I was born in Iowa and grew up in the country, across the road from my grandpa’s farm.

In my twenties I started having physical reactions to over-the-counter medications, such as ringing in my ears, heart palpitations, and a rushing feeling through my chest and stomach. Also, I’ve lived with an anxiety/panic disorder for as long as I can remember. For many years Xanax was my friend. Before I started searching for alternative ways to treat myself, I thought I was destined to suffer with these side effects any time a doctor prescribed an antibiotic or some other allopathic medicine for me. I would just grit my teeth and suffer through, usually triggering anxiety and/or panic.

Over the years I read about natural health and herbal remedies but I didn’t apply them to myself right away. A little over twenty years ago I took a two-year course, at the Kingdom College of Natural Medicine, an accredited college, to be a Certified Nutritional Consultant (CNC). I believe that what we eat and feed ourselves is the foundation of our health. I’m also certified as a Holistic Healthcare Practitioner (HPH) through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners’.

Through my role as the Manger of Natural Living at Fresh Thyme overseeing an extensive supplement department, and my nutritional training, I have come to understand that you can take all the meds and/or vitamins and herbal remedies you want, but if you’re feeding yourself foods that take away from your health, or not supporting good health, you’re working against yourself.

My work at Fresh Thyme also showed me the immense need to be working with individuals in an in depth way. Beyond Pharma is my attempt to fill that need and has been a dream of mine for many years. It is a dream of mine to really help people in a deeper and more meaningful way – a lasting way.

I’m currently continuing my education in strategic herbalism and naturopathy. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning, there’s just so much to know and understand about how our bodies heal themselves. Our bodies are created to heal themselves when we feed them the foods that promote radiant health. Along with supplementation, moving our bodies, and emotional wellness, we can live our best life possible – Mind Body & Spirit.

I am blessed to have three kids plus two bonus kids. Between my husband and I we have nine grandkids; they keep us hopping.