I have a strong, but unusual opinion on the health and wellness industry. If you ever read any of my prior writing, you know I was born with a rare metabolic disease. I write frequently about it. What makes metabolic disease especially interesting is the fact that this cohort of…

I am not a diet, nutrition, or fitness influencer. Social media is overflowing with people who claim to fit one of these categories. Some are qualified to teach others, but many are not. But I have lived my entire life with PKU, a rare disease with an entire treatment centered…

Today is December 30, 2021, and society is at the turn of yet another year. The past two years have been challenging for everyone. Combine a dangerous global pandemic, turbulent cultural events, increased crime and gun violence here in the United States, and a series of a natural disasters and…

You do have a powerful story. You might not think so yet, but you do. Recently, I wrote a Medium article on how I discovered the power of my own story. Until I went through the process myself, I thought the story of my life was very average. In my…

Through the eyes of many people, my life was incredibly average. I am a 5 foot, 3 inches tall, average weight, White, and now middle-aged, female. I grew up in suburban Chicago to parents that are still married today. Most members of my large extended family lived nearby when I…

The word “community” is a big, broad word that means different things to different people. Its definition depends on the context and conditions upon which the term is used. Regardless, the word evokes positive emotions from people. I like to think we use the word when we feel a sense…

I have always wanted to write a book. I just never planned to write about my rare disease. It started as a graduate class assignment. During the spring of 2020, I took an elective class called ‘Race in Contemporary America.’ The final assignment was to write our own autoethnography of…