My Story:
My Passion for Health Coaching was born out of a series of family Tragedies. My mother who was an MD died from Breast Cancer. Then my grandmother who took care of me and was married to an MD, died of a Stroke. Next, my uncle who was an MD died of Diabetes & Kidney Disease. Finally, my father who was also an MD had a Heart Attack! As if this wasn’t motivation enough, the real Life-Changing Existential moment came when I heard a 2009 lecture from an Intl. expert in Preventive Cardiology talk about the fact that Atherosclerosis {the cause of blood pressure problems, heart attacks, & strokes} Starts in Childhood! {See BOGALUSA & PDAY studies}.
Where the Light Bulb Shattered was when he told the audience that Everyone in the US eating the S.A.D. {Standard American Diet} has Heart Disease! The Question is not if you have it, it’s just a matter of degree! The Great News is that we know how to Prevent 95% of Heart Attacks, & Strokes with an Optimally Healthy High-Fiber, Low Glycemic, Whole Foods, Mostly Plant-Based Diet, Daily Moderate Exercise, Daily Stress Management, Nightly Good Sleep, & Loving Support!
I then measured all my Risk Factors and found my Cholesterol was Very High at 220, LDL 170, Blood Sugar 100 {Pre-Diabetes}, and Blood Pressure 117. Within a Year of Optimizing my Diet & Exercise, I Lost 15 Pounds, Lowered my Cholesterol by 100 points to 120, LDL by 100 points to 70, Blood Sugar by 28 points to 72, and Blood Pressure 27 points to 90! I have maintained excellent numbers even 10 Years later!
I became a Health Coach & Public Health Nutritionist in 2014.
Relevant Education:
MPH: Master of Public Health Candidate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD {Rated #1 in the World for 29 Years Straight by US News & World Report!}. July 2020 - May 2023
Harvard University, Cambridge MA. September 2015 - December 2017
+Nutrition, Epidemiology, Quantitative Methods, Social Psychology
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston MA. February 2015
+Meta-Leadership for Healthcare
John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. June 2014
+Food Production & Public Health
Training:
American College of Lifestyle Medicine Annual Conference: November 2021
American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions: November 2020
Harvard Medical School Institute for Lifestyle Medicine, Boston, MA.
+Lifestyle Medicine Conference: Tools for Promoting Healthy Change: June 2017
+Lifestyle Medicine Conference: Tools for Promoting Healthy Change: May 2016
Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
+Meta-Leadership for Healthcare: February 2015
Ralph Nader Leadership Training, Rowe, MA. November 2014
Certification:
Cornell Certification in Whole-Foods Plant-Based Nutrition, Ithaca, NY. October 2014
Memberships:
Professional Member: American Heart Association
+Scientific Councils: Epidemiology & Prevention; Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health
Professional Member: American Diabetes Association
+Professional Interest Groups: Epidemiology & Statistics; Education
Professional Member: American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Professional Member: Institute of Coaching @ Harvard Medical School’s McLean Hospital
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Environmental Working Group
The Humane Society of the US