08/24/2026
⚠ Caution: long post ahead ⚠
❓Why did I form Beets and Barbells? Why did I go back to school at 38 years old with 2 small children?
🥜In a nutshell...I want to help people. Whether its providing hope in hopeless feeling situations, like autoimmune diagnoses. Or helping an aging individual maintain their independence in their home through functional fitness. And everyone else in between.
📜The not so condensed, nutshell version…my body was attacking itself starting at 22 years old and I ended up with 3 autoimmune diseases by the time I was 29 years old🤯 Specifically, hypothyroidism, then celiac disease and the cherry on top...Multiple sclerosis. I dealt with the first 2 fairly well. Then the MS diagnosis really rocked my world. I was told by my neurologist that I would likely need a walking aid within 5-10 years. I went on disease modifying therapies qu**ky. Unfortunately, they didn’t work as well as was hoped so I had to go the hospital to get steroid infusions regularly too💉 During this time, I was googling everything I could think of, looking for a natural remedy and anything that would stop my progressing disease in its tracks.
About 1 year after my diagnosis I was given a book 📖, The Wahls protocol, written by a doctor who has Progressive MS and was wheelchair bound ♿ She was able to use food 🥕and movement 💪🏻to get herself out of her wheelchair and eventually was biking 20+ miles a day to work 🚴♀️
This book felt like the exact answer I was looking for. Until I started to read the book and protocol Dr. Wahls followed. It felt very restrictive and hard to follow when compared to my diet at the time. I put the book away and figured I’d revisit it later. A few months later I found out I was pregnant with my Son🤰🏼During pregnancy with MS, the disease typically goes into remission. My neurologist had me stop all meds/steroids until I gave birth. Around 5-6 months in my pregnancy I decided to read Dr. Wahls book again. Now I had a new reason to make some changes 👶🏼 I made the decision to begin following the Wahls Protocol and went all in 💯
To this day, 7 years later, I am still going strong on the Wahls Protocol and have never looked back. Is it always easy? 100% NO ❎ Is it always worth it? 100% YES ☑️ Now I am 9 years past diagnosis and have no disability 👏 On top of that, some of my lesions (used to diagnose MS) have disappeared from my MRI’s. I am significantly healthier now with more energy🔋, a clear head and a perfectly mobile body 🏋️♀️ This is why I went back to school 🏫 Despite having 2 young children.
I look at my journey, where it started, with complete despair, to where I am now. I have seen firsthand how my food choices and exercise have completely transformed my life. I want to help people and it is important to me to have the education behind my recommendations. There is an enormous amount of misinformation when it comes to health and wellness online. I don’t want to be another “influencer” who is pushing diet “fads”. Rather I want to help people in making sustainable changes that will improve their health and fitness; using scientifically backed strategies. We do this with tailored plans because no one BODY is the same and one-size fits all approaches are not helpful for long term change. What works for one person may not work for someone else.
I have 7 years of experience implementing changes in my own nutrition and fitness and look forward to using my education to help others do the same. To do this, I am offering both in-house and virtual personal training. Similarly, I am offering both in-house and virtual nutrition counseling and kitchen cupboard edits.
I have a 🎓 Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Food and Exercise from Bastyr University, along with a personal training certification from NASM. I will be returning to Bastyr University in September 2026 to work towards my Graduate degree; Master of Science in Nutrition to become a Registered Dietitian 👩⚕️
I have experience working with a variety of clients going through different stages of life, all with different goals:
👵👴Senior citizens to improve functional fitness and bone health through balance/stability training and weight training
🏊🏀High school athletes to prepare for upcoming sports seasons at school through targeted training to reduce injury risk and build endurance
💪🏼Middle aged women who want to work on body composition changes like increasing muscle mass and decreasing percent body fat
🚅Busy working individuals who need travel friendly workouts with minimal equipment to accomplish their goals
BTW...if you read this whole post...THANK YOU 🙏❤😊
