I was getting splitting headaches more and more frequently. I was lethargic, achy, and generally feeling miserable. I knew I didn’t want to start taking any medication for my increasingly debilitating headaches. However, I wasn’t willing to make the drastic changes to my diet that needed to happen.

After one semester away, I transferred to a local college. But since I still wasn’t living at home, I kept eating like crap.

I finally reached my breaking point when I was 22. It was the middle of summer, and I was lying on my bed feeling sick from leftover pizza for breakfast. My window was open. As I laid there listening to the sounds of everyone outside enjoying their lives, I decided that enough was enough. 

At the time, I worked at a grocery store. The next day, I brought home fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, anything that didn’t come out of a box or a can.

I didn’t know what I was doing so I relied on recipes that I found online. I taught myself how to cook and experimented a ton. I had some pretty disgusting fails but also made some winners.

As I shifted from eating mostly processed foods to mostly whole foods, I was amazed at the difference in my energy levels. 

I was so fascinated with the power of nutrition that I switched my major from Psychology to Food and Nutrition. I originally wanted to become a Registered Dietitian. So I took all the classes necessary: Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Basic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Experimental & Functional Food, Nutrition Education Theories & Practice, and more.

To pay for my degree, I got a job working at a hospital close to my home. I worked in several different departments before settling into The Cancer Center for Kids.

A dietitian also worked there on an on-call basis. Here, I got my first introduction to what a dietitian’s job in a hospital could look like. But since the dietitian was only there a couple of times a week, I didn’t really get an in-depth look at what her job entailed.

After a year of study, I got a job working in the dietary department of a different hospital. This job gave me a more in-depth understanding of a dietitian’s role in the hospital setting. Seeing dozens of patients in one day with barely enough time to help them pursue wellness in their own lives wasn’t the career that I wanted.

Although I knew that becoming a Registered Dietitian wasn’t for me, I continued with my studies.    

In 2021, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition from The University of Alabama.

After researching alternative jobs for people with my educational background, I came across health coaching.

Health coaching seemed like the perfect fit for me. With health coaching, I wouldn’t have to rush from client to client. I could take a more personalized approach to clients.

Just one month after graduating, I landed my first remote health coaching job. Being a health coach meant that I would have the capacity to build deeper relationships with my clients. I wanted to find out what wellness meant to each of them. Helping people discover their “why” is the beginning of the path to thriving.

As an introvert, health coaching was a difficult career for me. Talking to a variety of people every day was challenging. It’s something that I never would have done on my own.

I’m grateful for the challenge because it propelled me deeper into a fulfilling role. To help my clients reach their wellness goals, I have to get to know them in a uniquely intimate way. Now, I actually find it exciting to talk to strangers. 

My first health coaching job was at a start-up. Unfortunately, 6 months later, I was laid off due to lack of funding. After only a month of job hunting, I got my second health coaching job. Both of my jobs showed me that health and wellness is the field for me.

To work on my skills as a health coach, I started attending the Wellcoaches School of Coaching. I finished the program in January 2024.

One of my favorite modules in the Wellcoaches training program was the Lifestyle Medicine module. Using food as medicine is something I live by. So many ailments can be prevented or reversed through what you choose to eat everyday.

Now, I’ve decided to branch out to reach more people. As a health and wellness blogger, I aim to help people make wellness a part of their daily routines, whatever that may look like.

I believe that everyone deserves to live well. Once you embrace wellness on your own terms, there is no pressure. No more “I’ll start on Monday” or “It’s too late.” I help people discover those tiny steps they can take right now to build healthier lives. 

To further my health coach training, I took the NBHWC (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching) exam in March 2024. In April, I got the good news that I passed!

Today’s hectic world can make pursuing your health and wellness challenging. I hope to reach people struggling to find that balance in their lives.