I'm a holistic nutritionist in Ottawa, Canada, with gluten intolerance (non-celiac gluten sensitivity) and Hashimoto's, an autoimmune condition. I've also been living with iron deficiency for over 25 years.

For a long time I was told I was fine — even when my ferritin was sitting at 9. I kept supplementing, assuming that was the answer, and wondering why nothing was changing. It took years of digging deeper to understand that iron deficiency isn't just a matter of taking more iron. There are reasons why levels stay low, and finding those reasons is what actually moves the needle.

My own path to understanding iron deficiency ran alongside other health challenges too. I've been gluten-free for over ten years and was eventually diagnosed with Hashimoto's — and the more I learned, the more I could see how these things connect. Thyroid function, gut health, and iron status don't operate in isolation, and understanding that changed everything about how I approached my own health.

I used to exist on packaged gluten-free foods and processed vegetarian not-food products (frozen veggie burgers, anyone?). I'm not saying that I eat perfectly now, but I'm passionate about using real, whole foods as a way to heal our bodies.

My own health journey is what led me to nutrition — and it's what keeps me close to the work. That first-hand experience is at the heart of everything I do with clients.