Why am I interested in Health and Wellness?
As a lifelong New Yorker, I truly understand how daily life and it's stresses can get in the way of our desire to live healthfully and feel our best. After "dealing with" digestive-related issues for nearly all of my life, I woke up one day and decided I had enough of constantly feeling tired, bloated, and unhappy with how my body looked and felt. I sought out holistic ways to heal myself and experienced amazing results. Things turned completely around in my life through alternative therapies, changing what foods I consumed and how I consumed them, a dedicated Yoga practice, and a fresh perspective on life.
Over the course of a year I shed the excess pounds that had crept on to my petite frame due to the stresses of my corporate day job. That was 2005 - today, I am still going strong and how it felt to be that old me is a distant memory. I am confident that the extra pounds won't ever be back because of the positive changes I have integrated and embraced into my everyday life. I do not believe in dieting and I have never been on a diet in my life. The first thought it brings to my mind, like most people, is what I would have to eliminate and the fear of feeling deprived. Through dissecting what foods I ate, understanding why I was eating them, increasing nutrient-rich foods that I love, and finding more wholesome ways of preparing indulgent foods, I found my most fit and lively self without ever having to go on a diet.
Taking my passion a step further and learning more...
To deepen my knowledge and love for healthy living I enrolled in the Professional Training Program at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in the fall of 2008. This is the only nutrition school that integrates all the different dietary theories - combining the knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts like the USDA MyPlate (formerly known as the USDA Food Pyramid), the glycemic index, and raw foods. I was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “road map to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals. I am certified by IIN, AADP, and Purchase College, SUNY. I also completed the Food Therapy Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute with Dr. Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D. in June 2012.
My Yoga practice is an integral part of my healthy lifestyle and has taught me how to look at the word in a different way both on and off of the mat. To learn more about Yoga, my teaching style, and to view my class schedule visit me at Brooklyn Yogini.
In May 2017 I completed my graduate studies in NYU's Food Studies Master's Program and obtained an M.A. degree. During my time at NYU I focused my studies on food policy and politics, the cultural implications of food and consumption, and the interplay between food and gender roles in society. To get a taste of my academic experiences at NYU check out the blog posts about my course work and study abroad classes in Paris and Ireland. Since graduation I have been working in public policy in NYC, with a focus on food, agriculture, public health, sustainability, and consumer protection issues.
Are you curious about how health coaching can help you? Let’s talk.
Julia xoxo