WHO IS AMY?
I’m a country girl, who grew up in Central N.Y. My younger sister and I were raised by my grandparents who planted a huge garden; whole foods were always on the table. Of course as a kid, I had no idea what was happening with our food supply and how much conventional food was changing in how it was planted and harvested. My aunts were always canning and preserving food. Grandma made most everything from scratch. I’ve always loved food. My sister and I would eat veggies straight from the garden. I’m honestly not sure if we even used the hose to wash the dirt off.
As an adult on my own I cooked but not like my grandmother. It wasn’t until I was married with children that I recalled my roots, grandma’s kitchen, the big garden, planting, tilling and harvesting.
As an adult on my own I cooked but not like my grandmother. It wasn’t until I was married with children that I recalled my roots, grandma’s kitchen, the big garden, planting, tilling and harvesting.
I’m blessed, I’ve never been on a crazy diet, rarely ill or over weight. Good genetics I suppose keep me healthy. I don’t have a compelling story to share, one to inspire or even motivate. Eric and I married in June of 2005. We got pregnant with Nicholas right away. I worked for Wells Fargo and life was very average and normal; an American middle income family life. My career with Wells Fargo ends 4 months after Nicholas was born. Eric and I decide I’ll stay at home. Life really changes. I never planned on being a stay at home mom, I absolutely loved it and never looked back. Never.
I started helping a friend with her baby blog as an editor for her green segment. I interviewed Lisa Leake with 100 Days Whole Foods. She was just starting her journey. She drops the name Michael Pollan and Food Inc. I had no idea who she was talking about or anything about the documentary. That documentary, that interview changed everything for me and my family.
I became a research junkie. I read so many books, blogs, pier reviewed journals, talked with so many people and read so many peoples comments in feeds to learn more about all sides of topics. I was sort of obsessed. Our second son, Noah comes along in May of 2009. He’s my “green” baby. Everything organic and whole foods, no processed foods or food dyes and chemicals. I began cooking very differently. I surrounded myself with foodies. I couldn’t learn enough fast enough.
Then things became personal when my boys started having severe ear infections that wouldn’t go away. The ENT’s wanted to do more and more tube procedures. Finally, I asked the doctor if there were other options. He said no and I said unacceptable. I felt very out of control and the only thing I felt could keep me grounded was educating myself more. Educating myself on what exactly, I wasn’t totally sure. But the more I read about holistic health, exercise physiology and natural products, the more interested I became. I was sharing everything I learned with anyone who would listen and using it all on my family.
Over time, this developed into friends and family coming to ME with questions:
“What should I eat instead of this?”•
“Is this unhealthy?”•
“What do you think of this product?”
It finally occurred to me that food could help heal my kids ear infections. Food could help support our immune systems, keeping us healthier in the winter. Catherine Atwood with Nourishing Wellness Now, a Certified Nutritional Consultant, became a close friend. I took her food classes repeatedly absorbing everything she taught about nourishing traditions, fermented foods, sprouting beans and cooking meals. I became a locavore. I shopped every Saturday morning at my local farmers market. I stopped dairy and my boys ear infections stopped. It was that simple! I saw first hand the power I had in all that I’ve learned and how I can really help take care of my families health. Through that experience I began to transform everything in my life and my families life. Yes, our lifestyles changed, little by little. In 2012 I went to school to get some credentials behind all this passion.
Fast forward to today. The discovery journey is still happening. I learn something more, new and interesting every single day. Currently, I just found out I have the MTHFR gene, I am researching what it means and it’s affect on my health and my boys. So I’m doing what I always do, I’m researching, reading, asking a lot of questions, having meetings and gathering information. The more I learn about genetics and wellness the more I love that I am living a lifestyle that supports changing “bad genes”. Oh yes they can be changed. Today, I am a passionate Certified Holistic Health Coach and Yoga Instructor.
I’m a no-nonsense hard ass most of the time. I’ve worked since I was 14, I appreciate a hard worker committed to their goals. I graduated from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, New York City: Professional Training and Certification Program – Holistic Health Coach in 2013. I have been working with clients ever since.
In May of 2014 I discovered essential oils and how plant medicine can also support my family. I began using essential oils with my family, friends and clients. I now am a Wellness Advocate with DoTerra. We don't use modern medicine to treat most basic aliments. Using plant medicine to support my family and clients needs just makes sense to me.
I started helping a friend with her baby blog as an editor for her green segment. I interviewed Lisa Leake with 100 Days Whole Foods. She was just starting her journey. She drops the name Michael Pollan and Food Inc. I had no idea who she was talking about or anything about the documentary. That documentary, that interview changed everything for me and my family.
I became a research junkie. I read so many books, blogs, pier reviewed journals, talked with so many people and read so many peoples comments in feeds to learn more about all sides of topics. I was sort of obsessed. Our second son, Noah comes along in May of 2009. He’s my “green” baby. Everything organic and whole foods, no processed foods or food dyes and chemicals. I began cooking very differently. I surrounded myself with foodies. I couldn’t learn enough fast enough.
Then things became personal when my boys started having severe ear infections that wouldn’t go away. The ENT’s wanted to do more and more tube procedures. Finally, I asked the doctor if there were other options. He said no and I said unacceptable. I felt very out of control and the only thing I felt could keep me grounded was educating myself more. Educating myself on what exactly, I wasn’t totally sure. But the more I read about holistic health, exercise physiology and natural products, the more interested I became. I was sharing everything I learned with anyone who would listen and using it all on my family.
