About

Have you imagined what your life would look like if you had clear thinking, energy, and variety, every day? Let me tell you about my journey…

Just 3 years ago, I had a completely different life. It had been 5 years since I had finished my MBA at the Melbourne Business School, and I was quickly escalating the corporate ladder. Externally, it was all going well, however, deep inside I knew that something wasn’t right.

There was no need to be really concerned about my health. I was in my late 30s, a vegetarian, and physically fit. Except I didn’t feel as energised and strong as I should for someone living the right lifestyle. I was always bloated and constipated, with the typical symptoms of IBS, and although I didn’t eat big quantities of food, I couldn’t get rid of my stubborn belly fat. When my left wrist started to trouble me, I knew I had to get a proper check-up.

The pain in my wrist at that point was considerable. I couldn’t hold my son or put any weight on my hand. I had to sit out exercise which was significant for me, I’ve practiced martial arts from a young age and enjoy it tremendously.

I visited my GP for a physical and he thought it best to send me out to do some additional medical tests.

The results came back and, honestly, they scared me.

I had tested positive for autoimmune disorders with indicators pointing to high C-Reactive proteins. My GP informed me this is a substance produced by the liver, because of inflammation which was usually an indication of a deeper condition, such as arthritis, lupus, or cancer.

He also informed me that my blood sugar levels were slightly above the normal threshold.

All this pointed to something…but what?

I was sent for further tests which came back with no distinct conclusion. With no idea what the cause was, my only option was to take anti-inflammatory pills and live with it.

How could this happen? As a vegetarian, it didn’t seem possible for my blood sugar to be high. I thought I had a healthy lifestyle!!

I really didn’t know what to do…

It was frustrating. Not knowing the cause and problem meant I couldn’t make positive changes. I didn’t even know where to start. I spent the next few days lost in depression. Then I remembered a few articles I had read about how sugar and processed foods can affect your health. I did a bit of additional research and found a lot of articles linking inflammatory conditions with processed food (or food like substances), sugar, and refined carbohydrates. So, I decided to change my lifestyle as an experiment and alternative to anti-inflammatory drugs.

I quit sugar and eliminated processed foods from my diet. I replaced refined carbs, such as white rice and pasta, with wholemeal versions. I was shocked by the result. In a period of three months my wrist began to show signs of improvement, and I also began to lose weight, about one kilo every month.

Then I began to crave chicken, animal protein and animal fat. That’s probably the ultimate disgrace for a vegetarian! A chicken roast or an Ossobuco casserole seemed like heaven to me.

I started to have this recurring dream about eating a chicken roast. Yes, it disagreed with my vegetarian lifestyle. My switch to being vegetarian was for ethical reasons and going back to meat was not easy, I promise you. However, I’ve always been very intuitive and felt my body was really telling me something so I decided to follow my subconscious and trust my body was asking for the right thing. I began experimenting with animal proteins in a conscious way, buying organic poultry and pasture fed beef, and cooking delicious slow cooked meals that just couldn’t be more nourishing and healing for me! It just felt right!

In six months I was fully healed…

After six months of eating foods my body needed I was fully healed. I was back exercising, full of energy, clear minded, and my weight had dropped to what I weighed when I was 20 years old. And not by eating less, just better!

But wait, there was just one thing left to fix; my IBS like symptoms. I had read a bit about the Paleo lifestyle, and that digesting grains and legumes can be quite damaging to some people’s gut. I decided to go paleo for a month and guess what? That was it, my IBS was fixed!

After six months of listening to my body and taking the right steps to get back to full health naturally, amazingly Maria fell pregnant! No help at all. No difficulties. We were over the moon. My change in diet affected her too as she was eating the same healthy meals and enjoying added energy and focus.

Getting pregnant was not easy and we needed help. We wanted children very much and worked around our mysterious issues to fall pregnant. My beautiful wife Maria developed gestational diabetes and had to take insulin on a daily basis. This was very hard on her as she was already quite skinny. And wait! Her iron levels got so low, that she had to be injected with an iron booster to get out of bed. She was not a vegetarian, that was just me.

Our Doctor advised that she had a high chance of developing both conditions again, but guess what, Maria didn’t develop diabetes and her iron levels never dropped! It looks like our new lifestyle helped us beat the odds!

My son is truly a blessing, not just because he’s the joy of my life, but because having him was challenging.  We were diagnosed with “unexplained infertility,” whatever that means…

Witnessing such an incredible transformation in my whole family’s health, from something as simple as eating real food, became an experience I wanted to share with others. Others who like me had been diagnosed with a mysterious something, with no cause or explanation about what or how to fix it.

I felt like this was something I needed to share with the rest of the world. I knew I could help others adopt a better and healthier lifestyle. So, I applied to study at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition to get my holistic health coaching certification. It was just what I needed to compliment my personal nutritional breakthrough. Now I have dedicated my career to helping others achieve their health, wellness, and lifestyle goals, whatever that may be for them.

As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I am your personal advocate for living an energised and passionate life. I work with my clients to help them create happy, healthy lives in a way that is flexible and fun. By working together, we can discover the food and lifestyle choices that best support you. Making gradual, lifelong changes enables you to reach your current and future health goals.