My earliest memories are sitting in a gymnasium listening to Cyndi Lauper and Duran Duran as my mother taught step aerobics in a leopard print thong leotard. Luckily, Mom was remarkably healthy and, through her example, instilled in her four children a fundamental concern for wellness.

 

She went gaga for Jane Fonda's step aerobics and succumbed to the spell of the fat-free craze. Looking back on my childhood, I recognize that my mom always provided quality, whole foods through delicious, home-cooked meals almost every day for us. Even hiding vegetables in our favorite dishes when we were too picky to eat them willingly. In this way (and so many others), my mom was ahead of her time! With this simple act of love, it left an indelible mark on me to do the same.

 

 

My personal interest in nutrition peaked in high school when my tenure as a competitive athlete came into conflict with the southern girl's all-too-common fixation on weight. Running cross country, playing soccer, and dancing, I expended so much energy that I was forced to reckon with the role food played in fueling my performance, which suffered when I cut back on calories or ingested highly processed foods.

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....but there is more to this story.