L-R Daughter Meg, Daughter Amanda, Son in law Glenn, Grandson Miles, Me, Hubby John, Son Jonathan, Daughter in law Kelsey
My Story
I grew up in the Midwest during the 60’s and 70’s. My mom was a great cook and prepared homemade meals, but we also ate lots of the convenience foods of the time. Pop tarts and Captain Crunch for breakfast. Bologna or liverwurst on Wonder Bread with shoestring potatoes on the side. And who can forget fighting over the bright red cherries in the fruit cocktail? For dinner, we had our fair share of Salisbury Steak, Banquet Fried Chicken or frozen pot pies. Iceberg salads with Thousand Island dressing and croutons. The biggest treat was getting to eat TV dinners out of the little tinfoil tray, complete with dessert!
The times were changing and so were the foods. With more women working outside the home, the emphasis was on convenience. Instant mashed potatoes and Minute Rice. Canned corn, canned peaches. I don’t recall ever eating fresh spinach or fresh blueberries. I’d never heard of things like kiwi, or spaghetti squash, or any other kind of apple besides a Red Delicious.
While in Tucson, Arizona attending college, I went to my first health food store. It was a visceral experience—the smells of herbs and teas, bins filled with grains and trail mixes, and friendly, happy people. It felt comfortable, like coming home. I returned many times during my college years and lived off trail mix and granola! Good food, constant sunshine, and working out with my friends provided energy and health like I’d not known before. This is where I began making the connection between what I ate and how I felt.
I met and married my wonderful husband and we soon had 3 little kids. As much as I loved being a mom, I felt exhausted most of the time. Desperate for energy, I turned to caffeine and sugar to give me a boost. Pepsi and International Coffees were my lifelines. Unbeknown to me, the energy they provided was mortgaged against my health. I didn’t realize the caffeine and sugar were robbing my body of nutrients and depleting my adrenals.
I was in a downward spiral. My hormones were off balance, which made me moody and depressed. My menstrual cycles were difficult and heavy, which led to chronic anemia. I had trouble sleeping. I got terrible hives. I had chronic infections: yeast, sinus, bladder. Iron, antibiotics, anti-depressants, steroids and sleeping pills were prescribed by doctors. Yet when I took them, the benefits were minimal and the side effects were terrible. I just didn’t feel like myself, and worse, I didn’t like the tired, crabby person I was becoming. I knew there was a real, healthy me inside somewhere. I began my quest for that person.
Two things happened: I heard a man named Dr. Bob Marshall, a nutritionist talking on the radio. He said, “Without great health, you can never be happy.” I thought, that’s it! . It had never occurred to me that the way I ate affected my health and happiness. Second, God put radically healthy people in my life. People who ate strange foods, ground their own flour, juiced their own fruits and vegetables. People who didn’t require sugar or caffeine to look and feel vibrant.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said, “Let food by thy medicine and medicine thy food.” I slowly began incorporating whole foods and vitamins to my diet. I started weight training. I ran 5Ks. I walked an entire marathon-26.2 miles. It felt good to feel strong and have energy. I stopped worrying about the number on the scale, and began to be more concerned with how much weight I could bench press. I knew I had crossed a divide when I didn’t need a long nap just to make it through the day.
My dream for the past five years has been to go back to school to study nutrition. In 2008, I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which completely changed my life. I learned the body really wants health, and how to listen more closely to the messages my body was sending me. My passion is to now share my journey and knowledge with others, so that they, too, may know outrageous health.
I received my training to practice Health Coaching at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, New York City, where I was highly trained by the largest nutrition school in the nation. I then went on to receive multiple certifications as a Wellness Coach from Wellcoaches, which is accredited with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The combination of solid nutrition knowledge, and expert coaching creates a condition for ultra successful clients!
For more information about my education, please go to www.integrativenutrition.com.
and
www.wellcoaches.com
Testimonials
“When you find someone who walks the walk and talks the talk like Eileen does, you know you are in good and capable hands. She has dedicated herself to helping others achieve healthier lifestyles, and because she leads by example, you want to succeed even more. Eileen knows more about nutrition and working out than many people who call themselves personal trainers, and the support she provides makes a world of difference. She is truly a class act”
John Suarez, Managing Partner, Referral Ready LLC
