Love Eat Crave Wellness

Love Eat Crave Wellness Love Eat Crave Wellness is a space for nutrition literacy and sustainable wellness — helping people build a trusting relationship with food, body, and self.

Rooted in awareness — not perfection.

I passed my boards. ❤️Tuesday morning, I opened an email I had been waiting for and immediately wished it contained exac...
09/17/2026

I passed my boards. ❤️
Tuesday morning, I opened an email I had been waiting for and immediately wished it contained exactly two words: You passed.

Instead, there was a score report.

My heart was racing as I stared at my computer trying to figure out what I was looking at.

Did I pass? Wait…what does that score mean? Is that saying I’m in the 99th percentile? Am I reading this right?

I actually downloaded the report, uploaded it to the thread I had dedicated to preparing for this exam and asked, “Does this mean what I think it means?”

It did. I passed the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching examination with a score of 651—in the 99th percentile.

And then I just sat there.

It was 6 o’clock in the morning. Brandon was still sleeping. And I sat at my computer with tears rolling down my face trying to process what I was seeing.

When I walked out of the exam, everyone wanted to know how I thought it went. My answer was always the same: “It either went really well or really badly.”

It had felt like a lot, but it also felt easier than I had anticipated. And because I am apparently very capable of second-guessing myself, I decided that either I really knew the material…or I had somehow completely misunderstood the context of the questions.

Seeing that score gave me my answer. I knew it.

I understood the knowledge. I understood the skills. I understood the context. And that's when the relief really hit me.

For the past two years, I have studied, learned and practiced the skills and knowledge required to help people create meaningful behavior change. And somewhere underneath all of that work has been a question I don't think I've talked about very much: Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing?

Or is this just another thing I'm trying to force into my life because it makes sense?

I've always been someone who is good at a lot of things. There really aren't many things I've tried that I haven't been able to figure out how to do.

But I've never felt like I had truly mastered something.

And this one matters differently.

Because there is very little that means more to me than helping another person recognize the ability within themselves to change their behavior and build a life that honors who they are, what matters to them and what they are capable of.

Behavior change. Wellness. Intentional living. Helping people take what they know and figure out how to actually live it.

This is my passion. And I believe it is my purpose.

That score didn't create that purpose. And a credential doesn't suddenly make me capable of doing something I couldn't do the day before.

But for the analytical person in me who is also, without question, her own biggest critic, it gave me something I think I needed: evidence.

Evidence that the last two years weren't simply me hoping I was good enough to do work that matters this much to me.

Evidence that I have developed real knowledge and skill in something I care deeply about.

And maybe, finally, permission from myself to stop wondering whether I'm supposed to be here.

I've spent the last two days letting that sink in.

I've cried. I've celebrated quietly. I've reset our home, decorated for fall, taken care of my family and given myself a little room to understand what this accomplishment means to me before I shared it with anyone.

Today, I am incredibly proud to say that I am officially a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach — NBC-HWC. ❤️

And strangely, after two years of working toward this moment, it doesn't feel like I've arrived at the end of something.

It feels like all of it—the learning, the studying, the practicing, the questioning, the experiences that brought me here and, honestly, so much of my life before it—has been preparing me for what comes next.

Now I get to begin. 🌿

Love Well. Eat Well. Crave A Life Well Lived.

09/14/2026

Filling my parents’ freezer one comforting meal at a time. ❤️🌿

There’s something especially satisfying about taking familiar, cozy foods and preparing them in ways that support the people I love—then making sure they’re ready and waiting for the days when cooking feels like one more thing to do.

A lot of love has gone into this freezer over the last few days. And apparently, we’re still making room for more. 🤭

Love Well. Eat Well. Crave A Life Well Lived.

09/12/2026

What does support look like in real life?

Sometimes it looks like a couple of very full days in the kitchen. 🤭

I developed 18 recipes for my dad, and I’ve spent the last few days prepping, cooking and portioning meals for their freezer. And today? I’m headed right back into the kitchen to keep going.

Because knowing what might support us is only part of the equation.

It also has to work in real life.

For my parents right now, that means having nourishing meals already prepared and easy to reach for when cooking feels like too much.

A little more work on the front end.
A little more support when it’s needed. ❤️🌿

Eating well is something we learn to do.It isn't something we suddenly become “good at” because we found the right meal ...
09/11/2026

Eating well is something we learn to do.

It isn't something we suddenly become “good at” because we found the right meal plan, followed enough rules, or finally developed enough willpower.

We learn by noticing and then by understanding what food provides. Paying attention to what satisfies us and what supports us.

Then we can start trying things, adjusting them, and discovering what actually works in our own lives.

Some meals will be beautifully balanced and some will be thrown together in ten minutes. Some days we’ll add something and other days we may decide something really does need to change.

That’s part of learning, too.

The goal isn’t to build the perfect plate, it’s to build enough understanding that you can look at the plate in front of you and feel increasingly confident deciding what comes next. 🌿

That’s wellness literacy.

You don’t have to analyze every bite you eat.But occasionally slowing down long enough to notice what’s actually in fron...
09/09/2026

You don’t have to analyze every bite you eat.

But occasionally slowing down long enough to notice what’s actually in front of you can teach you quite a bit.

