My health & wellness story began in childhood. Raised in an Italian-Polish family circle (with a splash of German & French Canadian influence). As can be imagined, food was central to our Italian-Polish family life. There was never a holiday, family event, or gathering that was centered around food. A. LOT. OF. FOOD. Even our annual family camping trips in the Adirondacks of New York were focused on food (who doesn’t like a toasty mountain pie or a few warm & melty s’mores on a cool mountain night?). And so began my love of food. And eating.

I was blessed to have been raised in a close knit family. The kind of two-kids-a-dog-&-a-white-picket-fence kind of family. A hard working Dad & stay-at-home Mom who never failed to encourage, support, and love us as kids kind of traditional family. With grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins. Sounds so Hallmark movie, doesn’t it? Although I was clearly an extroverted individual, had some good friends throughout my schooling, & was active in music, theater, & yearbook, I lived a very private, quiet, shaming pain- I was THAT kid. The “fatso”, “the chubby two by four”, the girl that never was asked out on a date or was part of an “inner circle”; the girl who barely could fit into her marching band uniform & secretly envied the skinny girls chosen for the Homecoming Court. I wore a lot of stretchy polyester because “plus size” wasn’t available then, on- or off-the-rack. Despite demonstrating strong athletic potential in (believe it or not) long distance track & softball my participation was discouraged by coaches because “chubby girls can’t run”. For my peers, it was a lot more fun to bully me about my weight than to befriend me. It was a deeply hurtful journey. And while it’s certainly not a new coping technique, I ate my way into morbid obesity to become what others thought of me, blissfully denying the increasing weight of my situation. Because a sense of humor can only deflect just so many arrows. And this is where my story really begins.

Fast forward to 1996. Married, obese at over 300#, pregnant with twins. It was the one time in my life I actually lost weight- a lot of weight!- because I was eating healthier for my babies. Taking in lots of fresh fruits, veggies, healthy proteins, & very little processed foods had me “glowing”. In 1999 (& significantly heavier by then) I birthed my youngest (& last) baby. Again I had lost a healthy amount of weight during this second pregnancy, but oddly never connected the dots between healthier food choices & wellness. By 2005, I clocked in at 388#, barely able to fit in a plane seat, insulin resistant, & tired of being… well… exhausted from sleep apnea. Encouraged by a best friend’s success with weight loss I took his advice- & example. I made the decision to undergo a (then) radical bariatric surgery to save my life. I wish I knew then what I know now.

As my children grew, it became clear my youngest son was struggling with learning issues. Eventually diagnosed on the ADHD spectrum I struggled to find a way to help my super smart son manage his ADHD symptoms with a bevy of prescriptive medications that did not help him. One of my twins was diagnosed with depression. Another child on medication! My (then) husband was diagnosed with adult ADHD & depression. My entire family was living in an expensive, medicated, numbing fog. I wish I knew then what I know now.

Even with the phenomenal weight loss success of my bariatric surgery I was not free from managing my health issues several years post-op. Bariatric surgery took its toll on my health. Malabsorption issues deprived my body of critical nutrients that kept my body functioning at its optimal best. Suddenly, in an odd twist of events, I found *myself* on a bevy of capsules- pharmaceutical grade D3 & iron, B-complex vitamins (including Biotin & B12), multivitamins, constantly dehydrated, diagnosed with hypothyroidism & on prescriptive medication to boost my thyroid’s sluggish function. My gut biome needed repair. With missing stomach acid pumps (half of them were removed during my bariatric surgery), I was unable to adequately digest food- especially proteins- & was incredibly malnourished.  I was losing hair. My exhaustion never improved. My body ached after decades of carrying an extra 204 pounds on my 5’7″ frame. Every joint & vertebrae in my body needed realignment.

Enter, by surprise (well, not really- there are no surprises to our gracious God), a new friendship with a smart, well-respected chiropractor. Dr. Chris not only realigned my spine & repaired my gut health, but introduced me to the amazing world of naturopathy- alternative natural therapies to modern medicine that focus on the body’s ability to heal itself- by (literally) feeding the body information it needs from real, clean, organic food & as few supplements as is necessary. Naturopathy was a word I had never spoken or heard of (not to mention practice) on (what I thought was) the best health path I’d ever traveled. My personal wellness journey with & mentoring from Dr. Chris changed my life– & that of my family. I finally knew then what I was supposed to know then! How beautifully freeing it felt to finally truly be well!

So, future friend, I have been where you may be right now. Wondering. Wondering if it’s possible to find your truest place of complete wellness- within all the dimensions of who you are. Wondering if you can break free of your weight struggles. Of chronic disease. Wondering if your joints will stop aching, your mood will even out, your exhaustion will ever be replaced with fresh energy. Wondering if your children can miss less sick days from school, focus in the classroom, & embrace fresh fruits in place of fast food fries. Wondering if your family can break free of unnecessary pharmaceuticals. No. More. Wondering. It can be your journey, too, just as it became mine. Because the truth you may have never been told is there is no better or more efficient pharmacy than that which lies within you & upon the earth we have been given by a God who knows your every need. It’s why I have launched Fig Tree Nutrition & Wellness & why I am incredibly passionate about encouraging your one-of-a-kind personal health awareness revolution. I would be honored to pay forward the gift of empowerment that was given to me- & my family- so you can know now what no one told you about then. I can’t wait to hear your story & your why & encourage your wellness possibilities!