About Lisa
Well, hello there! I’m Lisa, and welcome to my home. I’m so grateful you are here!
I’m a mom, yoga lover, and green juice drinker. I’m also an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who loves to help women transition to the “clean life.”
The “clean life?” Why yes!
Here’s the Clean Life definition:
In a nutshell, you strive to eat anti-inflammatory whole foods (a lot of plants and greens, gluten-free grains, and organic produce), you use natural ingredients when cooking, and you are eco-conscious. You tend to follow the 80/20 guideline: 80% of the time you eat clean, move your body, practice gratitude; you do what makes you feel amazing. The other 20%, you drink wine with your girlfriends, eat pizza at the birthday party, skip a workout…all without guilt. You listen to your body and really tap into the body, mind, and spirit connection.
Click here for more clean livin’ details.
Want to know more about me?
Well, I wish I could say I was always healthy and cooked all my meals from scratch. I wish I could tell you that I lead a balanced life without much stress or uncertainty. I wish I could tell you that I wasn’t a yo-yo dieter who tried almost every diet on the planet just to lose weight.
Claiming that I have always been happy with my body and how I looked would be a lie.
First of all, I never cooked. Ever.
Would you believe it?
I know what you’re thinking, “You’re a health coach. I bet you were born with a soup spoon in your hand.”
This couldn’t be further than the truth. In fact, before I enrolled at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, I usually went out to eat every night or my husband, Kevin, cooked our meals. During my single life, I have been known to use my oven as a storage place for winter sweaters. I mean, really, I never used that thing for cooking so why not!
Therefore, I wasn’t connected to my food. I didn’t know where it came from let alone how to nourish myself.
And I was sick! My health was a mess. I had fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, Candida, rosacea (when your face gets really puffy and red with lots of break outs), cystitis, and tons of allergies. And I was only 30 years old!
I hated my body.
I’m not sure how my issues with food started, but I would bet it happened sometime in childhood. Eight years old…someone I loved dearly told me that I was fat. I remember I was wearing my yellow cowgirl dance outfit (as I had a recital that day) when it happened. I was crushed.
I stopped eating.
I took this to heart and began counting the items of food I put in my mouth. I even kept a journal and listed what I ate each day. I only allowed myself 5 items of food a day, such as one piece of toast, 1 stick of bubble gum, etc… I did this until I was in middle school. I beat myself up if I had one too many pizza slices or inhaled a bag of chocolate kisses. Of course I was growing and I was starving, therefore, a trip to McDonald’s would happen. I would feel defeated, then resentful of my body, telling her to listen and not eat so much. This went on for years.
I developed an unhealthy relationship with food and my body. I was never satisfied with how I looked and especially how I felt. I also tried every diet to control what I ate and to lose weight. Little did I know I was making things worse. Quick fixes weren’t the answer, and I just couldn’t lose weight no matter how hard I tried. This made me anxious and depressed.
All I thought about was food.
“How many calories is in this yogurt?”
“How many fat grams does this piece of cake have?”
“Is eating one slice of pizza going to make me fat?"
I even negotiated exercise when I ate food.
“If I eat those chips, I will run an extra 5 miles tomorrow.”OR
“I will work out 2 hours every day this week to burn off all the calories from the weekend.”
I tried EVERYTHING to lose weight.
Here are a few tricks I’ve tried:
- Adkins Diet
- South Beach Diet ( I stayed on this one for almost 3 years…never moved to Phase II-no fruit for years because it was sugar-crazy pants!)
- Low fat and low carb diets (I can remember my plates being all white with the rice and pasta).
- Slim fast
- 2 hour workouts 7 days a week (I was exhausted!)
- Working out 2x a day at the gym (Still exhausted!)
- Body For Life (before my wedding)
- Weight Watchers (I joined after having Kate. I actually gained weight~ thought I would get my points with cookies for the day instead of a healthy snack).
I would gain a few pounds, lose it, and gain even more back.
After having my babies, things got worse. I constantly exercised, and I didn’t eat or at least pretended to in front of my kids. I avoided anything with sugar or carbs, so that meant even fruit wasn’t touched by my lips.
It wasn’t until one day my little 3 year old Kate said, “Mamma, why aren’t you eating with us? Why don’t you eat?”
Shit. She was watching me. Wow.
I didn’t want my daughter to see this. I didn’t want anyone to feel the pain I knew especially my own child. I knew I had to get help.
Even though I had my struggles, there was a silver lining.
