Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't see your question here, go ahead and contact me and I'll be more than happy to assist you!
What does holistic mean?
The term ‘holistic’ refers to recognizing the wholeness of something as well as its interdependent parts. When this applies to your health and life, it means that you are more than just what you eat. There are many facets of your life that make up the entire you and anything termed ‘holistic’ recognizes that idea. Some people get turned off or are a bit wary when they hear the word ‘holistic’ because they think it sounds too New Age or hippie like. Holistic is a philosophy and way of thinking and some people confuse ‘holistic’ with New Age spirituality. They are not the same but there are individuals who do use this word that possess different beliefs and levels of spirituality that could be coined as New Age. Back to top
What is a Holistic Health Counselor?
As a certified Holistic Health Counselor, I am qualified to serve as a guide, an educational resource, encourager, listener, and a support system in helping you achieve your health goals and in helping you transition into a healthier sustainable lifestyle. Using a holistic approach, I take into account all the areas of your life that make up you to help you come up with your own solutions for your health challenges along with my recommendations and feedback to help you reach your goals.
It's also my job to introduce you to a wide array of wholesome and yummy foods that you can incorporate into your diet. Through experimentation and education, you'll learn which foods support you best and give you tons of energy. You'll also learn how to shop for, prepare, and cook foods quickly and simply. Eventually, you'll be an expert at what makes you feel your best and can nourish yourself using intuition and some know how to guide your food choices. Imagine how liberating that is to be diet free for the rest of your life! I was once in the obsessive cycle of dieting, being in the weight/diet mindset, and constantly feeling deprived and I hated restrictions! It didn't work for me for too long, and I certainly don't expect it to work for you so we will have none of that madness in your program! You'll develop a fabulous relationship with food and understand how food affects you.
Together we'll also address the other challenges that stand in your way of healthy living. If it's exercise, we'll work on that, or if it's your too demanding schedule, we'll find ways to work with your life. If your stress is through the roof, then we'll address that. Afterall, sickness doesn't just happen overnight. It usually takes a long time before you start to experience symptoms and so we want to create a healthy lifestyle for you that prevents conditions while allowing you to experience optimal energy levels on a daily basis. Every person is different, so your program will be completely unique to you, your personality, your lifestyle, and your challenges. It's all about you!
With me as your Holistic Health Counselor, I'll help you break down your goals into small doable steps that get you going and on your way to reaching the big overall goals. Every session builds onto each other so you're achieving more each time we meet. This might not be a quick route to what you want, but trust me, this approach allows you to develop healthy habits that will last forever. This ain't no diet like I said, it's for life! If you stumble along the way, or for some reason couldn't complete a step or recommendation, it's alright. I won't yell at you but I will show you some tough love and get you back on your feet. This is a gentle yet firm approach in which I'll hold you accountable while cheering you on.
This is not your average nutrition or wellness program. It's not just about food and what to eat, it's about who you are, and discovering why you make the food and life choices you do. It's a fun, and radical approach to health without the boring diet, and you following a list of do's and don'ts. This program is designed for you and with you to give you a complete solution and system for living a healthy lifestyle that you can continue on your own even after the program is over. It's a program that'll stick with you for the rest of your life! So come on, make being healthy work for you, and schedule your FREE 30 Minute no obligation 'Get Acquainted Session' right now!
Why did you become a Holistic Health Counselor?
In a nutshell, I went though a whole load of emotional ups and downs, depression that I tried to tackle on my own, and I even had crazy suicidal thoughts. Add some weight issues, gaining weight, losing weight, being weight obsessed, and hating my body and myself overall, and you've got yourself a whole big mess. On top of that, food was my drug of choice. I ate like crazy to soothe me and to fill the holes of sadness and unhappiness I constantly felt. I felt like I could turn to no one because they wouldn't understand so I stuffed myself with food. Food was both my friend and enemy and a substance I needed to live whether I liked it or not. I also knew that I was not living up to my potential and I was always felt like I was hiding and usually ended up being the most quiet person in the room or sometimes even the unnoticed person. Other times, I was happy and completely comfortable but then I went back to my lows. I felt like such a contradictory mess. I read self development books and attended seminars but I never felt truly changed. I felt some progress but then I'd always go back to my old routine. It also bugged me that people close to me seemed to be experiencing the same things as me but they seemed even more stuck than I was. I felt I could never truly express how I felt for fear of looking like I was messed up. I constantly realized I used up a lot of my time and energy hating myself, feeling unworthy, hating my body, and worrying about what other people thought of me yet I couldn't get out of the cycle. At the same time, I had such a strong desire to change, to be better, to feel worthy, and reach my potential but sometimes I felt this desire wasn't as strong as the dark side of me.
