Meet your Coach

Hi!

So nice to meet you!

I’m Meg, I’m a single mom of four awesome kids. I love all things Health & Wellness (obviously) Sometimes I wish we lived back in the 90’s when things were still done on pen and paper, and everyone didn’t have smart phones in their pockets. I live to be outdoors connecting with nature. I’m not afraid of camping in tents. I consider myself funny. I have been through a lot of hardship in my life and gained a lot of resilience and wisdom from it. As a result my tolerance for conversations about surface level, frivolous things is very low. I love to go deep and really get to know a person. I think the epidemic of low connection is as detrimental to us humans even more so then color dyes in our food. I consider myself an empath, so naturally all of the care taker careers like health coaching, therapy, nursing, and massage therapy appeal to me. That’s usually where empaths find themselves. I’ve learned as an empath just how vital self care and boundaries are to thrive. I’ve recently gotten into breath work and find it so fascinating that breath, the thing we all do everyday, done more intentionally, can be so healing and connecting to oneself. I love writing, reading, watching plant based documentaries over and over and having my kids safely in my care. Nothing makes me happier than when my kids are doing good.

My journey with food struggles began when I was a baby and was given koolaid in my bottle, i’m kind of joking, kind of not. That’s the one thing I don’t miss about the 80/90’s- the serious lack of education about the food we were eating. I think the only vegetables I knew of were the ones in cans. I don’t remember knowing about avocados growing up. Am I alone in that? haha

All joking aside, I can look back on my childhood and see that I was pretty dependent on sugar and seriously lacking in substantial nutrition. I was known to be obsessed with sugar. It didn’t seem to be too much of a problem until I got older and experienced some trauma and that food could be used as a way to cope and numb. My childhood was mostly good, I have a lot of freckles on my shoulders from basically living outside the majority of my childhood, good times. My childhood love was Gymnastics. That too, was all positive, until I quit before my senior year and had an identity crisis. I was no longer ‘Megan the gymnast’ and wasn’t sure where I belonged, or what I was good for.

I grew up without a lot of roots or stability because I went to 6 elementary schools and two high schools. All of these facts provide some context in my food journey, I promise. I found my worth in gymnastics and in boyfriends as I got older, including having ‘a gymnast body’ That was something I got attention for. And who doesn’t like validation and attention. Until you don’t get it anymore, and you wonder what is lovable about YOU- regardless of your weight.

I learned in treatment for my ED, more than 15 years ago, that most people who develop an Eating Disorder have suffered some form of abuse. That was the case for me. Shortly after quitting gymnastics, and not knowing who I was, I got into a relationship with a guy who gave me validation, at first. But within the 6 months of dating him he shred every ounce of my self esteem I had. There is a lot I could say here, but what’s relevant is that when I got out of that relationship I was a zombie of my past self. I was full of self hate and his voice had become my inner voice. I had never experienced this before. I remember wanting so badly to crawl out of my own body. I truly thought I was a disgusting person, unworthy of love. That is what abuse does to you.

It was during this time that I developed an ED. If I could get back to my gymnast body, I would be lovable again, and everything would feel okay again. I didn’t realize the depth of my trauma, that I didn’t fully comprehend. I later learned I had PTSD. I didn’t have the support I needed, because my parents were very much wrapped up in going through a divorce, which also added to my trauma. I suffered with my ED and self hatred for a few years. Until I finally got the help I needed.

I went to treatment at the Center for Change, the picture to the side, is me in front of that place 15 years after my treatment. It has been such a journey. I loved my experience in the treatment center, because I was really at rock bottom and that place gave me hope, support, structure, guidance and connection. We had groups about mindful eating, body image, life skills, communication, relationships, self care, positive affirmations etc. The world of wellness was opened up to me and I was addicted, it was a good addiction. I was known as the girl under pillows when I got there but when I left there was life and light and happiness in me again! I look back on that place with so much gratitude.

In treatment I learned about Intuitive Eating. I worked so hard to become an intuitive Eater, but I kept struggling with emotional eating and restricting. It wasn’t until I discovered Plant Based Nutrition that I found true FREEDOM. To me living a Plant Based lifestyle is the opposite of an Eating Disorder. It is the way to eat if you love yourself. And that is a stark contrast from my Eating Disorder. I love that it is the complete opposite, because it feels like I completely took my eating disorder, the thing that threatened to destroy my happiness and caused me SO much suffering OUT. I demolished it. And I want people to know that that is possible. I believe it’s possible by embracing the way we were born to eat.

Plant Based Nutrition was the missing piece to my recovery puzzle, and successfully being an Intuitive Eater. It shifted my mindset from restriction to nourishment and changed my whole understanding about food. It gave me the energy, stable blood sugar, and mental clarity I didn’t know how badly I needed until I finally experienced it. It freed me from food worries and weight struggles. Additionally my restless leg syndrome, seasonal allergies and heavy periods all improved very significantly. Food truly is medicine. I have also learned that it’s SO important to do Plant Based Nutrition right with a good balance of carbs, fats and proteins at each meal. It wasn’t until year 36 of my life that I decided to make enjoyment an intentional priority in my life, and food is a big part of that. It’s near impossible to enjoy life without good health and this is why I love the Plant Based intuitive life style, it’s enjoyable and gives you good health. Consistency and patience are key, any weight that is lost too quickly will be regained quickly. I have so many tools and tips for living a healthy lifestyle not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well.

I will say it so many times “Any food that causes suffering is unnecessary suffering” We were never meant to suffer the way we do with weight, heath and body image. We have done that to ourselves by straying from the way nature intended food to be and going towards the Standard American Diet. There is SO much conflicting information out there about nutrition, what to do, and what not to do. But IT’S SO SIMPLE, and so doable. It truly will free you from food, weight, and body image struggles, just as it did me.

I truly wish you so much health, happiness and healing, and if I can be a part of that, I would be honored. It is now my passion and mission to help others with what I have been through, which is why I became a Certified Coach, but to me nothing is more valuable than the blood, sweat, tears, resilience, wisdom and strength that comes from the real life battle and victory.

I want everyone to know there IS A WAY to take your life back from an Eating Disorder, or any relationship with food, weight and body image that causes suffering, which in our enviorment, is more common then not. It doesn’t have to be so hard, and you are fully capable of it.

Love food that loves you back, Live an awakened life, Don’t give away your happiness, Show up for yourself.

Much Love,

Meg