My passion for good food started with my upbringing in the farmlands and vineyards of Cape Town, South Africa. I grew up in a ’non-North American’ culture with NO access to fast food as no such option existed at the time in that country. A Mediterranean-style diet of balanced meals prepared using local produce with a heavy emphasis on fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood, cheeses, olive oil, whole grains and local wine were the order of the day!
With an intense fascination for life sciences and particularly the human body, I enrolled in a pre-med BSc. degree at the age of 19 at the University of Cape Town and graduated 4 years later with a major in Applied Anatomy and a minor in Chemistry. Years later, after moving to Toronto my passion for fitness, health and nutrition further spurred me on to Certify through CanFitPro initially as a Fitness Trainer and then the following year as a Nutrition and Wellness Specialist. In addition, I later certified as a specialist for working with adults over the age of 50 to enhance my understanding of the changing needs of this important demographic.
Over the past 10 years I have provided Nutrition Counseling services to clients both in Toronto and Collingwood focussing on: eating to balance blood sugar, to boost metabolism, to achieve a healthy weight, to optimize energy levels, to balance gut microflora, to treat chronic systemic inflammation and manage disease.
I am currently in the process of becoming a designated Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.) and continue to further my knowledge in the constantly changing field of nutrition through the frequent publications and seminars available to me.
I find it tremendously uplifting to be able to help clients make concrete and lasting improvements to their health, through sustained nutritional change. Having the time to prepare nutritionally balanced meals however is a real concern and one that I’ve heard voiced from clients for years. This ongoing problem led my husband and I to starting a nutritional catering service a few years ago called The Second Brain Co. Our goal is to address the lack of availability of pre-made, nutritionally balanced meals for busy working professionals and thereby decrease the reliance on low-quality, fast food. Our locally-sourced and largely organic salads, soups and stews are currently offered through retail locations and directly to homes in the Grey Highlands, Blue Mountains and Collingwood area.
