About Kristen

I began my career with health and fitness while in college. I discovered my passion for group fitness and personal training after spending hours in the gym, trying to stay in shape and develop a healthy lifestyle. I found that I loved it, and I taught my first group fitness class that year, and a few months later got certified as a personal trainer. This hobby that I was so passionate about soon became my life’s journey. I taught at multiple gyms, fitness centers, and country clubs, teaching group fitness classes, and personal training. I dove into learning all the latest and greatest in the world of physical fitness, and soon discovered the world of competitive fitness. Competing in fitness competitions during my 20’s taught me a lot about how food affects everything. At the time, it was all about decreasing body fat to have the leanest frame possible, and of course, it was all about looking good.

While I learned a lot of training techniques and how to diet, I also learned what I didn’t want. Deprivation, low self-esteem, health issues, injuries from over-training, and poor diet (a diet that was perfect for calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate ratios, but terrible for health and vitality long-term) caused the development of some very unhealthy habits. I was miserable, starving or binge eating, and mentally in the wrong place. I exercised through my injuries, causing more injuries for fear of getting fat because “Who wants a fat trainer/instructor?” I equated my self-worth with how I looked and how others viewed me.

I decided to change my path and found the practice of yoga. Of course, I picked the most athletic style possible, Vinyasa yoga. It offered me an intensely physical experience filled with sweat, music, and a fantastic workout. I was all in. I studied with Baron Baptiste and began teaching power Vinyasa yoga at multiple studios in the area. I connected on a deeper level with my students and with myself. MIND and BODY were no longer separate, but one. SPIRITUALITY was missing from my life. I was in love with what yoga gave me and eager to share this feeling with everyone who would listen. What started as a way to ‘stretch’ and cross-trained to help prevent future injuries, turned into a positive life-changing experience.

At 33 years old, my turning point was a ruptured ACL and torn meniscus that I sustained while teaching kickboxing (which was probably my 10th class that week on top of running outside and weightlifting five times a week) The thought of being down for weeks with this injury petrified me. I could not exercise. How would I keep my lean, perfect body? What would everyone say or think?

During this time, I experimented with a plant-based diet, as so many yogis are vegan. I had heard about the anti-inflammatory diet and the raw food vegan diet. I thought I would try to eat as healthy as possible so that my body could heal as quickly as possible, and I would be back to my ferocious routine in no time. It was the only thought that got me through it.

Finding the answers:

Eating a whole-food plant-based diet for 21 days before my knee surgery did the job. I healed quickly, and my physical therapist was amazed at my results. I made physical therapy my job. I also noticed how bright and glowing my skin was and how great I felt by eating this way. I kept it up through my recovery from surgery, and then slowly, some old habits crept back in; that was 2010. Since then, I’ve had a few more injuries and another surgery. This one was a big one for me, a total hip replacement at 38 years old! What? I was devastated; I was too young for that!!

Major surgery motivated me even more, to heal myself through a positive mindset and nutrition. I slowly improved day by day, week by week, year by year. I was learning to eat intuitively. My body was healing itself because I allowed it to do so. Now, I was listening to my body and how I felt. I was eating to feel good, not to look good. But the big payoff was that looking good was just the natural by-product of feeling good. Wow.

My Education & Professional Experiences:

I developed a lifestyle and routine focused on living a healthy, happy, and sustainable life. I have been able to turn my passion for nutrition and help others make empowered choices into a professional opportunity where I support those who share my vision for happiness, health, and greater well-being.
In 2017, I enrolled at the Institute of Integrated Nutrition to become a certified Health Coach. I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I learned innovative coaching methods, practical lifestyle management techniques, and over 100 dietary theories – Ayurveda, gluten-free, Paleo, raw, vegan, macrobiotics, and everything in between. Coupled with more than twenty years of experience with physical fitness, positive psychology, and personal training, I could develop a holistic practice that supports the mind, body, and soul to live a full, happy life.