MY JOURNEY,
FROM LEARNER TO LEADER
"I appreciate your interest, and your ear,
as we walk the path to eco-intelligent living, learning, healing, and mentoring, together!"
I’ve been living with environmental illness for most of my life and it has taught me so much about taking care of myself and living my life to the fullest. On February 23rd, 1956, the day I was born, I could not have imagined how the chemical toxins I was exposed to in my mother's womb could hurt my health and vitality. But I eventually gained an understanding of how they did.
​I was born with a dirty gene that didn't allow me to detoxify chemical toxins well. Chemicals in my body caused the hormones in my body to wildly misbehave, and I developed hormone-driven health conditions as a result, including ovarian cysts and fibromyalgia. What I didn't know while I was growing up was that, my body also harbored several viruses, microbes, and mold, which caused me to experience unbearable inflammation within my internal organs. My unhealthy gut led me to experience brain fog and depression.
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Unfortunately, my health condition was a mystery to the allopathic doctors that my mom arranged for me to consult with. Thankfully, my mother was forward-thinking. She decided on my behalf to explore the world of drugless medicine, and I curiously followed in her footsteps, choosing to never look back!
As a newly initiated student of the natural healing arts, I was inspired to study books whose topics addressed the use of herbal medicine, acupressure, massage, fasting, detoxification, clay therapy, and the Chinese 5 Food Element Theory in healing. I was fascinated by what I learned about these ancient, traditional forms of medicine, and I eagerly implemented them into my life. While studying the role of nutrition in preventing disease, I had the opportunity to learn about how food is produced for the masses. That's when I became aware of the ecological problems that result from treating food crops with toxic chemicals, and raising animals in confinement operations. It dawned on me that if the earth and living things were being made sick by industrial farming practices, I, myself, could not be healthy!
Adopting an organically raised whole foods diet was the best decision I made for my health. As I learned about the powerful health properties contained in plant foods, I was inspired to experiment in my family's kitchen with the creation of meals that I imagined would be therapeutic for my health, and the health of plants, animals, and living things. I created "milk without the moo" beverages by blending nuts, seeds, fruits, natural sweeteners, spices, and flavorings, with liquids in my kitchen blender. I also created dairy-free smoothies by blending fruits (and sometimes, vegetables) with superfoods, spices, and liquids. I also taught myself how to cook nature's ancient whole grains, which I accented with vegetables, herbs, legumes, nuts, and seeds. All of these nutrient-rich foods, I discovered, served to detoxify and nourish my body, and support me in feeling healthier than I had ever felt.
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During this very instructive time on my self-healing journey, my mom was invited to be on the board of an organization known as "Cancer Victors & Friends", whose mission was to provide the public with non-toxic healthcare protocols. Her appointment within the organization involved arranging hotel accommodations for the health experts who would fly in from out of town to speak at the organization's educational events. When she offered up our home as a "Bed n' Breakfast" destination (instead of a hotel) for two pioneering doctors and bestselling authors (Dr. Paavo Airol and Dr. Richard Barmakina), our lives were forever changed, and my destiny as a self-healer, cook, and health mentor/writer, was revealed to me. ​
During the late 70s and early 80s, I used my newfound knowledge about food and nutrition to establish Gourmet Gatherings, a whole foods catering service. This service gave me a way to provide my community with health-giving, artistic food buffets. I later established Meals That Heal, a service that catered to the interests of healthcare professionals in my community, including their patients who had food sensitivities.
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In 1989, I had the opportunity to participate in Minnesota's "Great Growing Organic Food Cook-Off", an event designed to promote organic agriculture and sustainable cuisine. After being honored with the top prize, I attracted the attention of a California-based publishing house (formerly known as Woodbridge Press) whose founder printed and distributed my first cookbook: "Not Milk...NUT MILKS!" The success of this book led to the publication of two others, including "Gourmet Grains: Main Dishes Made of Nature" and "Super Smoothies! Taste the Nectar of Life!"
Throughout the 1990s, I served as a freelance food writer and food stylist for popular magazine publications such as Vegetarian Gourmet, Woman's World, Vegetarian Times, Llewellyn's Gardening Almanac, Veggie Life, and numerous newsletters, including Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing Newsletter. I also shared my voice on several radio shows and local cable TV programs, and I collaborated with organizations such as VRG (Vegetarian Resource Group) and FARM (Farm Animal Reform Movement) to produce educational events at schools in Minnesota.
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During the mid-90s, after being invited to educate and entertain a group of young adults about healthy, eco-conscious living on the West Coast, I was awakened to my higher calling: The calling to create ed. tools for parents and young adults that would support them in nourishing wellness in their bodies and the earth, and prepare them to serve as Eco-Intellient Lifestyle Mentors in their homes and communities.
The educational tools my educational event inspired me to create include all of the books and related courses you see on this website. Together, they highlight the importance of adopting a lifestyle that is conscious of what it means to be a consumer of clean, green products, to support organic farmers, to eat clean foods, to utilize nature's pharmacy for drug-free healthcare remedies, to practice eco-conscious parenting, and to raise young adults to be tomorrow's eco-intelligent leaders!
As a mother and wife, I have had many opportunities to recognize the challenges that face parents and families in today’s eco-challenged times on Earth. In my own life, I strive to demonstrate the practices of eco-intelligent living to my two sons, now grown adults. My husband Tom has been my constant companion on my writer's journey. He, himself, is a vocal proponent of eco-intelligent living!