Before deciding a meal needs to be changed, try getting curious about it.

What is already here?

What do I enjoy about it?

What feels satisfying?

What might support me right now?

And then—if anything—what would I like to add?

Sometimes the answer will be protein or fiber. Sometimes it might be color, crunch, warmth, flavor or something that simply makes the meal more enjoyable.

And sometimes?

Nothing.

The meal may already be exactly what you want it to be.

That matters, because wellness literacy isn't about learning a new set of rules.

It's about developing enough understanding to make choices for yourself.

Notice first. Decide second. 🌿

09/08/2026

Yesterday I introduced an idea I call Build Before You Remove™—a different way of thinking about eating well.

And this morning, it showed up in my own kitchen.

I made one of my usual protein muffins, but instead of thinking about what I should take away or make “better,” I thought about what I could add.

Pear. Toasted pecans. A little of the maple pecan cardamom syrup I made over the weekend.

The result had more flavor, more texture, and—just as importantly—more satisfaction.

This is what I mean when I talk about building in real life.

Eating well doesn’t have to mean constantly correcting our food. Sometimes it means understanding what’s already there and asking what might make it work even better for us.

What could I add that would support me?

It’s a simple question, but it can change the way we approach a meal—and eventually, the way we think about eating well. 🌿

What if eating well didn’t begin with taking something away?So much nutrition messaging starts with removal:Cut. Avoid. ...
09/07/2026

What if eating well didn’t begin with taking something away?

So much nutrition messaging starts with removal:

Cut. Avoid. Eliminate. Restrict. Replace.

But there’s another question we can learn to ask first:

What does this meal already provide—and what could I add that would support me?

Maybe that means protein or a fiber-rich food. Maybe it’s produce, fat, flavor, texture or something that makes the meal more satisfying.

And sometimes it means using convenience foods because they make dinner possible on a busy night.

The goal isn’t to turn those things into another checklist every meal has to satisfy.

Build Before You Remove™ is about understanding our food well enough to recognize options—and then making choices within the context of our own lives.

Because eating well doesn’t have to begin with finding something we’re doing “wrong.”

Sometimes it begins by understanding what’s already there...and building from it. 🌿

This week, try asking:
What could I add that would support me?

Knowledge → Understanding → Application → Confidence → Autonomy

09/05/2026

This week, I cooked with cardamom for the first time. 🌿

I started by using it in the Vanilla-Cardamom CREAMi I created for the first Gather Board™, alongside warm blackberry-pear compote.

Then I tried it again in the Goji Berry-Orange Chai Vanilla Bark with toasted pepitas.

And apparently, I wasn't done experimenting. 😘

Next came a Maple-Pecan-Cardamom syrup for our morning coffee. ☕️

That's what is about.

Not chasing novelty. Not finding another food you “should” eat.

Exploring. Tasting. Learning.

Try an unfamiliar fruit. Pick up a grain you've never cooked. Experiment with a new spice. Prepare a familiar vegetable differently.

Learn what it is. Notice what it tastes like. Discover how it's used. Experiment with it. Decide what you think.

You may love it. You may not.

Either way, you've learned something. And sometimes one new ingredient gives you a whole lot more possibility in the kitchen.

One new ingredient. More possibilities. 🌿

Love Well. Eat Well. Crave A Life Well Lived.

Nutrient density and food morality aren't the same thing. 🌿Foods are nutritionally different. Some provide more vitamins...
09/04/2026

Nutrient density and food morality aren't the same thing. 🌿

Foods are nutritionally different. Some provide more vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein or other nutrients relative to the amount of energy they provide.

That's useful information—and understanding those differences can help us make informed choices.

What those differences don't tell us is whether eating a particular food makes us “good” or “bad.”

Food literacy isn't about pretending every food provides the same thing. It doesn't.

It's about learning to understand what food provides, how it may support us, whether we enjoy it and how it fits within our overall eating pattern—without turning every choice into a moral judgment.

Food gives us information. Understanding helps us make intentional choices.

Love Well. Eat Well. Crave A Life Well Lived.

09/03/2026

Last night, I created the first Gather Board™. 🌿

The idea has been living in my head for a while: create a shared food experience that feels beautiful and abundant, encourages curiosity and gives people a reason to gather around, taste, discover and connect.

For this first one, I wanted it to feel like early fall—warm, cozy and comforting, with just enough unexpected flavor to make you wonder what you were tasting next.

Pear and orange. Blackberry and cardamom. Chocolate and cherry. Goji berries and chai. Toasted nuts and seeds. And a little pumpkin-spiced decaf espresso cocktail to begin.

Familiar enough to invite. Interesting enough to explore.

I spent a lot of time thinking about every detail. The flavors. The textures. The colors. The way everything would be arranged. The candles glowing around the table.

And when it was finally finished, I realized something.

As much as I loved creating the food, my favorite part was watching what happened around it.

People gathered. They explored. They tasted. They talked. They laughed. And for a little while, we were simply together, enjoying the experience in front of us.

That was exactly what I hoped to create.

The most meaningful part of a beautiful table isn't what we put on it.

It's what happens around it. 🧡💛🤎

Gather Board™ No. 1.
And definitely not the last. 🌿

Love Well. Eat Well. Crave A Life Well Lived.

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