My Journey
I used to say my journey began in November of 2020, but in reality it began in August of 2015 when I woke up one morning, packed three bags of clothes for my boys and I and left a physically and emotionally abusive marriage riddled with drugs and alcohol. That day, I thought I was escaping and would finally be able to move on. I was so wrong!
The next several years, I threw myself into work and alcohol (a lot of alcohol) to avoid the fear, the nightmares and the trauma that I was leaving unhealed. Domestic violence does not end simply because you leave. Quite honestly, that is when the hardest work begins. And I avoided that work like the plague. Instead I worked an emotionally taxing job, drank, and gained weight. Every aspect of my life was unhealthy. I was miserable with myself and didn't know how to heal.
IIn November of 2020, I slipped in my kitchen and broke my hip. I landed myself in the hospital in the height of Covid. I also tested positive, although I had no respiratory symptoms. I was made to lay in a hospital bed for 5 days unable to move before surgery was performed. I was in the hospital for 9 days. In what I would consider the worst possible conditions. Complete isolation, no help, everyone afraid to touch me. I came home with bed sores and no plan for rehab.
Now, you would think that would have been enough to get me motivated to make some changes. It did not. 2 months later I was hospitalized again for liver failure due to alcoholism. I spent another 9 days in the hospital. The difference this time was, I came out knowing my life depended on a change. I needed to make changes or I was going to die. It was that clear! I was extremely overweight, my liver was shot and I needed help.
Here is where the work began to heal!! This is the part of the journey most people are interested in. Here is where my support crew kicked in and truly helped me save my life!! I truly have the BEST crew in the world!! My boys, my family, my friends and my amazing husband all deserve a medal!!
I got hooked up with a sobriety counselor and was doing well. Within 6 weeks, one of my very best friends hooked me up with an amazing health coach. All of my years as an RN (yes healthcare workers can make poor health choices), I really didn’t understand the important parts of nutrition. My coach helped me heal from the inside out with great nutrition!
So within 6 weeks, I gave up alcohol, sugar, gluten, soy, dairy and almost all caffeine (I had 2 cups of coffee a day). When my clients talk about the struggle of change, I completely understand!!!
Over the next year, I lost 100 lbs! All of my lab work went back to normal. I felt amazing!! And I absolutely dove into the healing process. A lot of soul and mind work was done, and is still being done. I went back to school as well! I have been sober for over 2 years as I type this out as well!!
I could not imagine going through life and not sharing this with other women!! I was amazed at how much of a difference changing my nutrition and my habits changed my life. I decided that something good was going to come of all of this and I created Anchored Nutrition!
I truly want to help as many women as I can, find the strength to reach their goals! To help you learn how food can heal and does not have to be our enemy! I want to help you learn how to truly love yourself from the inside out!
I have helped almost 100 women do this exact thing and I am just getting started!!