So on and on went this cycle until I, at the young age of 23, started having all kinds of symptoms and my body was in pain all the time. I went to the doctor's and found out that I had a fibroid and a pre cancerous cervix. This was my wake up call but I didn't listen to it immediately. I was told that if I had waited any longer to visit the doctor's, I could have developed cancer. That scared me more than you can imagine. Not only that, I had a fibroid at such a young age and one of the doctors told me that I might not be able to have kids because of the fibroid's location. I wondered why and how all this had happened and I wanted to know what I could do about it. I ended up on a steady regimen of medication and treatments that didn't help. I returned to the U.S. and didn't have health insurance so I couldn't take any more medicine and I started to heal. I felt like my body was finally given a chance to do what it was designed to do. I started researching about natural healing methods, and became fascinated by whole foods. I eventually enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a school that has a radical yet common sense approach to wellness and food. I had actuallly wanted to attend this school years before but due to my low belief in myself, I said I couldn't do it.
I started studying and learning about wellness, holistic nutrition, and natural health. I experimented on myself, and went to acupuncturists and chiropractors. My diet was amazing, healthy, and I was able to keep my weight off naturally. I stopped dieting and just fed my body what it needed and what I desired. I still ate foods that you really can't classify as healthy but I didn't feel guilty about it anymore. I learned to be more conscious and mindful of what I ate. I was in control of me, my body, and my life. I wanted to take it a step further to learn how to nourish and heal the conditions I had for good. I found a graduate from my school that started a business specializing in women's issues. She became my Holistic Health Counselor and I was able to work on the emotional part of my condition and realized that I manifested sickness through my negativity and low self esteem.
I truly believe I became sick because of my emotions and mindset. Yes, some of it was genetic and environmentally influenced but much of it was a manifestation of how I felt about myself. It was so empowering to break the cycle and to have a way to deal with all that I was feeling. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Health Guru that feasts on the sun, and never eats sugar, never gets upset and hasn't been sick ever since my transformation. It's more like I have transformed to love myself more, to treat myself better, and even when things are chaotic I can come back to my center. Consequently, I make healthier decisions and choices. I became a friend to myself instead of an enemy. I made peace with my body and accepted me and who I am. Now I can spend my time being better, growing, and developing my potential. I eat healthy, choose foods that empower me and my body, and give me so much energy. I don't feel confused about food or health anymore. I have built a strong foundation that keeps me feeling my best and I will continue to build upon it. My body has responded so well and most of ailments are gone or are decreased.
I truly don't believe I could have made this dramatic change in my life without the school and working with a Holistic Health Counselor. It would have taken me forever to reach the point of where I'm at now. So that's why I do what I do. I know what it's like to go through these things and know what it feels like to want to change but feeling stuck or afraid to do so. I want to help people get unstuck, get happy and healthy physically, emotionally, and spirtually. We are more than our bodies and even our minds. I want others especially those individuals who identify with what I've said to stop the struggling, the war with their bodies and minds, and really learn how to empower themselves through nourishment, self care, and self acceptance. Once you're health is in check and you've mastered a healthy way of living that works for you, you'll finally have the energy, time and desire to reach your potential in all areas of your life. Food happens to be something I love and food is also a huge part of everyone's life. Food can also be a stressful topic for many, and I want to help people get clear and really understand how to properly feed their body, mind, and life. I want people to really understand their relationship with food, and understand how food can make them feel both positively and negatively. It can help you live an awesome life or it can dull your life big time. And being healthy rocks because you want to do things, and you have the energy to do so. It's fun...really it is. Are you ready to get healthy for good? To finally have the energy and desire to live the life you really want? To have an awesome body that makes you proud and that supports your lifestyle? Come on....stop putting yourself on the bottom of your priority list, you know you deserve it! Schedule your FREE 30 no obligation 'Get Acquainted' Session to see how I can help you!
It seems like you do a lot more than nutrition, why is that?