While this was all going on, I realized that I was the go-to girl if anyone had a question about natural health and fitness. As an elementary school teacher for 15 years, I was also passionate about education. Getting my certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach allowed me to combine my passions: nutrition and education. I learned how to cook real, whole food, establish family dinners, and resolve my dysfunctional relationship with food once and for all. In fact, I don’t even have any of those health issues I mentioned. I don’t even think about diets or calories. I feel so free!
I EAT. I eat what makes me feel good. I treat my body with respect. I listen to HER.
I am REAL. Life is easier and full.
Don’t get me wrong, these feelings didn’t happen overnight. The freedom I feel took awhile to accomplish. Lots of practice, self –love and patience. Plus tons of support.
Does this resonate with you on some level?
Do you want to learn how to take care of your body without beating her up with negative self-talk?
Do you want to stop spending tons money on fad diet books and pills?
Do you want to learn how to cook whole, real meals that nourish your body as well as your soul?
Do you just want to feel free and liberated from thinking of food all the time?
Well, I am here to tell you, it is all possible and more. I totally get where you are coming from. There are still days when I struggle with managing my coaching business, taking care of the kids, and just leading a busy life BUT I remind myself to walk the talk. If I tell a client to put kale in that smoothie, I make sure I am doing the same.
I can help you reach your health goals without the deprivation, quick fixes or exercising 2 hours a day. I can help you feel connected to your body so that you can intuitively tap into your body’s wisdom and develop a way of life that allows you to feel liberated and free.
I designed many programs to assist you in your clean life transition:
And the popular clean living community + detox membership program: Clean + Sexy Community + Detox Program .
My new best-selling cookbook, Go Clean, Sexy You, is also a tool you can use to jump-start healthy, clean eating as well as form long-term habits that keep you feeling amazing for the long run.
You can purchase your paperback or eBook copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble and get started a.s.a.p.
Also, check out all the goodies I have for you here, in my virtual home:
Freebies (including how-to videos, downloadable pdfs for cleanses, clean eating menu plans, and even pantry guides and snack sheets!)
(smoothies, juices, entrees, lunches, snacks, soups, salads,etc… all gluten-free, sugar-free, plant-based and anti-inflammatory).
Blog posts filled with inspiration, tips, plus tons of recipes, free menu plans and more!
My personal mission is to spread the word~ FOOD IS LOVE. The more whole, REAL foods we eat, the more REAL we become. Imagine how we can change the world by transitioning to the clean life together. I would love you to join me!
Big love,
Lisa
Please connect with me as I do enjoy Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
You can also send me an email to say hello (I really dig getting these kinds of notes) and be sure to subscribe to my mailing list below to receive free weekly updates, recipes, coupons and inspiration.
Oh, and do you have a Joy List? I do!
Here’s a list of makes my soul leap:
Long embraces from my Bear (aka Kevin-hope he doesn’t mind me telling the world his nickname!).
Kisses and snuggles from my Kate and Jack.
Sun on my face.
Laughing around the table with good food, drink, and friends.
My Beauty Remedy green juice every morning.
Working out when my muscles feel strong, I feel athletic, I feel fit. I like training for triathlons,and have participated in 5 Iron Girls and a few other sprint tris.
Magazines…I’m a magazine whore! I collect them all. And read them at the same time.
An organized purse so I can find everything when I stick my hand in the pockets. I’m really digging my vegan gray purse with pink lining.
Any song with Pitbull! I always find myself belting out the tune and dancing. Also, I love rap battles with my girlfriends… Big Sean and Drake, and JayZ are my faves!
Being here, right here, right now in my lucky life.
Education & Certifications
- American Aerobic Association International/International Sports Medicine Association, Sports Nutrition Consultant Certification, 2011
- Institute of Integrative Nutrition, NY, Health Counseling, 2010
- Purchase College, SUNY, Certificate in Integrative Nutrition, 2010
- Certified Health Counselor, American Association of Drugless Practitioners, 2010
- University of Pittsburgh, PA, Masters in the Art of Teaching, 1992
- University of Pittsburgh, PA, Bachelors in Developmental Psychology, 1991
You can say that I’m a lifelong educator. In my past life, I was an elementary teacher, master teacher, instructional leader, and mentor for new and beginning teachers as well as a professional developer for administrators in Prince George’s County Public Schools. I have extensive training and experience with coaching techniques that I incorporate with my nutrition and health coaching.