Welcome!
I'm Laura and I’m a certified nutrition and wellness specialist for women navigating menopause.
I help women like you in their 40s, 50s and 60s discover nourishing choices and practices that support your metabolism and heal your hormones.
In midlife (and menopause), crafting a lifestyle that aligns with your unique needs and body is essential. My goal is to help you achieve graceful aging and optimal health - because you deserve nothing less!
They say your best years are still ahead of you. It’s true.
Menopause is a transition that brings an opportunity for stability and self-care like no other.
But at the same time you may have been struck with the challenge of hot flashes, insomnia and desert like dryness that affects your whole life. You’re not alone.
It’s more essential than ever to focus on your health during this time, not just for today but to ease menopause symptoms and support your future.
And you don’t have to navigate this alone.
Does it seem like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel?
I know exactly
how you feel.
I’ve been there too.
I’m Laura and I’m a nutrition and wellness coach for women who want to take charge of their health, mindset and daily life to thrive in midlife.
I’ll teach you how to nourish your body and balance your hormones so you can feel great while diminishing any signs of aging. Small, actionable steps are the key to success and I’ll show you that through adjustments to your daily habits, real health, vitality and wellness are achievable for anyone.
With experience comes knowledge and I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned along the way.
The Backstory
I was the one who seemed to always have it together.
I hosted dinner parties with meals cooked from scratch and served them on vintage china. I decorated my house seasonally and went to town at each major holiday. I weathered every cold and flu to take care of everyone else without getting sick myself. And I managed to maintain a slight frame for most of my life without resorting to yo-yo diets.
I always approached health from an outward perspective. Healthy meant thin but it was at the cost of actual nourishment.
Typical to my Gen X upbringing, fat was the enemy and I embraced everything and anything low-fat, non-fat and fat free. My nutritional knowledge was basic and came from women’s magazines and daytime shows which all supported my fear of anything cooked in butter, fried or that still had skin.
I followed the guidelines of the food pyramid which meant that my diet consisted heavily of grains and processed carbohydrates. I made sure to eat fruits and vegetables (mostly fruit), limit sweets and snacks (denied myself), and only drank diet soda.
This all “seemed” to work. After all, I was thin. But with time I paid the price for my dietary choices with troublesome digestive issues and skin conditions like rosacea, acne and psoriasis.
But I was thin.
Then in my mid 40’s, after years of nutrient deficiencies, gut disturbances and taking hormone disruptive synthetic birth control I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was shocked.
It was presented as no big deal. I was given a prescription for Synthroid and sent on my way. I didn’t even think to question this. I played the good girl, was obedient and did what I was told. Never once did I wonder how this happened to me.
Three years passed of me dutifully refilling prescriptions no questions asked. Symptoms started to arise - debilitating fatigue, intolerable sensitivity to extreme temperatures hot or cold, pulling clumps of hair out of my hairbrush. Until one day something happened.
We as women have been so indoctrinated to believe that our job is to please others - to keep them happy, to be of service, to make them comfortable - which makes it extremely uncomfortable to stand up and say something and ruffle some feathers.
It happened because my email got hacked.
My personal email account suffered a breach of security and accounts worldwide were hacked. I had to shut down and start fresh with a new account. It turned into an opportunity to scrub my inbox and get rid of subscriptions I no longer used.
During this process I came across an article written by a nutritionist on foods that support thyroid health. She talked about something called leaky gut brought on by poor diet. By simply upgrading how you eat to a diet based on whole foods that maximizes nutrients, removes processed foods and eliminates sugar, gluten and dairy, you could prevent or even reverse chronic health conditions.
It was the nudge I needed to take charge of my health and wellness and become my own health advocate. I not only wanted to reverse my hypothyroidism, but I was approaching menopause and wanted that transition to be as smooth as possible.
I also knew this would be challenging. It’s a big undertaking to completely overhaul your diet. We’re human and we have strong ties to food for comfort, nurture, and love.
I had to train myself to not only eat differently, but to think differently as well.
For 6 months, I ate clean, meditated, journaled and moved my ass. I enlisted the help of a naturopath and tested my hormones and my poop. I started a supplement protocol and did an elimination diet.
I learned how wrong the diet and nutrition information I had been following for 25 years had been. I intuitively began to relate to my body in a different way. I listened to it and finally started to understand it. I dove into wellness and really started taking care of myself.
The rewards presented themselves within six months when my thyroid markers returned to normal functional range and my autoimmune antibodies reduced by 50%. While not a complete victory, it was no longer a red flag and I was elated. All the hard work, effort and money I had invested came into fruition on paper.
I was in a place where I
confidently felt I had taken
back control of my health.
I still had a long way to go but my thyroid journey raised an awareness of just how much we are falsely marketed to, and this rings especially true as women. We are purposely disempowered and taught to be afraid of asking questions and asking for support. I had willingly yet unknowingly given away power around the one thing that was truly mine and mine alone - my health.
Chronic illness and disease caused by lifestyle choices has never been higher. It is at crisis level through no fault of our own.
We don’t intentionally feed ourselves chemicals and preservatives posing as food. We have no reason NOT to believe the claims that we’re eating healthy food as promised on its packaging. We don’t know we’re being given inaccurate information so large scale organizations can profit at the expense of our health. We don’t know we’re being conned into believing that health equals removing every drop of fat from our food only and that it’s being replaced with chemicals and sugar.
I know this now and I want to share this knowledge, my story and my journey with you to empower you to fight for your own health.
I want to empower you to change your habits so you don’t have to deal with chronic medical conditions in the future. I want to empower you to empower the next generation of women to do the same.
I believe women are the change agents in society and that we have the ability to take action against the burden we’re placing on our healthcare systems and on our environment so the generations to come don’t have to.
The shift was clear.
After deciding to take control of my health, I spent most of my free time learning and studying nutrition, hormone health, wellness and mindset. Six months later I became a Nutritious Life™ Certified Master Nutrition and Wellness Coach recognized by the American Academy of Drugless Practitioners. This led to being certified by the Institute for Menstrual Health™, a certified Thin Adapted System™ Success Coach, a certified Menopause Bootcamp™ practitioner and a certified life coach.
With the guidance of these programs I believe I can guide you to express your best, healthiest self.
Today, I’m thriving in midlife. I’ve created routines and habits that sustain the life I want to live in menopause and beyond and have developed a lifestyle and healthy way of eating that nourishes me, body and soul. I can equally appreciate a beautifully ripe avocado as a bubbly glass of Prosecco. I practice the art of informed choices.
I created my coaching business to help women who are ready to take control of their health find their version of wellness in an achievable, straightforward way. I can guide you towards making informed, healthy choices and to reframe habits that no longer serve you. Most importantly, I can help you feel healthy and vibrant again.
If my story resonates with you and you recognize yourself in my words, I invite you to be part of my community. Sign up for my newsletter to receive regular content delivered directly to your inbox.
If you’d like to live the health of your dreams, discover how to Work With Me.
Your version of wellness
Appreciation
