MEET IRENE
Throughout my life, I took the straight and safe path- do well in school, get a good job, make decent money and get married. And I did just that. I pursued a successful corporate career in marketing, working at major entertainment companies. Life was perfect on the outside, but on the inside, I was a falling apart. I was extremely unhappy and unfulfilled at work. Working in New York City for nearly 20 years was extremely taxing and stressful. I was getting burnt out at work while my marriage was crumbling to pieces at home.
In my early 30s, this ‘perfect’ life I was living quickly came to a crashing halt. I lost my husband to suicide after 3 years of marriage, and lost my comfortable corporate job. My life completely fell apart overnight. I was binging and shopping for comfort and to numb the pain.
As a result, my health was the first to suffer. I suffered from anxiety, depression, major digestive issues, chronic muscle pain, brain fog and more. And quite frankly, I felt lost.
At only 31, I had bottles of medications on the kitchen counter, none of which helped my ailments. This was my wake up call. If I didn’t start taking care of myself, I would end up dealing with even bigger health issues. I went on a personal health journey to heal my body. I started by making small but crucial lifestyle improvements to take care of myself physically and mentally. About a year into this journey, I was off all of my medications. I decided to enroll in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Certified Health Coach. During this time, I’ve been taught over 100 dietary theories by renowned health and wellness leaders. I also learned how the mind, body and spirit were all connected. In this process, I ultimately came out a much healthier, stronger, and happier person. For the first time, my mind, body and spirit are inextricably in harmony- happier and healthier than ever.
Through my journey, I’ve learned that there is so much of my story and experiences that can be used to help others to achieve a happy and healthy life as well.