My story
I've been where you are. That's why I'm here.
I'm a chef, teacher, trainer, and survivor. I'm a woman who has known struggle, deep love, profound loss, and the courage it takes to find your way through. My own journey has shaped the way I see healing. I've learned that recovery isn't just about the mind — it's about the whole person. Today, I combine food, science, and faith to help others nourish their bodies, support their brains, and find their way back to themselves.
Life prepared me for this work and I didn't know it yet.
Looking back, every chapter of my life pointed me here. Teaching. Fitness. Recovery. Cooking. Loss. They didn't seem connected at the time, but together they shaped the way I understand healing, and the work I do today.
Free from alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, sugar & caffeine.
My recovery began with alcohol, but it didn't end there. Along the way, I also broke free from nicotine, marijuana, sugar, and caffeine. Through that journey, I learned something no textbook could teach me: the brain can't heal without the nutrients it needs to function. As I began nourishing my body and supporting my neurotransmitters, the fog lifted, my cravings lost their grip, and I finally understood that recovery isn't just about what you remove—it's also about what you restore. Today, I help others use nutrition to support that same healing process.
Cooking for people fighting for their lives.
Working as a chef in addiction recovery facilities taught me that food is part of the healing process. I watched people begin to change when they were given real nourishment—protein, healthy fats, and amino acid-rich meals designed to support the brain and body. I watched the fog lift, the energy come back, the hope return. The difference was undeniable. Recovery isn't just about removing what harms us. It's also about restoring what the body needs to heal.
Health & PE teacher. I saw what food does to children firsthand.
Before the kitchens and recovery work, I was a Health and Physical Education teacher. I watched children come into my classroom hungry, distracted, overstimulated, or struggling to focus. I saw how deeply food affected their ability to learn, move, regulate, and thrive. I also saw what was missing—kids were taught how to play sports, but not how to care for their bodies for life. I never forgot what I witnessed in those classrooms.
Two gyms. Bodybuilding. Starting over.
I spent years in the fitness world as a personal trainer and managing two gyms. I loved helping others get stronger, but I was also navigating my own relationship with food, my body, and the pressure to look a certain way. I know what it feels like to chase an ideal while losing connection with yourself. My recovery taught me that the body doesn’t need punishment—it needs nourishment, support, and care.
Why I do this work
I wish I knew then what I know now.
People often ask me why I do this work. The answer isn't found in a textbook. It's found in love, loss, and a question that still stays with me.
Years ago, I walked beside someone I loved deeply as he battled addiction and the invisible weight he carried every day. For four years, I watched him fight harder than anyone should have to. In the end, he lost that fight.
For a long time, I thought recovery was only about therapy, meetings, and willpower. I didn't know there was another piece of the story. As I immersed myself in nutrition and amino acid therapy, I began to understand how profoundly the brain depends on the nutrients it needs to make the very chemicals that influence mood, resilience, motivation, and cravings. I couldn't help but look back and wonder how different things might have been if we'd known then what I know now.
I'll never know the answer to that question. But I do know this: no one should have to fight recovery with an empty toolbox. That's why I do what I do.
Today, I help people nourish their recovery through food, targeted nutrition, and amino acid therapy. I believe healing is more than surviving. It's helping the brain and body regain the support they've been missing so people have the best possible chance to heal.
This work is deeply personal to me. Every person I meet reminds me that behind every struggle is a human being who deserves compassion, hope, and every opportunity to feel well again. I'm honored you're here, and I hope this is the beginning of your own journey back to yourself.
Growing in faith. Finding purpose in the pain.
After losing people I loved to addiction and suicide, I had to find a way to carry that grief and keep moving forward. My faith became my anchor, and my purpose became helping others find healing. And so has Tyke—my American Staffordshire Terrier, my constant companion, and one of the greatest gifts of my recovery. I'm not here to preach. I'm here to share what I've learned: healing is possible, your life has value, and nutrition can be one of the tools that helps you rebuild, restore, and come back to yourself.
Meet Tyke
The handsome, goofy boy who keeps me going.
This is Tyke—my American Staffordshire Terrier and one of the brightest parts of my day. He has a smile that makes me laugh every single time. He gets me out the door for daily walks whether I feel like it or not, and whenever I give him a treat, he runs right back to me and boops my leg or hand with his snout like he's saying thank you.
That boop gets me every time. Recovery is serious work—but Tyke reminds me that healing also needs joy, connection, and moments that make you smile. He's part of my life, so he's part of this journey.
Training & credentials
The foundation behind the work
My approach comes from a lifetime of learning, experience, and recovery—connecting food, the body, and healing in a way that is both personal and practical.
Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition
Certified in addiction and mental health nutrition, including amino acid therapy and nutritional support for recovery.
Health & Physical Education Teacher
Saw firsthand how nutrition, movement, and education shape the brain, body, and lifelong health.
Food & Recovery Kitchens
30+ years of experience in kitchens and recovery spaces, witnessing how real nourishment can support healing.
Fitness & Gym Management
Managed two gyms with experience in personal training, muscle building, and workout recovery.
Lived Experience
My own recovery from alcohol use disorder and other substances gives me a perspective no certification can provide.
My philosophy
Feed the brain. Heal the whole person.
Your brain is a physical organ, and it needs the right nutrients to function. Amino acids, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals all play a role in producing the neurotransmitters that influence mood, focus, energy, and resilience. When the body is depleted by addiction, chronic stress, emotional distress, mental health challenges, or intense training, the brain can struggle to perform at its best. Nutrition is not the whole answer—but it is a powerful foundation for healing. That understanding guides everything I do.
You are not broken. You are depleted.
Let's restore you back to yourself.