Many folks think that health is just the food that you eat and the exercise you do at the gym. In reality, those are only parts of the whole. True health comes from understanding all aspects of your life and what nourishes you. As a HHC, it's my duty to not only tackle what you choose to eat, how much you excercise but also what you think, feel, believe and act. It is not my goal to make you think like me or to change your belief system. It is my goal to bring out the amazing parts of who you are so you can be truly healthy....don't you owe that to yourself?
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
What is the difference between a Holistic Health Counselor (HHC) and a Nutritionist or a Registered Dietician?
The major difference between a HHC and a traditional Nutritionist or Registered Dietician is that a traditional nutritionist/dietician usually focuses on solely on what you eat. You’ll find that you’ll be keeping track of your calories, carbs, etc. as well as how much vitamins, minerals and enzymes you’re getting into your body without much regard to your overall lifestyle. You'll get a lists of good and bad foods to eat, and rigid guidelines to follow. If you are seeing a Nutritionist or Registered Dietician, I encourage you to continue doing so. You can work with any health professional while working with a Holistic Health Counselor. A Holistic Health Counselor can enhance and fill in the gaps of your current treatment or therapy.
As a HHC, I will focus on you as a whole to find out what works best for you. This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle. My program will get you healthy, happy, energetic and vibrant without ever having to count another calorie, deprive yourself or feel starved again. We can’t truly feel our best if we are eating healthy foods but starving ourselves emotionally. This program will get your entire health in harmony with the rest of your life with a program built specifically around your needs.
At the end of your program, you will be in control of your health. You’ll finally be able to make the right choices for yourself. The whole process of getting you healthy is not about you relying on me as some sort of all knowing guru who will give you the answers, but making you your own expert on your body and your life. Best of all, this program is built to be relatable to the stress and demands of today’s world. The information is not just theory or philosophy, this program is about practical results. You will still get to eat delicious food and live life to the fullest without EVER feeling starved, deprived or having to count a calorie again. You’ll learn how to be healthy in a way that works for you!
Ready to get started? Click here.
Who do you work best with?
I LOVE working with open minded people who have a genuine desire to reach their potential. They are willing to take responsibility for their own life and take action towards their goals. Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
How do I get the most of this program and reach my goals?
As with anything in life, the more you give and participate, the more you'll get. To get the most out of this program, make sure you're on time for our meetings, follow through on the action steps, and be open to learning and willing to try new things. Read the materials sent to you and be ready to fully participate within the program. The more active you are the more you get out of the program. Most importantly, you must understand this is not a quick fix solution but rather a transition into a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Being honest about what's working and not working is essential to getting the most out of this program. You must be willing to have fun! You’re going to look good, feel good, and be pumped! Ready to get started? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
What kind of individual will this program NOT work for?
This program will NOT work for those individuals expecting:
-a quick fix
-a program that gives them cookie cutter lists and directions
-to count calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrate grams
-a quick weight loss solution
-to get results without participating or putting in the effort needed to transition into a healthy lifestyle
-someone to tell them exactly what to do
-have issues with making appointments on time
-have issues with completing goals and assigned tasks on time
This is an unorthodox approach to nutrition and healthy living. It's not the typical diet, calorie counting, and rigid kind of regimen that gets you quick results. It's a thorough, complete, and uniquely designed program built to work with you so you can live a healthy lifestyle...forever.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
Why does Life & Food Wellness use a holistic approach?
I find the most lasting and sustainable approach to optimal health is through simple lifestyle choices that are so practical and doable that there’s no good excuse for not implementing them. Using a holistic approach, also allows the individual to address not only the external factors like food and exercise that are inhibiting maximized health but also the toxic elements of their life that usually have a far greater if not greater impact on the state of their health. You will not ever be truly healthy if you are unhappy and unfulfilled. Stress will disease your body just as much as unhealthy foods and a sedentary lifestyle will. To be really healthy and live a high quality of life, you have to get all the elements of your life harmonized and most importantly you have to operate from a mindset of well being. Using a holistic approach, encourages an open minded and thorough look into healing and well being. It’s not a short lived attempt at health, but a life long lifestyle that’ll allow people to fully live up to their health and life potential.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
Can’t I learn how to be healthy on my own by reading a book or taking a class?
