But I wasn’t always this way…

For years, I struggled with my weight- I would be super strict, diet down and workout like crazy to achieve the body I wanted- and it usually worked…but not for long. I would drastically cut my calories and spend hours in the gym- neither of which are sustainable or healthy in the long term. I would end up burnt out and back to square one, time after time. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just get to a healthy weight and maintain it in a way that was effortless and enjoyable. In 2015, as I almost halfway through completing my health coaching certification, I went vegan and it was great…at first. After a few months, I started to notice the toll it was taking on my body and hormones. I was tired all the time, lacked any motivation to exercise and I started to gain weight. I didn’t understand…veganism was preached by so many as the perfect diet- why was it causing my body so much harm? I did some research and found that it’s actually very common for vegans to have vitamin deficiencies and that there really were certain nutrients we could only get from animal protein. Also, all of the soy and vegan meat substitutes contained something called xenoestrogens which can mimic the effects of estrogen in the body and wreak havoc on your hormones. I knew that it was time to give up veganism and heal my body. I believe in the power of food as medicine and I was confident that I could bring my body back into balance by changing my diet. So I slowly integrated organic, free-range and grass fed protein back into my diet and I started feeling better immediately.

But there was still something wrong…

I was moody and irritable all the time. I felt like I was trapped in my body, uncomfortable in my own skin. I had stubborn weight that I couldn’t seem to lose and I knew there had to be another underlying reason. I had been on birth control for over 8 years and between 2015-2017, I had cycled through 4 different kinds, desperate to find the “perfect one” that would have the least amount of side effects. This search was exhausting…there had to be another way. I started researching alternative birth control methods and that’s when I found the Fertility Awareness Method. I felt confident that I could go off of hormonal birth control and practice this method. I went off birth control in May of 2017 and I never looked back. I felt like I was finally ‘ME’ again. I had a twinkle in my eye and I felt myself come alive. No more synthetic hormones, just MY body working the way it was designed to. My journey as a health coach transformed as well- I knew I had to share this magic with my clients so I began to create a program with hormones and hormone-balancing nutrition at the forefront. The Balanced Babe Blueprint was born and it is everything that I wish I had during those years that I struggled. This program is all about nourishing your body with real food and learning to come back into your body. It’s my mission to help thousands of women ditch hormonal birth control, balance their hormones naturally and learn to eat intuitively so they can step into their power and THRIVE.