About Me

Christine’s 100 lb Weight Loss and Paleo Journey

I have been living a Paleo lifestyle now for about 4 years, since I
lost 100 pounds and still didn't feel well. Before I learned of Paleo,
I was suffering from severe constipation, trapped gas in my chest
almost daily, acid reflux since I was 16, and hypoglycemic symptoms. I
was also diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at the age of 21. I saw a
series of doctors and other health professionals in attempt to figure
out what was going on with my body. There was a nurse practitioner who
told me to "eat more ruffage”, a family physician who diagnosed me
with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and gave me a pill to help "only the
colon" retain water, a surgeon who gave me a pointless MRI, a few
chiropractors who each helped a little in their own way, and a colon
hydrotherapist who referred me to an amazing herbalist. My herbalist
taught me so much about my body, much more than all of the
conventional doctors I saw put together.

Then I started CrossFit. After losing all that weight, I needed to
tone up and I craved the next challenge. It wasn't until the second or
third day of my intro classes when I ate a bowl of corn bran cereal
before my workout and asked why I was so shaky. I'll never forget the
look I got from my coach. I think that's when he ran right over to his
stack of handouts and gave me my first bit of information on Paleo. I
fell in love with the idea and dove into learning all I could. Once I
tried it, I was hooked. It wasn't until 2 years post-Paleo I
discovered my Hypothyroidism was really Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, a
debilitating autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid. Even more
reason to continue my healthy lifestyle! I already knew how to eat to
support my "disease"!

With everything I learned from my herbalist and from my CrossFit
coach, I was feeling better in a matter of weeks. At the time, there
weren’t any Paleo cookbooks published, besides the recipes in the back
of The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, so I found most of my recipes and
advice online. I was fortunate to live 30 minutes from Chico,
California, home of NorCal Strength & Conditioning, which is Robb
Wolf’s gym. I sat in the front row of his very first “Paleo Solution”
seminar. I was completely star struck, but had the nerve to raise my
hand and ask a few questions regarding sweeteners and Autism. My son
had recently been diagnosed High Functioning Autistic, and I was
curious about the link between Autism and gluten. Sarah Fragoso,
author of the well-known “Everyday Paleo” blog and cookbooks also
worked there and happened to be married to my CrossFit competitor
chiropractor. I was surrounded by amazing leaders in the new Paleo
world and it inspired me. Eating strict Paleo and CrossFitting just
three times a week, I was able to shed another 5 pounds after I hit my
goal and became the fittest I’d ever been.

Now I am a Holistic Nutrition Consultant and specialize in Paleo and
CrossFit coaching. Nutrition has become my passion during my amazing
journey to health, and I look forward to helping more people discover
the health secrets I learned along the way.