In my twenties, I traveled for 6 years outside the United States. It wasn't because I became voraciously curious about food or because I loved to learn languages. (Though I did.) The core motivation for my travels was human potential.

I wanted to know what I was made of and how human beings worked. I was especially fascinated by what was universal and how people communicated across boundaries.

Everyone has topics that they are innately drawn to (and others they are averse to) and these affinities and aversions, by default, inform the path you create for your life.

I wanted to know what would make a human being fulfill their potential (and if possible, me!)

I was culturally enriched when I returned to the US, but physically depleted. I got a chronic illness that dogged me for 7 years. ("There goes my potential!" I thought, as almost all my energy got sucked into a vortex of healing and learning.)

Nutrition Counseling came very naturally to me. I was very focused on holistic healing anyway, and I'm one of those natural counselor people (you know who you are!) who people naturally confide in.

In the world of nutrition counselors, there are a lot of directions you can go. My dear friend Tina Annibell is a very inspirational cooking teacher and she's now also teaching people how to grow their own food! (So cool!) Another good friend and health counselor, Ann Gibson, focuses on helping active outdoor women optimize their health and energy levels through precision meal plans and functional medicine testing. (wow!)

There are raw food teachers, Macrobiotic chefs, cleansing specialists and locavores.

Personally, my unshakable focus has remained on this question:

"How can the food you eat serve you to unfold into your greatest possible potential as a human being?"

And further:

"How can your personal potential serve the planet as we cross the threshold into a new age?"

In other words, how can you be part of the solution and not part of the problem?

This is what led me to The Empowerment Institute to become a life coach.

Their "state-of-the-art empowerment tools have been applied over the past three decades to achieve significant and measurable behavior change at the personal, organizational and community levels."

Life coaching certification is only the first layer of what they offer. David Gershon and Gail Straub focus on large scale system change, organizational transformation, community organizing and transformative leadership.

David has a special focus on climate change and water conservation. Gail has a special focus (dear to my heart) on nourishing the power of the feminine in order to provide society with the spiritual depth and connectivity that is so crucial to our future.

Why is this kind of education and growth so important to me?

Eating gluten-free food, raw food and fermented food IS important to me, but it's not enough. It doesn't reveal the big picture, which is that our country and our planet is heading towards massive crisis and eating vital, nutrient-dense, clean food is a prerequisite to being present enough to be part of the solution.

Food is a tool for human potential. You can't be awake without vital, clean food. You need to be awake in order to engage in your "curriculum" as a human being (what you are here to learn.)

For many women, that curriculum includes stepping into your feminine power. Now. We need you to.

Believe me, I know the emotional eating issues that can stand in your way. But they are not part of your DNA.

How to veer towards consistently vital foods in your life is simply a code to crack. It's a spiritual, physiological challenge that is part of your curriculum. You have accomplished a lot. You can nail this one too. It's a temporary obstacle between you and your fullest blossoming and the world needs you to blossom fully.

When I am catalyzing this type of blossoming and awakening, I am doing what I am meant to be doing to play my part in the dynamic future.

What's exciting is that this blossoming is like a wildfire. Men and women all over the world are responding to the pressure of the environmental and social crises-- as we humans do-- with dynamism, heart and frenetic growth.

The future could therefore be amazing. If we show up for it.

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