Thanks so much for visiting!  I know whenever I check out a new blog, I like to see what can be learned about the writer; what they’re all about, what their story is, and why they do what they do.  It really helps create a feeling of connection, and, an understanding for who that person is.  If you’re the same way, then please read my story below. I guess you can say it’s my “history with food and fitness in a nutshell.”  Thanks, again for stopping by!

For as long as I can remember I have loved food.  Every single birthday and holiday gathering felt special because it meant enjoying delicious food and spending time with my family. But as I grew older I realized I had an equal love and passion for being physically active and feeling fit. My parents had me involved in dance classes, softball, swimming, running, and gymnastics all starting from a young age.

However, by the time I hit my teens and twenties, my weight was all over the place and most of the time I felt uncomfortable in my own skin (can anyone relate?) I felt my loves for food and fitness conflicted, thus two decades of dieting obsession began. Dieting gave me a sense of control, and I was continually on a quest for the perfect trick that would lead to ultimate weight loss.

I entered the world of fitness competitions in my late twenties and I became a fitness trainer and a sports nutrition specialist at that time, too. I took on many clients including one of my closest friends and even my own mother! (That’s right – my mom competed in a fitness competition at age 58!) But one of my favorite clients of all time is my husband, Jeff, who I met and fell in love with during my fitness competition years.

Like fitness, my experience with food is vast. Over the past ten years, I spent a week training at the Culinary Institute of America, started a blog and Youtube channel where I share a wide variety of recipes as well as health and lifestyle tips, filmed a Food Network show with my husband Jeff, launched a line of vegan cookie products under the banner Peanut’s Bake Shop, and earned a plant-based nutrition certificate through eCornell. During this time I even gave birth to, and am now raising, our fun and crazy twin boys!

Through it all, I’ve made it my mission to find the ultimate balance between enjoying food and being healthy. And the lifestyle that did the trick? Vegan living! Following a vegan diet has allowed me to eat super tasty and incredibly satisfying foods, yet still maintain my weight and my health. I’m now determined to help others learn how to easily follow a vegan diet so they can enjoy delicious food yet remain healthy, too – which is why I started this blog. I look forward to showing you how to live in abundance without deprivation through simplified vegan living!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy my blog; each and every post is and has been a joy to create.

Warmest regards,