Hello, Gorgeous One! I’m so glad you are here.
MY STORY
For most of my life, I have had health concerns, AND I’ve been vain. These two areas of my life were never tied together though until 2016. I never saw myself as naturally pretty and experienced bouts of body dysmorphia. Many times throughout my life, I just figured I would have to rely on my smarts. But I was vain enough to try to look my best as I quickly realized that being attractive were things rewarded in our culture. It was not the healthiest outlook but it ended up serving my health.
From a health standpoint, as a child, I suffered severe and mysterious allergies and headaches. In my 20s and 30’s I was diagnosed and experienced:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- thyroid cancer
- ongoing migraines
- infertility issues
- miscarriages
- uterine fibroids
- cervical dysplasia
- ovarian cysts
- postpartum depression and anxiety
- insomnia
- debilitating PMS
- migraine headaches
- endometriosis
- a life-threatening tubal pregnancy
- unexplained racing heartbeat
I never asked why, nor did anyone suggest that I get at the root cause of my health issues. I just managed symptoms as they came and did what my doctors told me to do. As it turns out though, I had been inadvertently discovering the answers to most of my health issues through my desire to look youthful and keep my weight under control. I was doing things that kept me from being gravely ill, but I didn’t know enough to look or feel my best. I had never considered myself sick, but I certainly did not know about the concept of optimal health. And I certainly never considered my health having any connection with how I looked.
HOW I GOT HERE…
I’m not a doctor. I am just a driven woman and mom trying to do the best she can in this lifetime I have been researching and testing diets, anti-aging products, techniques, and tools for more than 15 years. You name it; I’ve tried it; Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, Primal, Bulletproof, Low Fat, The Wrinkle Cure, The Water Secret, Vegetarianism, McDougal, Sommersizing, Body for Life, Lasers, Botox, Microdermabrasion…the list goes on. I spent thousands of hours and dollars researching and testing what would keep me thin and looking my best. And as I got older, the pursuit became even stronger as I felt like my body was betraying me. Suddenly, the things that I did to stay in shape were no longer working like they once did. Cutting carbs for a few weeks was no longer enough to maintain my weight. Some mornings when I looked in the mirror, I did not recognize the face looking back at me. I actually remember thinking that I should just let my life wind down because the best was behind me.
Quitting and giving up though is really not my style. So I got a little more earnest about my eating habits, started practicing yoga more frequently, and went to my doctor, who prescribed hormone therapy. It never dawned on me that maybe that was unnecessary or harmful. Heck, I had done hormone pellet therapy when I was 30 as a way to encourage my husband to use testosterone. For a while, the hormones seemed to help. I lost the extra weight and felt pretty good. But my hair was still falling out, I was suffering from occasional cystic acne and my face felt like it was sinking into my head. My skin was changing on my entire body, and not for the better. Most notably, the skin on my stomach was no longer taut.
ENTER CINDY, HER HUSBAND & BULLETPROOF
Cindy is a friend I adore. While I don’t get to see her often, I love reading her Facebook posts. She and her husband post things about their life that I find inspiring and, sometimes a bit nuts. They obviously love each other and they seem to pace each other. Looking at their Facebook accounts you will find posts about ice baths, grueling meditations, and other health and relationship items but what caught my attention was a post about getting six-pack abs without trying. SIGN ME UP. I sent a DM asking what they were doing. She said Bulletproof. Within a week, I had read Bulletproof by Dave Asprey, listened to a dozen podcasts, and began my own vanity induced health odyssey. Becoming a biohacker fit my personality. I’m incredibly curious, analytical, and tenacious. I am a problem solver and the idea of taking action that improved my health and looks was perfect for me. I was now interested in the root cause of what was happening to my looks and how I felt. Anything and everything seemed possible.
Now, I consider myself an age-defying and beauty biohacker. I often use myself a human guinea pig. While I was initially fueled by vanity, it didn’t stop there. I learned that the things that keep me looking and feeling the most youthful, e.g., balanced and whole nutrition, daily movement, and emotional wellness and spiritual practices, are also the things that heal my body and bring about optimal health, at any age. I found that by using food as medicine, engaging in daily movement, practicing gratitude and meditation, and finding humor in life, I stopped experiencing headaches, fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, back fat, tummy bloat, low libido, accelerated aging, and high blood sugar. After some testing and extensive research, I found out that I had accidentally been keeping my health at an “ok” level because of my vanity. Reducing carbs and eliminating processed foods and sugar had kept me from being extremely sick but there was so much more possibility. I found that I could optimize my health and improve my looks, from the inside out, by tweaking my discoveries and making them practical so it could become my lifestyle! I discovered the secret of #vanityinducedhealth which keeps me looking 7-10 years younger and feeling sexier and more energetic than I did in my 20’s.
After finishing my master’s degree coursework in mental health counseling, I noticed I was feeling less than inspired to only coach and consult with companies who lacked an inspiring mission or purpose. Profit only endeavors just didn’t serve my heart. While on a beach in Hawaii, with wholehearted intention and open-mindedness, I inquired about what was next. and dug into how I wanted to spend my precious and limited time on this planet. I looked back at my vast business and life experience and asked myself, God and the Divine, “What should I do to be fully in service and on purpose?” And then, while walking and feeling the cool ocean breeze, a spark of inspiration, a sense of love filled me and Practical Beautiful Life came into focus. Suddenly, my life and the journey to this point made sense. My desire to empower women, the time spent in front of the camera on ChiKiiTV, EmpowHER, and SheKnows, business experience, understanding of human psychology, training in authentic relating, the personal beauty quest, my spiritual path, the years of health issues, and even the relationship with a man who owned a digital health business, it all clicked. The puzzle pieces of my life came together and created an unexpected but beautiful picture. I could use what I learned and experienced to help other women live a healthy, long and beautiful life by becoming informed and empowered consumers of health care. I could be a reminder that age is just a number and that there is no shelf life to being sexy, energetic, and beautiful. I could help women rid themselves of disempowering beliefs that have many women living as if the best has already happened or that it’s is too late to experience the best life has to offer.
Practical Beautiful Life, a health style brand provides free education, videos, podcasts, and digital training programs to help women live the most practical (read attainable, affordable and accessible) and beautiful (read youthful-looking, joyous, and healthy) life possible. NOW!
Using my evidence-based protocol and 21 day emotional, spiritual, and physical detox, I have reversed an autoimmune disorder, prevented Type 2 diabetes, returned to my fighting weight of 114 lbs, lost two inches in my waist, got my hair back to being healthy (it had been thinning and falling out), cleared my skin, tightened and toned my face and neck, and found love again. I have more energy and strength today than I did before I had kids. What is amazing is that it wasn’t that hard or complicated, but it took me a lot of research to figure out what was most important. My programs use the common denominators that make Whole30, Paleo, Primal, Plant Paradox, and Bulletproof effective, with a special focus on women over 35 e.g. hormone balance, stress reduction, and thyroid function that keeps us lean and youthful. My intention is to make my work and ongoing experiences available so that women, like you, can experience optimal health and live a practical, beautiful life that creates joy and contentment, no matter what life circumstances may bring.
I am so glad you are here on this journey with me. You deserve to live a long, healthy and beautiful life filled with love, beauty, joy, and contentment. Practical Beautiful Life can help you get there!