Over time, this developed into friends and family coming to ME with questions:
“What should I eat instead of this?”•
“Is this unhealthy?”•
“What do you think of this product?”
It finally occurred to me that food could help heal my kids ear infections. Food could help support our immune systems, keeping us healthier in the winter. Catherine Atwood with Nourishing Wellness Now, a Certified Nutritional Consultant, became a close friend. I took her food classes repeatedly absorbing everything she taught about nourishing traditions, fermented foods, sprouting beans and cooking meals. I became a locavore. I shopped every Saturday morning at my local farmers market. I stopped dairy and my boys ear infections stopped. It was that simple! I saw first hand the power I had in all that I’ve learned and how I can really help take care of my families health. Through that experience I began to transform everything in my life and my families life. Yes, our lifestyles changed, little by little. In 2012 I went to school to get some credentials behind all this passion.
Fast forward to today. The discovery journey is still happening. I learn something more, new and interesting every single day. Currently, I just found out I have the MTHFR gene, I am researching what it means and it’s affect on my health and my boys. So I’m doing what I always do, I’m researching, reading, asking a lot of questions, having meetings and gathering information. The more I learn about genetics and wellness the more I love that I am living a lifestyle that supports changing “bad genes”. Oh yes they can be changed. Today, I am a passionate Certified Holistic Health Coach and Yoga Instructor.
I’m a no-nonsense hard ass most of the time. I’ve worked since I was 14, I appreciate a hard worker committed to their goals. I graduated from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, New York City: Professional Training and Certification Program – Holistic Health Coach in 2013. I have been working with clients ever since.
In May of 2014 I discovered essential oils and how plant medicine can also support my family. I began using essential oils with my family, friends and clients. I now am a Wellness Advocate with DoTerra. We don't use modern medicine to treat most basic aliments. Using plant medicine to support my family and clients needs just makes sense to me.
Why is your site called Zest for Life?
One morning after a workout with one of my close friends, we were sitting in the sauna talking to two older woman. In a casual conversation she used the word “zest” describing how she felt about life and aging. I loved the word instantly. ZEST is action, motion, energy. ZEST is fun and exciting. Living with ZEST in your life is GOOD, really really GOOD. So Zest for Life was born.
Do you have any food allergies? Are you vegan, vegetarian, what are you?
Yes, Nicholas has several environmental allergies and a few food sensitivities. Noah has no environmental allergies and a few food sensitivities. I am personally very allergic to hydrocortisone and lanolin. That made breastfeeding interesting, considering I didn’t know I was allergic at that point. YIKES! Eric’s never been tested. We keep food simple as possible in my house, we eat real food to feel good. While I was studying to become a certified holistic health coach we did try all sorts of different ways of eating, vegan, vegetarian, for your blood type, mediterranean, paleo etc.
I believe in BIO-INDIVIDUALITY, life is all about balance. I believe in eating whole foods that support your unique system. I’m not vegan. I’m not paleo. I’m not gluten free. Some days I just happen to eat vegan, raw or gluten free. I love food! I also don’t believe in pushing any type of particular diet on the people I work with. We are all different and what works for me, may not necessarily work for you.
I believe in BIO-INDIVIDUALITY, life is all about balance. I believe in eating whole foods that support your unique system. I’m not vegan. I’m not paleo. I’m not gluten free. Some days I just happen to eat vegan, raw or gluten free. I love food! I also don’t believe in pushing any type of particular diet on the people I work with. We are all different and what works for me, may not necessarily work for you.
Do you never eat candy, ice cream or wheat pasta?
Of course I do! Just not very often. For starters, I don’t generally keep those foods in our home. The boys are now 11 and 9, they have had doritos like twice in their lives thus far. I let them drink soda at special events like a Panther football game. With everything I’ve learned I now know that sugar cravings are a sign you are missing nutrients from your diet. As a result, I rarely crave sugar :-)
How about meat?
We love meat. We choose pastured, grass fed organic happy animals. We also eat a plant based diet. I make sure I know the source of where my meat is coming from and always strive to buy organic, grass feed, no antibiotics, growth hormones, GMO's etc.
What can we always find in your kitchen?
You’ll always see a binder popped up with this weeks menu. The pantry is stocked. I’m always making broth in my crock pot, continuous Kombucha brewing and Kifir Water. Chicken, broth, avocados, cheese, beans, lentils, brown rice, eggs, quinoa, dates, nuts/ seeds and nut/seed butters, frozen berries and vegetables as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. I can always whip up a meal. Cooking your meals at home means you know all the ingredients. Learn to cook, Love to cook.
Why work with me?
Because I am listening and ready to help. My devotion comes from a place of genuine concern and compassion. I’m going to work really hard for YOU. Work with me if the idea of feeling better has been sitting in your mind, you want to make changes but just don't know how. Finding the balance of a healthy you, is often very difficult, and a frustrating experience. Efforts to maintain the health of the Body often result in depleting the health of the Mind or, vise-versa. Inevitably, this leads to our Spirit craving for a more nourished balance. Throughout our lives, we experience various seasons of living, life cycles. While each season of our lives will demand a unique balance of wellness. My goal is to educate my clients and give them the tools they need to restore their family's health, empowering people to make healthy changes one baby step at a time :)!
