I grew up in the Midwest, second out of four girls, my mother was a single mom and a full-time nurse. Like most kids I hated vegetables unless they were covered in butter or cheese. Throughout my teenage years my diet consisted of chips, cereal, soda, and what I thought was "healthy", an iceberg lettuce salad loaded with ranch dressing and processed cheese. In my twenties I started working out and became slightly more conscious of what I ate. I believed chicken breast was the purest form of protein, completely unaware of the high protein in leafy greens and legumes.

In 2014 I moved to Los Angeles and was not a healthy pescatarian. Pizza, fried calamari, Caesar salad and beer where a few of my favorites. My exercise routine consisted of walking my dog and waiting tables. I wasn't feeling my best and I knew I had to make some changes.

A year later in 2015 I chose to go completely vegan and I immediately felt better. I soon became familiar with red-flag ingredients like additives, toxic dyes and fortified foods. It was easier to eat whole foods. That same year I signed up for my first marathon training. I ran the L.A marathon three times, Pasadena half-marathon two times and many other races that keep me in shape.