I used to believe that in order to be healthy, I had to trick or deceive my body– into believing the diet food tasted good, that the “high-volume” foods would keep me full, that I could put my body into a superior, toxin-removing, fat-burning state by removing entire food groups or taking expensive supplements.

As it turns out, deception, insecurity, and inconsistency are pretty sure-fire ways to ruin any relationship. It took me a while to piece together that this was exactly what I had done to my own body. Forgiveness, respect, trust, and support are the way through.

But after years of dieting, restricting and bingeing, overexercising, and operating in a deep state of nervous system dysregulation, befriending my body felt like trying to bond with a stray dog. I didn’t really know what foods I actually liked. I didn’t know when I was truly hungry or full. I didn’t know how to rest, and I was somehow always nursing a lingering injury (it’s always the hamstring), subjecting myself to arguably ritualistic burnout.

That experience didn’t happen in a vacuum.

I grew up as a competitive Irish dancer, a world of precision, discipline, and frequent injury that first drew me toward healthcare. My time in outpatient care sparked a lasting interest in anatomy, rehabilitation, and nutrition.

By high school, I had enrolled in a medical sciences program, going on to earn my bachelors degree in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics through the University of Cincinnati’s accelerated Coordinated Program, becoming an ACE-certified personal trainer at eighteen and training clients throughout school.

My clinical rotations began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at Cincinnati’s only level-one trauma center. It was an intense introduction to healthcare, revealing not only how nutrition and illness intersect, but also how fragmented our system can be. Working inside the system while watching public trust in healthcare unravel was disheartening. The polarity, confusion, and constant noise around “what’s healthy” only deepened my conviction that people don’t just need more information- they need transparency, compassion, and context.

During that time, I faced my own health crisis- a battle with anorexia and depression that brought me to my knees. I’m profoundly grateful to have received the care and support that helped me rebuild my physical and mental health, and ultimately, my sense of self. Recovery taught me that healing isn’t about control- it’s about awareness and courage to adopt new beliefs and systems.

After graduating with honors and passing my board exam in 2021, I worked as a clinical dietitian in acute care. That experience showed me both the power and the limitations of treating illness after it’s already taken hold; how health outcomes are shaped not only by physiology, but by emotional, social, and behavioral factors- and how limited illness-centered care can be without addressing the whole person.

Today, my work centers on helping people step out of extremes and into informed, compassionate care. Grounded in clinical nutrition and behavioral science, I focus on building health that lasts- not through rules, but through understanding.