Although I have been an environmentalist in some capacity since before I can remember and have increasingly incorporated environmental principles into several aspects of my life, I have to admit that I thought little about food and food sources, despite the fact that they are directly connected in so many ways. I came from a time, and a socio-economic reality, where you did not question what was put on your plate, you were only grateful there was something there at all. These last few years however, I have learned more about the impact of food on health, the challenges we are all facing as a society to nutritionally feed ourselves and our families, and the direct co-relation of the health of our environment and our own health.
I also learned about great pain and adversity when my youngest son suffered an acquired brain injury (ABI) in 2019 that affected our whole family greatly and impacted every aspect of our lives. I saw firsthand the importance of good quality food to not only support optimal health, but to also equip us with a reserve to be more resilient to life’s challenges, and to support the body’s efforts to recover from injury. Only during this experience was the importance of nutrition truly recognized. This is where the journey of One Whole Life began.
My interest in nutrition, and the impact of proper nutrition on overall health, was sparked in March 2020. Despite several recommended approaches to support our son with his ABI, our current medical system offered little relief for the symptoms he was suffering from.
Relentless as I am for finding a solution to any problem, after 13 months of searching, attempting, and failing several treatments under the direction of modern western medicine, we visited a Naturopathic Doctor. Within a few weeks of incorporating her recommended changes into our son’s diet, he finally started to see improvements. I was shocked, but also incredibly saddened by how long it took us to get here, and how much our son had to suffer for something that was right there, within reach, and so simple! With just a few simple nutritional changes, hope was restored. I vowed from that point forward to do whatever I could to help other families avoid having to go through such a traumatizing experience.
And so, it began! I immediately immersed myself with as much self-learning as possible and by March 2021, was registered in the Natural Nutrition program with the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I very quickly realized this was the path I was intended to be on, so I took leave from my successful 16-year career with the Federal Government, fast-tracked the completion of my program, and successfully graduated as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ (R.H.N.) in Ontario, ready to serve my community, by the fall of 2022.