The NTW Story

New Terrain Wellness was born out of a very frustrating problem.
How do you support a new medical diagnosis with nutrition and lifestyle in an evidence-based way that isn’t just another fad?

It started almost 10 years ago, when I plain just didn’t feel well. I had recently turned 30, and thought maybe it was just part of getting older. As a nurse at a busy hospital, I knew what tired felt like, but this was a whole new level of exhausted. My hair was falling out, my skin was dry, I was perpetually cold… I had gained weight out of nowhere over the past 10 years, and not only could I not get it off, I kept gaining! I blamed myself, and thought that my exhaustion and weight gain must be a “me” problem- I must just be lazy and a glutton. After literally YEARS of different doctors, lab tests, frustration and misdiagnosis, I was finally diagnosed with chronic reverse T3 hypothyroidism, (likely triggered by a common viral infection), and hormonal disregulation. It was then that I set out on the journey to reclaim my health.

That journey was far from smooth. Even as a seasoned nurse, I was on COMPLETELY new terrain, and with no guide. There wasn’t a roadmap for what I was going through, so I had to become my own sherpa on this Mount Everest of recovery! The more research I did, the more I realized that current dietary recommendations for chronic inflammatory-based illnesses, (such as hypothyroidism, PCOS, diabetes, autoimmune, etc.), were completely WRONG! Biochemistry simply did not support the amount of carbohydrates in the suggested “healthy” diets, such as the Mediterranean diet. They were still inflammatory as all heck! A friend suggested trying a Whole30, (which I still believe is a fantastic jumping-off point and use it in coaching!), and we decided to go for it.

My partner Jason and I did a Whole30 in November of 2015 to the letter, and I almost felt worse! What in the world was wrong with me? My dear friend Jenelle asked me if I’d heard of Keto. She suspected that even while eating Whole30, I was getting too many carbohydrates for my personal needs. My body wasn’t switching over to fat burning for energy, it was just hanging out in “no man’s land,” idling. I hadn’t heard of keto, but a quick search gave me the basics. It sounded so restrictive, but I was willing to try anything at that point! A few weeks of clean, strict keto was all I needed to tell me that I was still carb addicted as all heck without even realizing it. I was able to apply this “protein-veggie-fat” template to all my meals and FEEL BETTER! My thyroid numbers improved, my hormone levels REALLY improved, and I started to feel like myself again. I believe this protein-veggie-fat template is the proper human diet for all people, and that the ratios of those components are what are individual. There is absolutely no one-size-fits-all solution to nutrition and wellness! Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is selling you a bunch of hogwash!

8 years later, (and after correct thyroid dosage), I feel like myself again and better! I now know what I experiencing wasn’t a “me” problem, it was an inflammation and energy balance problem that wasn’t my own doing. I knew that I absolutely had to use this crazy journey to help others. I wanted to be that guide for someone else on new terrain that I had so desperately needed myself. I became certified as a Health & Wellness coach, and started New Terrain Wellness.

New Terrain Wellness provides Health & Wellness coaching to all folks, but specializing those diagnosed with chronic illnesses, such as hypothyroidism, PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, and Auto-Immune disorders. Using diet and lifestyle in conjunction with medical management by your own medical provider(s), I am here to coach you back to health, wellness and your best life! It doesn’t have to be the way that it is! Take my hand, I got you!