Teaching You How to Love Your Food, Your Life and Yourself

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I've had more than a few wake-up calls in my life, but none quite as profound as the one in 2009. While that's a story for another time, I do want to say this:

Not only was my personal life falling apart, but I wasn't feeling all that great either:  a little extra weight around my mid-section, a diet that tanked my energy and hurt my digestive system, shifting hormones, and a vague feeling of moodiness and unease.  

Like so many women of my generation (and I know this is pretty universal for women in Western Culture), I had allowed myself to be judged by my imperfections, actually  putting labels on them like 'bad' and 'not good enough'.  For years, my self-worth was wrapped up in the image of the perfect body that could eat anything and still be slim, healthy and look like I did in my early 20's.  

Ever felt like that before, but didn't know where to turn?

Although I prided myself on being a healthy eater, I was hooked on sugar binges late at night and Peanut M&M's for energy in the mid-afternoon. My sleep cycle was poor. I couldn’t drop the mid-section bulge, and my body was beginning to feel sluggish and uncomfortable from long hours of commuting and even longer hours sitting behind a computer. 

I’d always been interested in nutrition and natural healing. I had experienced the benefits of yoga, silent meditation retreats, spirituality, herbal remedies, and alternative therapies (e.g. chiropractic, Reiki, and acupuncture). Alone and free to explore the next chapter of my life, I decided to learn as much as I could about the healing power of the right foods and ended up enrolling myself in an integrative nutrition certification program through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  The school turned out to be a natural fit. 

After completing my nutrition studies, I explored more to learn about how food affects the function and physiology of the body. Along the way, I started working with lots of individual clients. But, again, something was missing. I would recommend foods and behaviors to my clients; but helping them to implement the changes was often challenging. That’s when I understood the need to learn more about what drives people to eat, stress, and gain weight in addition to their food intake and exercise. I enrolled in a certification course at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and became certified in mind-body nutrition.  

And, because I so believe that symptoms are the tip of the iceberg and that we need to dig deeper to understand what's going on inside that caused the tip to appear in the first place, I also studied with the Functional Nutrition Alliance for 2+ years.  This has allowed me to address symptoms from the root cause.

I’ve worked with people of all ages, from babies to 92-year olds, and have seen the power of nutrition and mindset to transform people’s lives into healthier versions of themselves.

Since 2009, I have grown increasingly angered about the lack of meaningful food regulations in the United States, the growing practices of large food conglomerates (like ConAgra), the toxic pesticides sprayed on our crops, the mineral depletion of our soils, the horrific conditions under which animals raised for food are allowed to be grown (fed candy and garbage, shot full of hormones and antibiotics), and the rise of GMO crops with little to no regulation.  My passion is to educate you about how these practices have made for an unhealthy society, full of chronic illnesses and inflammation, and how you can heal using foods in their whole, natural state.

I grow some of my vegetables and fruits in my backyard in Los Angeles. They're pesticide-free, and vitamin and mineral rich.  It’s so rewarding to pick fresh lettuce, chard, tomatoes, and peppers to add to the evening supper. 

I practice what I teach, being very selective about where I get the rest of what goes into my pantry and refrigerator, ultimately ending up on the end of my fork.  I have discovered the joy and art of home-cooked meals, trying out new food combinations, and adding different herbs and spices to the deliciousness of real food.  And, I love educating clients how simple it is to put together a great meal with only a few ingredients.

I love working with clients on how to enjoy life's true riches .....the best selfcare, the best food you can buy, and the best relationships you can have (starting with yourself, of course).  

Along the way in my own journey to self-discovery and health, I learned that all health (and just about every illness) has its origins in what we feed ourselves.  If you're experiencing weight gain, low energy, digestive issues, blood sugar swings or more, and you're depending on doctors to diagnose symptoms so they can prescribe pills without knowing the cause of the symptoms, you might be curious to know if your symptoms are tied to food and lifestyle.  Because there's a good chance they are!

It took me years to understand and manage my own weight and health issues, but you don't have to wait that long!!  If you're ready to take the next step, I'd love to help you find your own path to wholeness

Big hugs,

Terri Crystal