About Me

Sugar addict all my life. Pastry Chef for 10 years. Sugar fed my suppressed emotions for years.

Changing my eating habits and breaking up with refined/artificial sugars over the years has been no joke. I have not been living a healthier lifestyle all my life. My journey started in 2017, a few months before my 37th birthday, with a big ol’ BANG: a mental health breakdown and a confrontation of the miserable life I was living for other people. The layers were deep and the changes to be made seemed impossible. I started working steadfast with a therapist. Then dragging my feet, I began taking yoga classes. In 2018, I continued to find yoga to be therapeutic and completed a Yoga Teacher Training. 

I was making great strides towards feeling better in my body when I had a suicidal reaction to a commonly prescribed pharmaceutical. As I came out of this life scare, I promised myself that I would commit to a more holistic lifestyle, even though I didn’t know what it looked like nor how that could be achieved. I had to figure out how to apply a deeper level of self-care than I had ever known. I clearly understood that I could no longer walk through this life trusting other people’s opinions more than my own. I had to learn to not only listen to my intuition, but to trust my intuition as well. 

What I didn’t expect was how slow the journey would be to create lasting change, and how integral food would be on this healing path. There would be lots of education, awareness, and implementing change. It felt lonely, frustrating, and hard. At the end of 2019, the process sped up when I worked one-on-one with a wellness professional. This was a transformational ride where I learned how to eat in order to nourish my body’s function on a cellular level.

This work for me was so intense and necessary that it inspired me to create Project Break Free: Refined & Artificial Sugars. Living in the Midwest and navigating the learning curve of where to find products with clean ingredients is a task that takes commitment and a strong desire for change. I had to learn what brands to look for, and how to apply them to normal, everyday living. I am a guide through this beginning process so I can help other people navigate a tough learning curve with a little more ease. This groundwork will allow me to guide you through this process much quicker than tackling it on your own.

My husband, Doug, nonchalantly began adapting these eating habits during the March 2020 lockdown. He discovered many positive side effects: mental clarity, weight loss, improved gut health. His transition came much faster. He did all the hard work. He made healthier decisions and saw results quicker because he had me to guide him. Today, he continues this path towards wellness because he likes the way he feels.

I’m still a sugar addict, but you are going to find me consuming naturally occurring sugars from fruit, RAW honey, and PURE maple syrup. The dirtiest sugar I encounter nowadays is coconut sugar. On my journey, I had to figure out how to enjoy my pastry loving ways in a manner that is more loving to my body as a whole. I have found that raw honey, pure maple syrup, and coconut sugar, in moderation, allow me to enjoy the sweetness without the moodiness, brain fog, and lethargy that followed consuming heavily refined or artificial sugars. 

Nowadays, I still clearly remember how refined and artificial sugars tasted and the way they made me feel. My breakup with these ingredients made me so acutely aware of the way I used to feel that I no longer desire to experience the side effects. I am committed to respecting my body. It is my motivation when those sugar laced treats smell so good and look so delicious. It feels good to live with more vibrancy.

When you are ready for Project Break Free: Refined & Artificial Sugars, I am ready for you. These shifts are possible for you whenever you are ready to courageously start navigating the inner workings of your life.