My Story

I grew up in Nova Scotia in a family of farmers, hunters and fishermen. I was blessed to know where my food came from.  My mother and my grandmother both loved to experiment. with food and try new recipes and passed that love onto me.

As a young army wife, within a two-year span, I had given birth to my first child, lost twins due to a complication in pregnancy, and became pregnant with my son. That final pregnancy was filled with periods of being bedridden and marked the beginning of my battle with food and my body.

was suddenly alone, with a newborn, a toddler, and a husband that was always either away for training or on deployment. One by one, I developed allergies to many of the healthy foods I loved. Fresh fruits and vegetables, which had always been a mainstay of my diet, now resulted in terrifying swelling of my airways and eyes which the medical system (at the time) could not explain. Not only could I not " lose the baby weight" but I was exhausted, lonely, and depressed.

I went on the latest diet fad to lose weight and take control of my body. My allergies compounded, I developed a nut allergy, and then celiac disease. I continued to prioritize weight loss as I developed Hashimoto's and struggled with anxiety. Surely losing weight was the answer! if I could be thin, I would be happy ! For over 25 years I tried one diet after another, each time losing some weight but then gaining it back and adding more. Diet culture had me eating that tasted horrible, and beating myself up physically and emotionally, all in the pursuit of "health", I was losing my hair, I had terrible cystic acne, and I couldn't sleep, still believing that the answer to all my problem was to just lose weight.

In 2015, an ad for a free two-day workshop on mindfulness came across my work desk and I signed up. I well never forget the kindness of the facilitator when, on the second day, he quietly asked me, "Why are you so hard on yourself and your body? Have you tried loving yourself?" At the end of the workshop, I sat in my car and sobbed, those words broke me open and started me on a journey of discovery and self-compassion that has led me to where I am today. A journey that included becoming a yoga and meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, and finally a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant.

My goal is to help you learn the same lessons of self-compassion, body respect, and gentle nutrition. My wish is that no one feels that they are not worthy of a life of joy, love ,and adventure the way they are RIGHT NOW! Your health is not determined by a number on a scale or a size label on your clothes. I called my business BIG LIFE HOLISTICS because I want you to know that you can have a big, authentic, amazing life AT ANY SIZE. You do not need to make yourself SMALLER to feel BETTER!