Hello and welcome!
Here’s a little bit about me, and how we would work together.
I decided to become a Nutritionist to combine my love of food with a strong desire to help people overcome cancer and heart disease. My first husband, George, died of colon cancer at 39, and I saw firsthand how caring health professionals could make a dramatic difference in how well he tolerated treatment. All the delicious Greek food loving families brought to help us through that experience made it possible for him to get full doses of chemo and I am sure extended his life.
So, when my daughter was old enough I went to graduate school and got my Master’s Degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport. Then I got Board Certified by the American College of Nutrition. I wanted to make sure that any advice I gave out was scientifically accurate and would help people heal. So much research has come out in the past ten years about nutrition and disease. There is a lot we can do to help ourselves, and a lot of misinformation about what is truly healthy.
What is it like to work with me?
Well, I’ll tell you straight – it’s not a bunch of arbitrary rules, counting grams of this or that, and its certainly not about “health food” that tastes terrible. Healthy food should be delicious and simple to prepare. When food is truly nourishing we do not need huge portions to feel satisfied.
We will start where you are, figure out the changes that will have the most impact on your health, and make a plan. Once you have that success under your belt, we’ll make the next changes, and so on, until you reach your goals. When you feel great, eating well is easy, and your physician is happy, we are done. Its that simple.
Often nutrition seems like a confusing jumble. When you are hit with a serious diagnosis, it is frightening and often you feel helpless. You can have some control in this situation by eating the best way possible. I can help you cut through the hype. The science will tell us what helps the most, and what you can leave behind. Basically, I took lots of biochemistry so you don’t have to. The sense of peace you can have when you know that you are making a positive impact on your health speeds healing for both body and mind.
My greatest joy is seeing people with a healthy glow and revived energy, who say “You were right, I do feel better eating more vegetables and less sugar, and it isn’t hard at all!” Man, I love hearing people say I was right. 😉 When their lab results show their numbers are back in the healthy range and their physician reduces or eliminates their medications, it is a real victory. When they can tolerate a full schedule of chemo, and have the energy to enjoy their life during treatment, that is a real victory too.
My great-grandmother Athena, from a small village in Greece, has been a huge influence on me. She knew to eat greens every day, fresh vegetables and fruits, lentils and beans, and small portions of meat and sweets. Feeding her family was a show of love, and she was thankful for what she had. She lived 94 healthy years; I am inspired everyday by her example.
I’d love to show you how to make truly healthy eating possible. Contact me to start the conversation.