I’m sure you’d like to hear alllll about my accolades and the numerous amazing achievements I’ve attained (both personal and professional) 😜… and while I do have a lot of things I’m proud of in my life, I want to start this out by saying I’m probably a lot like you. 

I was a kid at one point 😉 who grew up in a smaller city on the edge of the San Francisco Bay Area. I loved to dance to loud music in peoples cars and randomly pose for the (35mm) camera my mom carried around. Animated movies were my favorite (especially The Aristocats, The Great Mouse Detective, and Oliver and Company) and some of my favorite memories would be making pizza and cookies in the kitchen. Oh, and reading. I read A LOT of books 🤓.

I was what some would have likely labeled a “pudgy” kid, but not overly so. I just always felt like I was a little bit bigger than the other kids around me.

As I got older, I was subconsciously drilled with images of “perfect” bodies in magazines, on TV and film, and even with how my friends and family spoke about their bodies. It was normal to be critical and I unknowingly clung to those “perfect” images deeply. I’d spend year after year hating my body and feeling like I was never enough in any sense, no matter what I ate or how much I punished my body exercising or what that torturous scale said. 

After high school, I attended a 4-year university and gained true independence for the first time. Post-college, I started searching for my next path since I didn’t have a desire to attend Grad School (“the next logical step”) and the major I graduated with did little for me getting a job in the “real world.” The yo-yo dieting and toxic thoughts continued, worsening after I had reached the highest weight I’d ever been. 

I had gained enough weight at one point to be diagnosed as “obese” and “pre-diabetic” by my doctor – labs coming back with high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and more. While they were clinical terms, the words felt deeply personal after struggling for so long. That moment would unfortunately increase the unhealthy habits of starving myself through calorie restriction and punishing my body with intense workouts.

Throughout all of this, I worked various jobs in various industries. I thought I wanted to be a teacher and took all of the steps just shy of getting my credential. I also continued searching for the “perfect diet” and “perfect workout program” so I could have that “perfect body” (spoiler alert – that never happened, and it still hasn’t happened because the “perfect” anything doesn’t exist!! But I digress…). 

I debated becoming a fitness trainer and holistic professional at one point as well. But if I can be honest with you here – I was always hesitant, wondering in the back of my mind “Who would listen to an overweight trainer? I can’t even keep myself on track for more than one month.” 

Here’s where you can say the “stars aligned” – my interest in nutrition piqued after I randomly borrowed a book from my Nana about the Paleo Diet. It made so much sense – follow “ancestral” eating and eat things that actually fuel your body instead of cramming calorie-conscious diet shakes, bars, and supplements?? Could this finally be my “perfect” key??

Even though Paleo came and went as a fad, I couldn’t shake how the basics of it had improved my health and changed my perspective on what I thought was “nutritious food.” 

The inner-reader in me wanted to know more. I kept researching, diving farther into the rabbit hole of nutritional education. I obtained various holistic health certifications and started casual coaching. While I loved helping people, I still felt like I was missing something to complete my education. 

One day, the stars aligned again – I came across the Nutritional Therapy Association. They’re all about whole foods, listening to your body’s natural signals, and recognizing that every person is truly unique. I felt a breath of fresh air (seriously), because I no longer felt the burden of needing to be “perfect” in order to be healthy.

So here we are today. 

I live in Southern California with my husband, 2 kitties, and I still dance to loud music. I’m a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) and have stopped yo-yo dieting. My medical labs come back clean now – zero high cholesterol, blood sugar normal, organs doing their thing 💪. I’ve stopped saying certain foods are “good” or “bad.” I no longer view exercise as a punishment, but rather a beautiful way to honor the body by moving and staying strong. 

I started Frankly Nutritious to share what I’ve learned with people like you. Being 100% real with you here: I’m human – my weight fluctuates, sometimes I eat “unhealthy” foods, and I don’t exercise every day (though the echoes of the past still try to bring in the guilt). The difference is I now understand that true health and nutrition are all about balance (including kindness for each other and nature).

Most importantly, it’s about being kind to yourself. 

I’m so grateful and honored to be here with you. 

If anything resonated – let’s stay connected 💜. Schedule a 20min call with me, send me an email, sign up for my monthly newsletter, or follow me on Instagram.