MY HEALTH JOURNEY...

My health journey started over a decade ago when I was 18. Like so many others, I fell victim to the freshman 15. Okay fine, it was more like a freshman 30. OOPS!

 

For the first time in my life, I couldn’t eat whatever I wanted. I suddenly felt my physical health deteriorating and my mental health soon followed. Feelings of mental fog and constant anxiety quickly became the norm, and I was told that feeling this way was normal for many people.

 

Growing up as a competitive athlete, I figured that if I just worked out more often and with more intensity, then I would be able to get back in shape. With this thought process, I went the Crossfit route. I joined a "box", implemented some paleo principles and by that summer I was a in better shape than I was in high school. Luckily, I was able to stay in good shape throughout the next few years by developing functional exercise habits and always keeping an eye on what I ate. My body composition was good, my energy was great, and my anxiety was a thing of the past.

 

It wasn’t until the summer before my senior year that I hit another health impasse. This time it was allergies. Specifically, skin allergies. I moved to New York City for an internship that summer and I instantly broke out in a full body rash. Until that point, I had never had anything even resembling allergies, yet all of a sudden I was a complete mess. Was it the humidity? The pollution? The subway? I was poked and prodded by multiple allergists and dermatologists, but none of them were able to pin point the issue. They prescribed medication, and sure, some of it helped, but that’s about all it did. I wanted a cure!

 

After graduating college, I pursued my life long passion for food and hospitality, and enrolled in culinary school in New York City. While in school and after graduating, I trained in Michelin starred restaurants for a few years. I learned the ins and outs of the kitchen and I was determined to hone my skills as a well respected chef.

 

I believe that it is during these formidable years of training when serious chefs begin to find their own cooking niche. Whether that be Italian, French, or fine-dining, just to name a few. For me, I found that over time my niche wasn’t necessarily any one style of cooking. Rather, my niche became the pursuit of understanding how the food we eat ultimately affects our health.

 

As you’ll find with most chefs, I was a man obsessed. I reached out to some leaders in the space for some direction, I read as many books and listened to as many lectures and podcasts related to health and wellness as possible. The coolest part? Once I started implementing my newfound knowledge I saw my skin allergies subside, my energy levels skyrocket and my mental health drastically improve.

 

I remembered back on my time struggling with my health and visiting numerous doctors. None of them ever once asked about my diet, let alone related any of my health issues to my diet. Yet, there I was, a 24-year-old kid, with zero knowledge in anything related to medicine, and I was successfully revolutionizing my own health.

 

I knew I wasn’t alone and I wanted to help others rediscover their own vitality. Just look around. How many people do you know that are truly healthy and thriving?

 

Yearning to impact the masses, I left the kitchen, began studying for my health coaching certifications, and planned to open a health focused café in NYC. While writing the business plan, I was in contact with distributors and landed a great opportunity to work as a sales rep for a food distribution company that specialized in selling everything from wagyu to butter and spices. My time spent in food distribution taught me a lot about the restaurant industry, and gave me first hand experience of the stark reality of food supply chain not only in the United States, but throughout the world. 

 

So why the long winded story?

 

Well, I believe that it is because of these unique experiences that I am sitting here writing this today.

 

As a society that is hyper-focused on the latest juice cleanse, the trendiest salad bars, and most popular workout studio concepts, we are also experiencing the first decline in life expectancy in almost recent history... and for most, their 'health span' is much shorter. 

​

Bottom line, I continue to see too many people fall for the same traps of misinformation and false promises time and time again. Enough is enough.

 

No matter where we are on our own individual journeys, we all want to live long, happy and healthy lives, and I am committed to helping you manifest that reality.

 

I have been living the Insourced lifestyle for years now. The health issues I struggled with for years are a thing of the past, I eat the most nutritious and delicious foods on the planet, I have stable hunger levels (aka never hangry), I have better mental clarity and physical energy than I did as a teenager, and I am constantly breaking through my own fitness plateaus without being a slave to the gym.

 

I’m here to tell you that anyone can achieve this level of optimal health, that it’s actually a lot easier than you may think, and that you are supposed to feel this good!