Meet Ellen
Fun Facts About Ellen
- I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I love to geek out on natural health podcasts, books, documentaries, and functional nutrition webinars with the goal of staying current and up to date in my field.
- I am a former Peace Corps Volunteer and international travel is one of my biggest passions. My next trip will be to Costa Rica!
- I am happily married with two 20 something adult daughters who love a good adventure as much as myself.
- When I am not working or playing in the kitchen cooking nutrient dense meals, you will find me kayaking and hiking as well as skiing and snowshoeing.
- On a rainy day, I love to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea, watch a good movie, chill with my partner, meet up with friends, or soak in my hot tub at the end of the day.
My story:
Unfortunately, I am no stranger to fatigue.
I went through a period where I was so exhausted that simply walking to the mailbox was a huge effort.
So, I have been in your shoes, and I completely understand how exhaustion can make daily life seem insurmountable.
How it all began:
I never really thought much about my health until after the birth of my second daughter Maya in 2004.
When Maya was 4 weeks old and my husband went back to work after her birth, life started to feel hard. Something had snapped! I had a baby, a toddler, and no energy. I was literally crawling out of bed, and it took loads of mental willpower just to get through the day.
I wanted to be a super mom, but I felt like “exhausted mom”. Luckily, I knew it was not normal to be so fatigued, especially as I had felt great after my older daughter Audrie’s birth just three years earlier. My body was trying to tell me something, but what?
My health journey began in 2005:
My first stop on my healing journey was my OB GYN doctor.
I told her what was going on, and this is what she said. “You need to accept that you are getting older and that feeling less vital is normal.” I was only 37 years old. Normal, really? I decided not to accept that I would feel this way forever.
However, I felt so far from the sharp, strong, capable, and fit woman of my past.
Often, I would look at my wedding picture and wonder, will I ever feel that vibrant again? I felt a deep sadness at the loss of this version of myself, and I am not going to lie, tears were shed!
So, I met with a variety of practitioners (2 Naturopathic Physicians, 2 Endocrinologists, a Family Nurse Practitioner, 2 Acupuncturists, and an MD that specialized in homeopathy), and each person and approach helped a little but not a lot.
I had a battery of tests that revealed nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, digestive dysfunction, and a struggling immune system. Each person gave me a few ideas about diet and supplements, but no one provided me with a comprehensive plan to address these conditions.
So, I persevered, read, researched, and sought answers, but I had no step-by-step path to success.
The turning point:
Then in 2008, I enrolled in the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA) program. I was still exhausted, overweight, bloated, and depressed, but I knew I was on the right path.
I felt hopeful for the first time in 4 years.
During the NTA program, I discovered that everything I had learned previously about nutrition was incomplete. I dove into the program and learned about the nutritional foundations of health, the power of healing foods, root causes of my symptoms, and how to remove blocking factors and rebalance my system.
I also worked with a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) to rebalance my body. I found the right diet, lifestyle, and supplement plan for me. Real healing began. I applied what I learned with great results.
Now that I had helped myself, I wanted to help others.
A Happy Ending!
Now, I am back to doing the things I love like hiking, kayaking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I want this transformation for you as well.
Your path to success:
No one should have to spend years figuring out their health issues.
My personal health challenges mean that I have immense compassion and empathy for my client’s healing journey, and as a result, I am patient and persistent in helping clients get results in as short a timeframe as possible with a step-by-step process and loads of support, guidance, and resources.
I love seeing a client’s transformation after adopting a whole food, nutrient dense diet, and implementing protocols based on objective lab testing.
I healed myself working with a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and applying my knowledge. I have helped hundreds of clients reclaim their energy and vitality.
I have your back.
You can do this too, and with me, you will have a skilled ally and “nutritional detective” to guide you on your journey.
I have a master’s degree in public health with a focus on health education. I am a certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with excellent communication skills honed as a health educator and coach, and I have pursued advanced education in functional nutrition as a Master Restorative Wellness Practitioner.
I have been seeing clients for over 14 years with a focus on addressing digestive and hormonal imbalances, fatigue, and autoimmune conditions using a functional nutrition approach.
Let’s do this.
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