I get what you are going through…
My journey with bone health started when I was 12 years old. That was the year we discovered that I had a spinal condition that could cause crippling pain and immobility.
As I recovered, a doctor gave the 12-year-old me this advice: “Stay active! To keep your bones strong you need strong muscles.”
I have put this lesson into practice throughout my life.
When I stop moving, the pain creeps back in.
The bottom line is I know the feeling of painful bones and the frustration of not being able to move freely and accomplish the things you need and want to do.
Now I am in my 60s, and I live a virtually pain-free life. I am still able to run, do heavy gardening, and participate in just about any activity that I want to do.
How did I get to be so interested in food and nutrition?
I was born and raised in Nigeria, where my food journey began.
Many of us in our expat community dreamed of eating apples, a food we could not easily get our hands on in Nigeria. We baked faux apple pie, and ate mango sauce instead of apple sauce. Little did I know that when I was grown up I would live next door to an apple orchard in New England. When I had plenty of apples, all I wanted was a mango fresh off the tree.
Traveling back and forth between Nigeria and the US, I was struck, even as a child, by the emotional power of food, and the differences in taste, food rituals, customs, and even food availability.
In Nigeria at that time there weren’t many processed foods, and we prepared everything from scratch. In the United States a grocery store has aisles and aisles of food choices that can be overwhelming.
I turned my passion into my career…
By the time I was ready to choose a career there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to learn everything I could about food.
After completing my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Penn State University, I worked with clients at all stages of life, from infants to pregnant and breastfeeding women, to those in geriatric communities.
But I didn’t really feel like nutrition had a lot of respect, especially in the medical world.
It seemed like the rest of the world just wasn’t as passionate about the power of food as I was.
Functional Nutrition was a game changer!
This changed when I learned about a new paradigm called Functional Medicine. Here were doctors that actually used nutrition for prevention and treatment of chronic disease. I knew I wanted to go down this path.
To train as a Functional Nutritionist, I went back to school for my Master of Science in Human Nutrition at the University of Bridgeport. This program teaches Functional Nutrition, bio-individuality and a scientific, evidence-based approach.
Today, I’m a Certified Nutrition Specialist working with adults who want stronger bones.
Maybe you’ve been told you are at a high risk for fracture. You set out looking for a solution, only to discover that the further you delve into nutrition for bones, the more complicated and confusing it gets!
Together, let’s create your personalized nutrition plan, so you can regain confidence, clarity, and trust in your bodies’ ability to thrive.
I am looking forward to working with you.