You definitely can choose this route. I, however, have found it’s a very long and confusing route to take unless if you happen to find a way of being healthy that immediately works for you. And how do you even begin figuring out what books to read or who to turn to? I’ve spent years and years of conducting personal research, attended nutrition school that opened me up to the idea that there is no such thing as a perfect diet or way of being healthy, and experimented on myself to know what works and doesn’t work. There is such a plethora of information, books, and professionals that are all vying for your attention and it can be pretty overwhelming trying to decide what method is right for you. While many of these approaches can work, I simplify the entire process of getting healthy for you. Keep in mind, most books, products and professionals are pushing their way of doing things on you. This can work but I find it’s much easier, fun, doable, and sensible to find a way of being healthy that fits right into your lifestyle. Also, you’re likely to find that some approaches are too extreme or simply unsustainable in the long run which means you’ll have short lived results. Also, consider how much accountability a book or the person you’re working with will give you. If you’re reading new information or following someone’s advice, you’re usually all fired up in the beginning, get quick results, only to find you're back into your same old routine. Knowing that someone is there to make sure that you’re following through with your goals until you make it a habit will guarantee that the changes you’re making will last. If you can find an approach that works for you, I guarantee you’ll stick with your healthier lifestyle for good. Imagine all the information you would need boiled down to what’s most important and applicable to your life along with the accountability and support you need to apply what you’ve learned, this is what the Life & Food Wellness program offers.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
What is the difference between a Holistic Health Counselor and licensed Health Professionals (Doctors, Psychologist, Psychotherapists, etc.)?
Holistic Health Counselors complement Health Care professionals rather than replace them. Holistic Health Counselors DO NOT treat, diagnose illnesses or conditions, provide therapy, and or prescribe medication.
I’m already pretty healthy, so why would I sign up for a program like this?
I too thought I was pretty healthy before I transformed my relationship with food and addressed some issues outside of food that were affecting my health. I used to read a lot of books and websites and thought I knew my stuff. I was eating well, exercising, and in shape, yet I was still having chronic candida and shoulder pain. I also had a horrible relationship with food. I used food to comfort me but then I’d get mad at myself and feel guilty. I felt so controlled by food and my ailments in spite of my attempts to be healthier. After working with my own Holistic Health Counselor, my health transformed for the better. I finally learned how to eat for my body type, how to listen to my body, and how to respect my body, and that’s when I started to truly feel healthy. I had never understood how much emotions and living an inauthentic life could negatively devastate my body. And I know a lot of people who think health is all body and weight.
You may ‘think’ you’re being healthy but if you’re still eating questionable ingredients, live by crazy food rules and restrictions, deprive yourself, have chronic aliments, or have a messed up relationship with food and their bodies, than you’re not really ‘healthy’. Health doesn’t simply mean the absence of disease or being thin. That’s like saying because you haven’t divorced means that you’re in a perfect marriage. That’s obviously flawed thinking. There are so many people living their daily lives in a stressed out, exhausted state, and feeling miserable in their bodies yet they don’t have a diagnosed disease, so they don’t think they’re unhealthy or need to worry about getting healthy. That is a very warped idea of health. You might be even be thin, and look ‘healthy’ but if you’re not feeling healthy, have lots of energy, and love your life, then you’re due for a health tune up.
True wellness is a daily act involving your body, mind and spirit. Most people neglect one or more of these areas and think they’re okay. It is not okay if you plan on living for a long time. If you don’t take of yourself on a daily basis, you’re guaranteeing yourself a disease, an ailment, or a low quality of life filled with aches, pains, medications, and mental anguish topped off with an early death. Just because you don’t have a disease right now doesn’t mean your body isn’t starting to wear down on the inside. All the unhealthy foods that we eat, the stress we don’t take care of, the unfulfilled life we live, the excess alcohol we drink, the smoke we put into our lungs, the toxic relationships we stay in, the jobs we hate, and the extra weight we carry on our bodies, may not affect us now but they are slowly killing us on the inside. Everyday you have a choice to add life to your body, mind, and spirit, or add poison. I want you to choose maximized health and that’s where Life & Food Wellness comes in…to get you really healthy, energized, feeling amazing, and loving your body so much that you have the confidence and know how to live the kind of life that gets you pumped and excited!
Is this a weight loss program?
No, it’s not. However, for clients that are looking to shed some pounds, they’ll find that by changing their diet to a whole foods diet while adding non-food elements that feed their hunger for life, their weight just starts to drop. I’ve had clients who have lost weight without struggling to do so. It was simply a byproduct of living a truly healthy lifestyle. How amazing is that? Being thin, eating plentifully, and no more fighting with your body and food. I love it!
Will this program help me get rid of my minor ailments?
