to take a GLP-1. Shame drove my motivation to finally do something about my weight. It wasn’t sustainable; I lost about 50 pounds, but over five years, I gained most of it back. I weighed 320 pounds, the heaviest I’ve ever been.
I wasn’t well. I had hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and edema in my left ankle. I didn’t feel good, and I was on a lot of medication. I was 57, and both my parents died at 60—I was scared.
Learning to Take Control
Discovering New Information
I started to listen to podcasts about health and nutrition, and I started to learn some things. Despite being on tons of medications and seeing three to four regular doctors at that time, I was never told about how important sleep, food, light, water, and my nervous system were to total well-being (not necessarily in that order). I was also never told that any of my conditions were reversible.
I did not understand that I was accountable for my own health. I did not understand that what I was putting into my body was making me sick. Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming anyone. I just did not understand that I could be in control of my health.
I had outsourced that to the traditional medical system. But I started learning, and I trusted my intuition about who to follow, who to listen to, and what to read. I started to make changes.
The Changes That Changed My Life
Prioritizing Sleep
The first thing I did was to get more sleep—and better sleep.
I started going upstairs to bed at 9:00 pm and having a nice skincare routine. I bought a good air purifier for my room. I started to sleep well, tracked my sleep, and saw improvement in how I was feeling.
Personal Coaching and Self-Love
Then, I allowed myself to get some personal coaching. This coaching taught me how to love myself despite the years of shame. It taught me that I was worth taking care of. It taught me how to take care of myself to get the results I wanted.
Daily Habits for Health
I started to walk daily with my dog, Rusty.
Within a month, I was walking two miles a day in nature and sunlight. I was moving better. I started to lift weights again and set up a humble gym in my basement.
I started to eat whole foods. I started to cook healthy, and I could make it taste good. I removed seed oils from my diet. I started to listen to my body.
Reconnecting with My Body
I had been so out of touch with my body, I didn’t even know what hunger felt like. I didn’t know what fullness felt like. But I learned, and I listened well.
I started to regulate my nervous system and got coaching and help with this, too. I was losing weight and had gotten off most of my medication within a year.
To date, I have lost 140 pounds, and at 59 years old, I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I feel strong and healthy!
Self-Care, Healing, and Purpose
Understanding the Importance of Self-Care
I realized that self-care is so important and has to come first. I started to learn who I really am and what my gifts are.
I became accountable for my own health and partnered with my healthcare team. I asked questions and advocated for myself.
Moving Away from Traditional Medicine
I have removed and eliminated most of my medications because I no longer need them. This is the point where I learned that the traditional health system uses standard protocols for everyone.
Traditional medicine is focused on symptoms, not root causes, because the body is designed to heal.
Founding Cool Cookster
Certification and New Career
I decided to get certified in Functional Nutrition and quit my 30-year-long corporate career to launch my new company, Cool Cookster.
None of my doctors ever told me I could heal. In fact, they said I would be on medication forever.
Empowering Others
I want to help you empower yourself to get well.
I am here to help you get well through food. I am here to help you discover which foods are right for you and how you can cook for yourself to heal.
The Support I Can Provide
Role as a Functional Nutrition Counselor
I am a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor. My goal is to get to the root cause of what ails you, especially when the regular medical community is not finding the solutions you need.
In addition to functional nutrition counseling, I offer cooking instruction. Typical nutritionists give you a list of foods, but not everyone has the skills necessary to prepare food, shop, and get organized in the kitchen.
Cooking for yourself is self-care. It is a bonding experience with your partner, family, and loved ones. It keeps you moving; it’s good role modeling for your kids, and, most importantly, it will help you on your journey. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming; I’ll show you how!
Support without Judgment
I will fully support you in this journey without shame or self-doubt while focusing on your bio-individuality to get to the root cause of what ails you.