From the time I was a kid I have always loved food but I haven’t always viewed it in the ways I do now. As a child I grew up on home cooked meals but still had my fair share of Doritos, Gushers, Pop tarts, and my all time favorite the Toaster Strutel with the icing packets, most of the time sneaking an extra packet. I drank cow’s milk daily and ate copious amounts of cheese. Dairy was a staple in our household. Looking back after all the knowledge I have gained about nutrition in my over 10 years of being a Labor and Delivery nurse and through countless hours of self education, I can pinpoint exactly when my diet opened up a worm hole for acne, gut issues, and self doubt to set in. I was a sophomore in high school and can remember getting ready for a school dance and not being able to hide the acne on my face. I would have given anything back then to have a clear face and have the confidence to walk around in public without makeup. What I didn’t realize at the time was my body was sending me clues that I had a leaky gut, but it would be another 10 years before I discovered the world of functional medicine and my life changed.
Before this point, no one suggested to me to cut out dairy (a major trigger for inflammation, which in my case was my severe cystic acne). No one suggested to look into the food I was eating to see if it was causing inflammation. I was on my own with countless topical creams and given antibiotics to “fix” the problem, which was ultimately only adding fuel to the fire. Fast forward to college where “nonfat” and “low-fat” were all the buzz with calorie counting following not long after. I was unfortunately an extremist on the calorie counting, not eating anything without weighing my portion sizes or wanting to eat out due to my obsession with knowing the exact calories, fat, and protein on my plate. Since I was young I had always been involved in sports where I felt pressured to be thin. This mindset stuck with me for the entirety of my gymnastics and diving careers. Being a division 1 athlete with all eyes on you in a swimsuit is very intimidating, subconsciously always being inundated with the idea that I had to be thin to be successful. I would get anxiety about gaining any weight or the number on the scale. It wasn’t until my mid 20’s that I transformed my relationship with food.
Shortly after the passing of my best friend in June of 2015 to leukemia only to be followed by my Aunt a little over a year later, I stumbled upon a company called “Food Matters”. I began to see food as medicine and less of a chore to eat healthy. That is where my health journey took off, I discovered the power food had to help heal my body. I immersed myself in the world of people who viewed food as medicine, listening to countless docuseries, reading credible articles, and taking notes on everything I could get my hands on. At the time I didn’t know the journey I was embarking on would change me in ways I could never have predicted.
My greatest struggle came in 2020 with the loss of our daughter at 22 weeks. We had tried getting pregnant for about 6 months when we found out we were going to be blessed with a little girl on November 26th of that year. Baby shower dates were already put in the calendar, the crib was up and ready, outfits were hung in the closet. We had pretty much decided on her name but my indecisiveness kept us from pulling the official trigger. Due to certain restrictions I would deliver my baby by myself, knowing I was to go home to silence. No newborn coos, cries, or babbles. It would be me and my husband trying to navigate this tragedy. The community of friends and family poured out their love and support but there were still many moments I was left to my own thoughts. I didn’t understand why this path was chosen for me. I didn’t want to accept reality. In the many months that followed and still to this day I turn to food to help ease the pain my body, mind, and soul has endured. I know that my knowledge of using food to aide in my healing has been instrumental in living side by side with losing something so special. I am very sure that I have been able to cope with a trauma so harsh and not let it overcome my being is because of the foundation I had already instilled within myself using food as medicine.
The world isn’t always in alignment, the flame doesn’t always shine bright but the groundwork you put in on the forefront helps to tackle what life unexpectedly throws at you. I started Eight Roots to show others how to establish the base to a healthy lifestyle and build a beautiful canvas once the framework has been laid. I chose the number eight specifically to shed light on how health is sustained through multiple facets. Health and wellness is not defined solely by looking a certain way but if your physical, nutritional, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and environmental pillars are aligned. Each person has their own struggles, their own hardships, and stressors. No ones story is exactly the same. I am here to help you navigate through the web that has been spun within our current society. I am here to eliminate the guesswork of what is or isn’t healthy and use every ounce of my being to make this world and the people in it live a long and prosperous life. My hope is through education and spreading awareness I can help my clients make better choices and be informed about what is being put into our food. It is by our spending dollar we can bring change. Raise the expectations and do not settle for mediocre. We deserve better. Our health deserves better.
