Are you wanting to optimize your health without the obsession or overwhelm? I’m your gal!
I’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer and self-proclaimed wellness enthusiast on a mission to equip, empower and encourage you to build a healthy relationship with food and exercise, nourish your body well, and achieve your optimal version of health in a way that is practical, sustainable and enjoyable, and all without restriction, obsession or overwhelm. I take a refreshing, joy-filled and realistic approach to health that will be a much needed breath of fresh air in the midst of all the nutrition noise and dogmatic diets.
I’m so glad you’re here!
Has the pursuit of better health become too complicated, confusing and overwhelming for you? Are you fed up and burnt out with all the rules and advice we are bombarded with at every turn? Have you ever wondered if you’ll ever have a healthy relationship with food and exercise?
Do you dream about the day you don’t look at your nutrition and exercise efforts as so “all or nothing”? Are you tired of feeling enslaved and beat down by your diet and exercise routine?
Do you wish you could find a way to solve your biggest health concerns, manage a chronic condition, up-level your relationship with food and fitness, and finally feel confident in your body, no matter what it looks like, so you can live out your life’s greater purpose?
Are you ready to finally start focusing on all that life has to offer, instead of fighting with new diet rules and jumping hoops that diet culture throws at you left and right? Are you ready to go from confused, anxious, overwhelmed, obsessed, enslaved, miserable and barely surviving, to confident, at ease, comfortable, free, empowered, and thriving?
...If so, then consider me your go-to dietitian and personal cheerleader!
As a trained dietitian and personal trainer, I help women just like you optimize their health, without the obsession and overwhelm, so you can live the vibrant, abundant life you were created for. We will work together to cultivate a healthy mindset and lifestyle that is practical, sustainable and most of all enjoyable. Yep, say goodbye to food guilt, negative mindsets, and dogmatic diets, and say hello to feeling empowered in your food choices, confident in your body, and free from chasing perfection.
I have worked as a clinical dietitian over the last 5 years where I work with patients who suffer from debilitating and chronic – but oftentimes preventable – conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease and fatty liver disease, all of which can be influenced, for better or for worse, by diet and lifestyle. Day in and day out, I see firsthand the immense impact our food and lifestyle choices have on our overall health, and I want better for you, my patients, and the American population as a whole. The powerful healing properties that nutrient-dense, whole foods provide to the body are quite honestly, amazing. What a gift to be able to support our health with nourishing foods.
However, while I aim to share the evidence-based side of nutrition and the importance of making diet and lifestyle choices that support our overall, long-term health (chronic conditions or not!), I won’t shy away from the fact that aspects such as our emotional, mental and spiritual health are just as important, as each plays a significant role in how we view and approach our physical health — and life as a whole. Further, our unique relationship with food, shaped by past dieting, family of origin, or beliefs and attitudes, plays a pivotal role in our health as well, and cannot be overlooked.
That is why, while I take a practical, evidence-based approach to nutrition, I take it with a healthy dose of grace — and with your individual needs and experiences in mind. Because what good is it to gain “ultimate health” yet lose your soul, zest for life, and enjoyment of food, along the way?
Some things you should know...
I believe health should be simple, attainable and enjoyable for all, no matter where you are on your journey.
I believe health is multi-dimensional and is about so much more than what you eat, how much you exercise, or the number on the scale.
I believe you get your worth, value and identity from Christ alone, not from how you look, how you eat, or how others think of you.
I haven't always had the best relationship with food and exercise...
Yep, even with my background in nutrition. I’ve lived the miserable life of counting calories (and believing low cal foods = healthier), putting myself through workouts solely out of punishment, and constantly nitpicking every “mistake” with my body, all in the pursuit of “being healthy”. What I thought would grant me a life of freedom and control actually led me to a constant cycle of guilt, shame and regret. Sound familiar?
I was made for more than that.
YOU were made for more that than, too.
You were made for more than counting calories, doing workouts you hate and striving for perfection all in the sake of “health”. I truly believe that achieving greater health doesn’t have to be hard, doesn’t have to be so all or nothing, and doesn’t have to be restrictive or lead to obsessive thoughts.
5 Mindset Shifts That Changed My Approach to Health:
These can all be true for you, too. We will work to get you there, together.
Do any of the following describe you?
- Burned out from the current wellness culture
- Yearning for a more balanced approach to wellness
- Tired of feeling like you have to restrict yourself in order to be “healthy”
- Fed up with feeling enslaved to your diet and exercise routine
- Overwhelmed by the nutrition noise in the media
- Wanting to feel confident in the kitchen (and your skin)
- In search of evidence-based and easy to implement nutrition info
- Ready to take control of chronic conditions
- Eager to actually enjoy life (and your food) to the fullest
If so, then you’re in the right place! My greatest hope is that you feel encouraged, empowered and equipped to live a life marked with freedom, abundance and grace; filled with good food, enjoyable movement and finally free of guilt, shame and regret. Know this: you deserve to live a healthy lifestyle marked with freedom, confidence and enjoyment. No strict rules, no complicated strategies, no standard of perfection. It’s my goal to help get you there.
Your mindset and motives matters….maybe even more than what you’re eating or how you’re working out.
Food plays many roles in our lives: it serves as fuel, can have functional properties, but can also be a source of fun. Each role is important to create a balanced, vibrant, and healthy relationship with all food.
Removing rigid restrictions and negative labels from foods will foster a healthy relationship with all foods.
Health is multi-dimensional and highly individualized. There’s not one diet that is right for everyone, no one right way to workout, and your health is more than the number on the scale. You’re a complex human, not a programmed robot.
We can approach exercise with a “push” mentality or a “play” mentality, but should never utilize the “punish” mentality.
Gaining ideal physical health while neglecting your spiritual, emotional, and mental health, is not healthy.
Your health is a gift to steward, not a god to serve.
3 Lessons That Changed My Life
01.
Focus on optimizing nutrient intake instead of restricting calorie intake.
02.
Rigid, restrictive rules are never the answer to an abundant life with long-term, sustainable health.
03.
Food will not solve your deepest emotional problems.
Hi Clara, I now know a lot more about your interests after reading this. You are now a beautiful young lady and I know so little about you. We regret that we live so far apart that we have not stayed closer to your Mom and Dad. If you ever get close to Roanoke or Richmond we hope you will call us or one of the boys in Richmond. Your cousin Kevin gave his fiancé a ring on Valentines day. that is exciting for us!. Love from your Uncle Bob.