I became interested in nutrition and health after battling depression and an unhealthy relationship with food. While a freshman in college, I became very depressed due to a variety of events that occurred in different areas of my life. Growing up, I had suffered some low periods but this felt different…it was an overwhelming sense of sadness that made me feel completely hopeless and alone. I had started going to a Pilates studio in the town where I grew up before leaving for college and found myself driving home on the weekends while in college to go to Pilates, as it was the only thing that gave me some happiness.

While dealing with my depression, I had a very poor appetite. I inadvertently lost weight, not because I was trying to, but because I was very rarely hungry. Some people eat too much when sad or stressed while others do not eat enough. I’m part of the latter group. I’ve always been thin but I started to get too thin. I felt a deep sense of emptiness due to my depression, which I then began to feel internally because I wasn’t eating enough. This triggered a cycle that made me not want to eat because I thought I “deserved” to feel as empty inside as I felt outside. And, alas, this was when and how my unhealthy relationship with food began.

While battling my depression, I sought out therapy and found a therapist to whom I will be forever indebted. She made me understand that there was hope that I could feel happy again and that I could fight through this. While working with her, I also started seeing a nutritionist and learned that food was not the enemy; it could actually help me feel better and to feel alive again.

My relationship with food then changed dramatically. My negative relationship with food became an extremely positive one. In 2002, I became certified in Pilates. Besides my actual therapist, Pilates was my therapy. Pilates gave me a strength and confidence that I had always lacked. It also helped me to appreciate how capable my body truly was. I then went on to get both my undergraduate and doctorate degrees in holistic nutrition and naturopathy, respectably. My passion in life is to educate and help others heal emotionally and physically using whole foods and exercise.

So that’s my story in a nutshell. My love affair with food began after my own battle with it. Pilates became an integral part of my life because it helped me through my darkest period. This happened many years ago. I’m very proud to say that I’ve never fallen back into the throws of depression or a battle with food. I work with clients to help them understand and appreciate the power of whole foods and exercise: their ability to heal, to empower, and to strengthen the body, both inside and out.

My Credentials:

I received my doctorate in Naturopathy and am an alumnus of Sarah Lawrence College. I received my Health Counseling certification through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City, the only nutrition school that integrates all of the different dietary theories- combining knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts like the USDA food pyramid, the glycemic index, the Zone, and raw foods. I studied under Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Harville Hendrix, Geneen Roth, David Wolfe, and Deepak Chopra.  I am certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and have obtained continuing education credits through Purchase College, State University of New York. I am authentically trained and certified as a Pilates instructor through True Pilates NYC, and have worked extensively with Joseph Pilates’ protege, Romana Kyrzanowska. I am currently undergoing an advanced 500-hour yoga certification through Yoga Synthesis and teach yoga privately and to small groups.