Maybe. This depends on what kind of conditions you have. I myself have been able to drastically reduce many of ailments and some have altogether disappeared. When you start to remove toxic food and lifestyle choices, your body finally has a chance to heal. This program is not designed to work with individuals with serious conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
What kind of programs do you offer?
Check out the Life & Food Wellness Program Choices.
What happens during a session?
Each 50 minute session is focused on specific health topics and how they apply to your life. The programs will be interactive and focused around you. We will learn together and come up with practical action steps towards your desired goals for you to implement starting today. You'll be educated on specific topics that will demystify all the information that is out there about health and we’ll find a way to implement what you’ve learned into your life. Your tastes, personality, and goals will be taken into account to create a completely unique program tailored to you. Your sessions are to be used for you to voice your issues and concerns as well as to create solutions and strategies for healthier living. You’ll also receive feedback, accountability and motivation during the sessions. The sessions are laid back, fun, and for you to focus on you. Get started now and schedule your FREE 30 minute no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session. We'll figure out what challenges you're experiencing, and how to reach your goals.
What is the Life & Food Journal? (Applicable only to the Ultimate Nourishment Program)
The Life & Food Journal is an online journal that you fill out on a daily basis for the first month of your program. You’ll provide information such as what you’re eating, drinking, how much you’re exercising, how your energy levels are, how much you’re sleeping and so forth. By doing this, both you and I can get a clear picture of what’s going on in your life. Often times, our lives become so routine that we’re not aware of what daily choices we make. Writing it down will allow you to be fully present to your actions. The Life & Food Journal will also allow both of us to see what areas need some tweaking and to acknowledge the things that you’re doing well. I’ll give you feedback, inspiration, accountability and motivation to keep you on the right track.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
What kind of results can I expect?
You will get as much as you give. While I can’t say exactly what will happen for you, previous clients have experienced: weight loss, increased happiness, awareness of how to make the right food choices, how to read food ingredient labels, how to cook simple, yummy meals, increased energy, decreased to disappeared personal ailments, and new found confidence.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
How quickly can I get results? Back to top
That depends on how actively you participate in the program. Generally though, you can expect to experience results after our very first session.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
Can we meet in person? Back to top
All sessions are conducted via phone. This works great because it allows you the ability to meet regardless of where you live and allows more flexibility in terms of scheduling. Please note clients are responsible for their own phone charges.
Ready to transform your life? Schedule your FREE 30 minute, no obligation 'Get Acquainted' session right now!
Do you work with clients in any state or outside of the U.S.? Back to top
Yes, since holistic health counseling is done via phone and email, sessions can be conducted no matter where the client lives. Please keep in mind clients are responsible for phone charges.
Do you offer any discounts and payment options? Back to top
Yep. To make it easier on your wallet, you can pay monthly installments throughout the duration of your program. However if you pay in full you'll receive a 10% discount off of the total price.
Do you accept credit cards? Back to top
Absolutely. It’s the only form of payment that Life & Food Wellness accepts and payments can easily be taken care of through the website using Paypal.
How long are the programs? Back to top
Since most people have deeply formed habits, it usually takes some time before you develop new and healthier habits. All Life & Food Wellness programs run either 4 months or 6 months to assure that you’re making permanent lifestyle changes.
What if I don’t want to continue with the program once I’ve started? Back to top
The program is guaranteed to work but only if you fully participate. If at any time you feel that you would not like to continue, you can cancel at any time. There is a $100 early termination fee.
I’m very busy and don’t have much time, will this program still work for me? Back to top
Yes, the program has built in flexibility for the busy professional. I won’t lie to you, if you expect to do nothing and get results, this clearly will not be the program for you. But if you can make the coaching calls and commit to the action steps that we agree on, you will be well on your way to making a healthy lifestyle work for you!
I know which program I want, how do I get started? Back to top
I’m happy to hear that you’re ready to get healthy for good! You have just made an amazing decision. The first thing you should do is click here to fill out our “Getting Started” form. Then once it is submitted we will set up a 30 minute no obligation “Get Acquainted” Session to see how I can help you, what challenges you're facing, and figure out ways in which you can reach your goals. It'll also give you a chance to see what working together will be like.
When are the counseling sessions scheduled? Back to top
Session availability is very flexible. For those clients that are using the Life & Food journal (applicable to the Ulimate Nourishment Program only), they’ll receive daily feedback and inspiration via email.
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