I am a health coach, graduate student in nutritional science, runner, triathlete, avid reader, recovering lawyer, and lover of red wine. And I think I’ve been in Austin long enough to call myself an Austinite.  

Most of those things are relatively new.  In fact, 10 years ago, my career as a lawyer was going well and I finally had some time to pause and realize just how physically unhealthy I had become.  Poor sleep, poor eating habits, little exercise, etc.  Of all the things I felt like I had under control, my health was NOT one of them. 

I had no idea how to fix that, but I set a goal (complete a sprint triathlon) and hired a coach who helped me transform myself into a triathlete.  I still cringe at the thought of her body fat analysis tools and the countless lunges she made me do.  (Don’t worry, neither of those is in my toolbox.) It was hard work, but I was hooked after my first race and continued training for longer races until I completed an Ironman.  The absolute hardest thing about triathlon is finding the time to train while balancing all the other life priorities.  Life pulls a million directions, and I have since settled into a fitness routine that reflects my current priorities.  Life is all about finding that alignment, right?

Finding alignment…

As I tried to bring things into alignment, I realized that the health piece was really good, but now my career was out of whack.  Practicing law—at least in the way I was doing it—was losing meaning for me, and I was progressively more interested in learning about nutrition, not just in the fitness context, but everywhere!  I had found so much more energy and happiness by prioritizing my health, and  I wanted everyone to know how much better they could feel with a healthier lifestyle.

Figuring out how to pursue my love of nutrition and changing my mindset about my career was super hard. But totally worth it because I am living in a way more aligned with my values and experiencing more joy than I have in years. Now I am a Ph.D. student in nutritional science at the University of Texas. AND I have the opportunity to work with people like you to provide health coaching and nutrition consulting that fits your goals and lifestyle, so you can take (back) control of your health and have more energy for the things that bring you joy.    

I don’t do diets or dogma

Diets and dogma tread too closely to religion and disorders, neither of which is helpful when your goal is simply to take control of your health. I help people cut through all the misinformation and confusion swirling around about nutrition and health.

I resist restrictions.  My program focuses on abundance—what are the things you want more of in your life?  What would you do with sustained energy?  What goals could you set that would feel like gifts to you?  What would it be like to not feel trapped by the “shoulds” around food, your body, and exercise? Freeing? Expansive?  I aim for that freeing, expansive feeling in all of my coaching.  I know, it may sound a bit new age, but the restrictive approach hasn’t worked, has it?  Exactly.   

I take a very holistic approach. In the health coaching programs, we’ll cover more than just nutrition and movement—though those will be key! We’ll also discuss things like sleep, relationships, and career that contribute to our overall wellbeing.  Even if you want to focus narrowly on nutrition, I find it is impossible to meaningfully talk about food without talking about other aspects of your life.

Warning!!

The path to sustained health is not all butterflies and rainbows.  Regardless how you get there, it will be hard.  Almost all change and growth is.  In my one-to-one coaching, we’ll track your goal progress. You’ll be asked to wrestle with some engrained mindsets and to engage in some exercises that may feel like a big stretch.  But you can do hard things, and you are deserving of the effort.  Plus, I’ll be there with you for all of it, providing you with the tools you need to do the work and reach your goals.