Registered Nurse, Health Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and Pain-Free Mobility Specialist I was born and raised in MN. I graduated in 2007 from Concordia in Moorhead, MN with a bachelor's degree in nursing. I have worked in the ICU, at a surgical hospital, and an orthopedic clinic. I have always had a passion for health and wellness and enjoy exercise and healthy lifestyle. In 2019, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease after several years of debilitating and worsening hip, back, shoulder, and neck pain. Ankylosing spondylitis as a painful disease in which your immune system is triggered abnormally and attacks your pelvis, spine, shoulders, and other body parts. I was not satisfied with taking biologic injections to suppress my immune system (and thereby increasing my risk for not being able to fight out bacteria and viruses) and taking anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, aleve, celebrex, or meloxicam. These drugs can affect your kidney function and are associated with many other side effects. I was introduced by the one of the surgeons I work with, to functional medicine (which finds the ROOT cause of disease and aims to balance your body systems, rather than disguise your , symptoms with more and more medications). I also discovered Foundation Training, which is a set of exercises to strengthen your core and major muscle groups, and stabilizes your spine and joints; thereby reducing pain and preventing injury. Throughout my professional nursing journey, I have seen many patients suffering from chronic disease - due to a sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, unresolved trauma, and excessive stress. Even those patients who've had surgery, are on the newest and greatest medications, and receive injections; continue to struggle and develop more and more health problems. My heart literally aches to see these people struggle and not get answers they need to improve their quality of life. So I researched, listened to podcasts from experts in preventative care, and chose the health coaching certification through Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I was tired of Western medicine and not looking at the whole person, and instead only treating the symptom. Don't get me wrong - there's definitely a place for surgery and medications, and I have a great deal of respect for all the healthcare providers I've worked with. But when I struggled to get through each day without significant pain, and my mood was affected - I decided I needed to do things a different way. And also to be a pioneer for the thousands of people like me who were just given a pill and told to come back in 6 months. I began to see how daily lifestyle habits can truly reverse chronic pain, and also prevent future disease. It amazes me that simple nutrition and exercise programs aren't covered by insurance, rather than waiting until patients develop full blown disease and medications and surgery are needed to save their lives. We humans are complex organisms. Body, mind, and spirit. There is so much that impacts our wellness, and much of that is never even discussed in a doctor's office. This became very apparent to me when COVID started and the media and much of the healthcare field shoved masks and vaccines on everyone, rather than education about simple self-care such as eating the right foods; moving your body to strengthen your muscles, lungs, and immune system; practicing deep breathing; and stress management. Through my health coach training, I have also learned how important community and socialization really are to the human psyche. Look at the Blue Zones - all those areas have ONE things in common: COMMUNITY. My passion is to bring our healthcare model back to the basics: getting to the root of the problem, and to educate and empower people to be the very best version of themselves!!! I am married and we have two children, Wyatt and Emma. We have lived here since 2015. We also have a dog, Kota and a cat, Pooh Bear. We live outside of Spearfish and enjoy living in the country. We love the outdoors - camping, going to the lake, swimming, fishing, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, and biking. I love all forms of fitness - yoga/pilates, strength training, Barre, and Zumba. I enjoy cooking for my family and love trying new recipes. My husband is a hunter so we process our venison, and our kids enjoy it as well. I love to unwind with a good book and glass of wine. I also practice meditation and deep breathing. I enjoy getting together with my girlfriends - whether it's over a glass of wine, cup of coffee, shopping, or a nice meal. I LOVE Spearfish and meeting new people out in the community. I am so proud to be a part of this community and would love to talk about health and wellness to anyone who is interested!
