My Story
I never expected to be where I am today.
Growing up, I had a passion for dance, but as I was getting ready to graduate from high school, I wanted a career that would change lives. I applied for the college of my choice and got accepted with scholarships. Although I looked forward to the future with anticipation, I had no idea of the journey that I was about to take.
Since kindergarten, headaches and migraines have become a big part of my life. I was diagnosed with Scotopic Sensitivity Disorder, making me extremely light sensitive. At the age of 17, I began experiencing insomnia, gut problems, brain fog, and extreme fatigue. This led me to do my own research for the best diet to cure my ailments, and I found a jumble of conflicting information. To help with insomnia, Dr. Google says to eat a diet with higher fats, but to help with the fatigue, it was recommended to eat a diet with higher carbs. I just wanted to find answers and get to the bottom of this problem. This began my first interest in nutrition.
My college studies were a major in nutrition and dietetics and a minor in dance. I was excited for this new adventure and journey in my life. It was a busy season of my life, but I found gratitude in knowing that I was pursuing things that I was truly passionate about (rather than being stuck talking about Pythagorean theorems that I didn’t see a use for in my personal life). Everything that I learned was exciting, and I found myself actually enjoying the homework that I was given. My free time consisted of studying topics that sparked my interest in the college library. Even though my health knowledge increased, my body’s health quickly degraded.
Soon enough, I found myself getting four hours of sleep on average per night. I took all of the steps to get my sleep back on track, but nothing helped. I relaxed before bed, drank tea or milk, practiced breathing techniques, kept away from electronics, and the list goes on. Nothing helped. In a search for energy, I would overeat to feel better, aggravating my gut problems and leaving me feeling more miserable. I had a difficult time focusing on my schoolwork in college, but I kept my eyes on the prize.
While working hard towards my degree, health podcasts became an area of my interest. One day, I stumbled across one that reported the health concerns related to seed oils. At the time, I was being taught that oils like canola oil were actually good for you due to the content of unsaturated fats. I soon realized that many of the resources that the school used were funded by the Canola Oil Company. The school had incentives to promote certain products if it received the right funding.
More happened during my year at college. My professors weren’t able to answer simple questions that I had, and they strongly advised against controversial practices without providing sufficient information. They taught critical thinking with an emphasis on credentials. They explained that if someone was not a registered dietitian, then they had little to no credibility in what they were saying. All of these things occurred in my college, and I soon discovered that it was happening all over the country in dietetic programs. This is because they all have to follow a certain script to be recognized as dietetic education.
During my spring semester at college, I was offered a job to move back to Florida to teach dance at Circle Christian Arts Academy. With much prayer and thought, I finished my spring semester but decided to take a “gap year” to find my place with all of the controversial information that I was sorting through. I got certified as a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner while I taught ballet and jazz for children ages 6 and up.
Through FDN, I was able to get comprehensive lab work done to see and understand my symptoms. My hormones were out of balance, which led to my constant fatigue. It correlated with my insomnia and gut problems. After seeing my labs, I was able to take action and get my health back on track. I can gladly say that my health is far better now than it was only a couple of years ago. I can think more clearly, sleep soundly, and wake up with enough energy to take on the day and responsibilities that the Lord has blessed me with, as long as I follow the basic principles and practices that I learned work for my body.
My story doesn’t end here, though. I want to be able to help others with stories like mine. If you’re struggling with symptoms and can’t understand why, I would love to sit down and meet with you. You’re not alone in this journey; I’m here to help walk you through it.