About Joan

I came to health and wellness coaching after years of dieting, exercising and  thinking that “healthy” and “skinny” were the same things. Back in the day I think a whole bunch of us thought that way. The distorted body images that we grew up with set us all up to believe that there was one perfect way to look. And since most of us did not look that way we were in for a boat load of body shaming, food guilt and even some eating disorders.

After decades of fighting hard to eat just the right foods (fat free, sugar free, low calorie, etc…) and still not obtaining perfection, I gave up and let nature take its course. What that means is that with my sweet tooth and love of junk food I was on my way toward a very unhappy, unhealthy life.

As middle age sets in we allow ourselves to believe that gaining weight, having high cholesterol, diabetes, IBS, bloating, joint pain, and heart disease are just a normal part of the aging process. ( I remember a friend telling me that when you hit a certain age the weight comes on and you can’t lose it. Ever.) We tell ourselves that our best years are behind us. We can’t, won’t or don’t take care of ourselves, because, what’s the point?

The point is that there is another way to live that allows you to be healthy as you age. I’m here to show you how. No miracle weight loss plan, no diet, no pills or potions. You can be the best version of yourself in your middle and senior years. You can be active, feel fit, have a positive attitude and age well.

For me it was simple – eat more plants, move more and adjust my attitude. The shift away from junk food and too much sitting around to nutrious food and an active lifestyle was dramatic, and so were the results. Weight loss, lower cholesterol, positive outlook, and increased energy were some of the outcomes. But the biggest thing was that I achieved a level of wellness I had never experienced before, at a time when my peers were physically falling apart. I’m not a freak of nature. I’m here to tell you that if I can make the changes, so can you!