1. I Had to Find the Right Way
I was not always on my current road to finding happiness through holistic health coaching.
After college, I realized I was lost in Connecticut, my home state! So, I uprooted and moved to the DC area to chase my passions and find my purpose. Sure, I found jobs, but I was mentally burned out due to a severe lack of passion for them. So intense that it took me being fired from two jobs to realize it. My body was also telling me it had enough abuse from restrictive diets. They made me feel like my metabolism was brought to a standstill. Add in binge eating, a leaky gut, broken bones, surgeries, and toxic relationships, and there I was- at my worst. So, I took some time off to do some soul searching and it led me to holistic health coaching.
2. Personal Training is in My Blood
What I discovered is that I was most happy helping my friends through personal training sessions, which I have done for years. It started in 2012 when I attended a convention with my mother (who was an aerobics and pilates instructor) and where I became certified as a personal trainer for the first time. Personal training and helping others glow from within was always in my blood and fueled my passions. So, in 2019 I renewed my training certification and started Erica Jade Health - providing in-person concierge training (in home or outdoors), group training, and virtual training. My mental health began to glow as I was manifesting the best health of my inside and out.
3. I Discovered Holistic Health and Wellness
During this time, I was also working on repairing the damage I had done to my metabolism and digestive system through diets that were not suited explicitly to me. I was always told what to eat. For example, eating lean animal proteins like chicken and eggs was recommended since I am an athlete. It ended up creating food sensitivities because I was eating too much of them. Then I watched the documentary movie GameChangers. It opened my eyes to the science behind a plant-based diet and started my nutritional science and research journey. I became mostly plant-based, my gut hugged me back hard (no more leaking!), my recovery time as an athlete improved, and so did my strength and endurance. My research then brought me to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I received my Holistic Health Coach certification in 2020. This is also where I learned all about bio-individuality and the integrative nutrition plate.
4. Why I Became a Holistic Health Coach
I found that my personal training clients wanted more time to talk about nutrition and habits, not only about training - and not about a dictated diet. They wanted personalized, one-on-one encouragement through the highs and lows. And, holistic health coaching provides the best personal support system for all of the above, and more. It is more impactful on people's multi-faceted lives: home, relationships, work, transformations, individualized nutrition plans. It does not dictate a training regimen or a diet. It helps you establish a healthy lifestyle. This is why I'm not just a virtual health coach or a virtual fitness coach. I'm a transformation coach. I love seeing people light up and become fueled by life.
What fuels your life? What does a healthy lifestyle mean to you? One conversation can be a life-changer. Schedule a free initial consultation with me today.
Sign up for my blog newsletter to see where this incredible journey continues to take me.
Interested in becoming an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach? Click here to check out IIN's curriculum guide and other program information.
Let me know if you have any questions! I love sharing my passion for my career and IIN with others interested in embarking on their own coaching journey.