My passion for empowering women for their wellness stems from a combination of my professional background and my personal health journey, which has taken me from feeling compromised and overwhelmed by frequent fatigue and illness to feeling energized by much more reliable stamina and health.

My Story

As a child I endured years of ear infections and common colds.  As well, after eating certain foods, I struggled to concentrate in school. As you might imagine, that left me feeling frustrated, confused, and insecure about whether I could succeed in school as a student and in life. Not a reassuring place for an adolescent!

Later as a young public health professional, I worked long hours, lived an extremely unbalanced life, and fed myself poorly. I traveled frequently for work and after most trips fell ill. Ironic? Yes! Health professionals often pay more attention to helping other people than to taking good care of themselves.

I wore myself out on a treadmill of excessive stress and work, inadequate nutrition and sleep, and frequent illness. Tremendously frustrated, I bobbed down-up-down on enormous mood swells.

Eventually I stepped off that treadmill, shifting my choices in order to create a family. That’s when I began my long quest to figure out how to nourish myself, and then my children, while navigating nagging symptoms, including multiple food sensitivities.

Today, it feels great to have overall energy, focus, and health that I can usually count on. Of course my health, like anyone’s, continues to be dynamic, subject to change based on a number of factors. When I do feel poorly, or when one of my children starts feeling unwell, I know how to support our needs and facilitate our return to wellness.

My Approach

Using a functional nutrition approach, I work with my clients to identify the original sources of their physiological imbalance and to develop resolutions that address those roots as well as the symptoms they have triggered.

I view the term “nutrition” to mean not only what we get from the foods we eat but also about how we are nourished, or depleted, by the many other facets of our lives. These include — to name some though by no means all — such factors as the quality of relationships we engage in, the way we manage stress, how we feel about our work and financial status, our sleep habits, levels of physical activity, the amount of environmental toxins to which we are exposed, and whether we interact with nature.

Whether you are looking for nutrition consulting or health coaching, you can expect that I will carefully consider your story, including your health history, lifestyle circumstances, and choices in order to help you make sense of your symptoms. Your expertise about yourself is the key to our work together and your success in reaching your health goals.

Read more about my approach here.

The Healing Power of Nature

Nature, or the lack of it, is one of the fundamental lifestyle considerations that I include in my work with clients. In what ways, small or large, do plants, pets, or wildlife figure into your life? Do you spend enough time outside?

Nature is a key part of my healing journey and my current sense of well-being. When I spend time outdoors, whether walking in woods or sitting under a tree, whether digging in a garden or watching birds peck the ground for worms and seeds, I feel better. My mood lifts, I sleep more restfully, and I feel less stressed than when I don’t interact in some way with what nature has to offer.

Read more about the healing power of nature.

Location of ReNEW Vitality

I run my health, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching practice, ReNEW Vitality: Nutrition for Energy and Wellbeing, from Amherst, MA. That’s where I live with my family and meet with clients, both in person and by telephone. I also hold workshops and give talks in the area about health-related topics.

Because I work remotely as well as locally, I can interact with clients from just about anywhere.  So don’t let your location keep you from contacting me!

Learn More

Learn more about my training and the nutrition support I offer.

Are you curious about how nutrition consulting and health coaching can help you? Let’s talk. Schedule an initial consultation with me today.