Hi! I'm Chelsea...
Despite being an athlete my whole life I was often dealing with bloating, low energy, acne, hormonal issues, heartburn, constipation, gut pain, and low self-esteem. It was 2008 and I was fed up with feeling crummy and insecure so I asked my chiropractor why I'm bloated all of the time and he said that I probably have food allergies, especially given my mom having Celiac Disease, and to think about eliminating gluten from my diet. Unfortunately my diet was heavily reliant on wheat products as well as dairy and sugar. I felt so daunted by the task of not being able to eat bread, tortillas, cereal, crackers, etc., what would I even eat? So I bought a book by Dr. Gillian McKeith called "You Are What You Eat". The book open my eyes to the world of nutrition including getting to know my body's signs/symptoms, food as medicine, organics, and considering where our food comes from. What helped me feel optimistic about shifting to a healthier lifestyle was the encouragement to focus on simple, natural changes and to not be afraid to eat as much of the right foods as I want like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, herbs, nuts and seeds.
The difficulties of shedding old habits and curbing food cravings have not been easy to deal with but the desire to be healthy has kept the fire in me to be better and lent to the pursuit of deeper self-inquiry and understanding which led me to Western Astrology. I was looking up my horoscope online one day when I decided to check out what my Astrological Birth Chart was. I found that I am much more than just a Libra. There was so much information I was reading about myself that resonated and helped me begin to understand my emotional, mental and physical tendencies. The symbolic, elemental, language system
of Astrology was allowing me to better understand myself and the world around me as well as communicate what I couldn't put words to earlier in my life.
In 2013 I began studying Ayurveda at the dhyana Center in Sebastopol, California. I was inspired by the medical science and healing system of Ayurveda which is also elementally based - ether, air, fire, water, earth - like Astrology, while also focusing on the art of daily living through getting to know my unique dosha/body type, following the cycle of the seasons, and food as medicine. I fell in love with Ayurvedic Pulse Assessment and was eventually asked by my teacher to become a practitioner and see clients in our treatment center. I also began working at Earthwork Farm in 2012 during my Ayurvedic studies in pursuit of a better understanding how to grow food, support my local food system, and better connect with nature.
I received a gift in 2017 to be able to study at Bauman College, a Holistic Nutrition Program in Penngrove, California. Bauman gave me the opportunity to deepen my nutrition knowledge on bio-individuality, physiology, macro and micro nutrtients, vitamins, minerals, super foods, anti-nutrients, food biochemistry, and dis-ease. I particularly resonated with the programs' values focused on organic, seasonal, local, and unprocessed foods as daily medicine according to each persons' unique nature and their respective path to health.
Currently, I am still working for Earthworker Farm harvesting edible flowers, assisting in microgreen packaging and distribution at the Sebastopol Farmer's Market and F.E.E.D Sonoma, a food-hub community of 70+ local farms supporting sustainable farming and ranching. I also work for and am a Cooperative Member of F.E.E.D Sonoma which is California's first farmer and employee owned fresh produce co-op.
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