About Me

You know those women who were born to be mothers? Who always keep their houses clean and have a homemade dinner on the table and perfectly clean and polite children? That is SO not me!

I am passionate about clean and healthy living – I make homemade non-toxic products, serve primarily organic REAL food, and practice yoga daily. But, I haven’t always been that way. I’m a former take-out and Mac ‘n’ Cheese girl. I thought if I added a canned vegetable to my dinner I was eating a balanced meal. I mistook being thin for being healthy. I didn’t worry about what was in my food or how it was made or processed. I grew up on lots of soda and snacks. I also thought it was normal to have a stomach ache after every meal and to need about 6 cups of coffee every day to keep me going.

So what changed? After my oldest son Christopher regressed into autism, I spent all of my time researching different ways to help him. I learned a lot about how nutrition affects our bodies, how the current mainstream view of balanced eating does not actually lead to health, and how the agencies that are responsible for our food and healthcare are rife with conflicts of interest. I learned that over half of the children in our country have a chronic illness, that there many toxins in our everyday household items (and many chemicals are unregulated), and that children today are the first generation not expected to live longer than the one before.

Once I realized that the health of my family depended on my being informed, I never went back to being that unhealthy girl. It wasn’t easy – I had never learned to cook; I was extremely busy working full-time, volunteering for Talk About Curing Autism, and being a mom. And, I’m not perfect – FAR from it. I’m still learning. But my hard work is paying off – my family is much happier and healthier. And I am much more aware and informed.

My point is that if I can do it, anyone can. Starting a new lifestyle is intimidating, but I can help you, one step at a time. I am happy to be on your journey with you – sharing what I’ve learned, through trial and (lots of!) error. Getting healthy is HARD – but living sick is harder!

XO Joanna

Family

My family consists of me, my amazing husband Dave, and our 3 beautiful crazy children. Our oldest, Christopher, has severe regressive autism. He is super-sweet and super-smart – I know that he is taking everything in even though he can’t express himself much verbally. His little brother is only 17 months younger. He is super-stubborn, whip-smart (if he’s interested) and can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about animals and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He is an amazing brother to both Christopher and their little sister. She is super-spunky, super-feisty, and all-girl (she’s all about pink dresses, princesses, painting her nails, and owning LOTS of shoes). Her best friend is her stuffed dog, Doggy, who will likely be in any family pictures that you see on this site.

Autism

I was aware of autism before Christopher’s regression, but I never thought I’d be living it. Currently, 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined. I have learned so much since Christopher’s diagnosis, and am committed to sharing what I’ve learned about preventing autism, treating the medical conditions of affected children, and making life better for those affected by autism and their families. I am a volunteer for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a nonprofit organization that directly helps more families than any other autism charity. I’m also not afraid to talk about the heart-breaking, exhausting, bankrupting, and sometimes disgusting aspects of living the autism life. I think it important for people to know the truth so I won’t sugar coat it. I will always celebrate Christopher and who he is, but I do not celebrate his struggles or medical issues.

Nutrition

My quest for better nutrition started in an effort to help Christopher’s digestive issues. When cutting out gluten and dairy didn’t have much of an effect on his health or his diet (he would only eat chips, rice cakes and whatever other carbs didn’t contain gluten), I started researching the best diets and foods to heal his gut. We started out with the GAPS diet, and now the whole family enjoys grain-free meals. Christopher eats veggies like a boss (his favorite snack is homemade kale chips with cashew cream), and we all have more energy and improved health and digestion.

Essential Oils

A few years ago, I was hearing about autism moms using essential oils for their affected children and their families. I put it on my huge “research later” list and probably didn’t think about it for a while. But, the subject and its benefits kept popping up in conversations, online research, and blogs I read. So I ordered a Young Living starter kit and now I’m an oily addict. Essential oils have replaced most of the items in my medicine cabinet, as well as my cleaning and beauty items. I’ve recently embarked on the business side of essential oils, and love not only teaching people about using Young Living essential oils, but also about business opportunities they can take advantage of. Once you start using them, you will be telling everyone about how great they are anyway. Autism is expensive and even just a little extra money to pay for your oils comes in handy! Click here to learn more.