Testimonials "The Increasing Your Metabolism teleclass was well organized with the objectives explained clearly in the beginning. The handouts were easy to understand and were a nice summary of the verbal information. I will definitely be more aware of food combinations when creating meals and will try to chew my food longer! I will definitely attend another teleclass!" ~Allison S. The teleclass "Increasing Your Metabolism" was organized and easy to understand. It was helpful to get the handouts in advance and they contained just enough information to know what we'd be focusing on. I plan on trying to add more protein to my snacks to see it that improves my energy level. I will definitely be watching for other upcoming workshops!" ~Lynn S. Before working with Renee I was chronically fatigued, bloated, and generally confused about my nutritional needs. Since working in the 6 month program I have acheived a better understanding of how nutrition impacts every aspect of daily life. I had initially gone to Renee in hopes of gaining some insight into my nutritional needs as I was contemplating preparing for another marathon. The unexpected result was learning to step out of my comfort zone and look at food in a whole new way. Renee has such a warm and wonderful way of educating and I always looked forward to the "treats" she would give at every session. Overall, it has been an amazing experience that has permanently changed my relationship with food and has affected other aspects of my life, as well. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants a better and healthier relationship with food. ~Chris M "I first met Renee at her Sugar Blues Workshop. I found the class interesting, but I just was not ready to commit to her six-month program. After another six months of eating out almost every day of the week, skipping breakfast, not exercising and just feeling lousy, I decided that the time had come to do something. I was skeptical when I met with Renee the first time. I listened to her make statements like: "You will want to eat greens" (some which I had never heard of before) "You won"t want to eat out"! "Your body will crave healthy foods". My first reaction was that although this woman seemed to be very nice, she had to be delusional. I could not remember the last time that I had cooked more than one possibly two dinners in a week more likely in a month. BUT because I had decided that I needed to do something and this was the something I had picked, I enrolled in the six-month program. I tried things that I never thought that I would eat before, and I found that they tasted good. I started to feel better. I had more energy, and crazy as it may sound, I really did not want to eat out anymore. Cooking started to be fun. I remember at my first visit I told Renee that I only cook from recipes, and I follow the recipe religiously. Now, if I don t have everything that I need for a recipe, I improvise. I have even ventured into just throwing things together and seeing how they come out. I now cook home almost every night, and when I do eat out I look for the healthier things on the menu. I started to look for kale when I was in a snacking mood at night. Kale, me? Who would believe it! I learned a lot about food while seeing Renee, but the best part of the entire program (aside from meeting a new friend, of course) is that Renee treats the whole person. I learned a lot about myself, the person, during the six months that I spent with Renee. I would recommend this program for anyone because even if you think that you are doing all of the right things, there is always that little something that you are missing". ~Deb B. "Before working with Renee I was making poor choices with my eating habits and purchasing "false" healthy foods. However, since starting the six month health counseling program I have achieved buying and eating healthy foods and understanding why my body needs certain nutrients to function at its best. I would recommend this program to anyone who wishes to live a healthy lifestyle from the inside out." -Dina H. "Before working with Renee I was always curious on ways to live healthier whether it be through diet or overall physical and emotional well being. I considered myself a somewhat healthy person, but knew there was much room for improvement and a lot to learn. I needed assistance or a motivator on ways to improve my diet habits and how to just simply make more time for myself but never had a resource or structured guidance until Renee. The biggest achievement since working with Renee I feel is learning the value of how important my time is. I always felt like in such a rush and never having time for myself even if it s the little things like taking a walk or reading on the back deck. By talking with Renee and completing some of the exercises, I ve realized how attainable making that special time can be. With life being so busy for me right now, I was able to see with a much clearer lens how important it is to stop, and make that time for myself and what can happen if it doesn t happen. The goals each session were key in assisting me accomplish what I set out to do with learning more about my overall health and how I can make simple changes that will positively affect me for years to come. I have also learned so much about food groups whether it be the glorious greens or what types of oils and fats to stay away from. I always had a sense of what was better for me, but I didn t know why or what before working with Renee. The recipes Renee shared were one of my favorite parts of the sessions " they are so yummy and easy to make AND healthy! My sessions with Renee were so therapeutic for me " I am bummed they are over! I would recommend this program to anyone who is looking to learn more about their overall well being and what they can do to feel better and make some really positive changes in their life. There is so much involved with our health that it s not just about diet, it s about our minds and spirits and the counseling sessions touch on all those aspects". -Hannah O "After attending your "Sugar Blues Workshop", I changed a few of the foods I eat and have lost 8 pounds! Not on a diet! -Marilyn D. "While I was making many healthy choices before working with Renee, I found it difficult to remain consistently focused on my health when day to day life became hectic. Working with Renee helped me focus on myself more by setting achievable goals for changes that could be realistically maintained! I feel as though I know myself better now and am excited about continuing on my healthy journey! I would recommend this program to anyone who would like to get to know what makes them feel their best"! -Rebecca U. "What a great adventure I had with Renee as she coached me through five months of learning how to eat and how to become aware of all the signals that my body sends to me. The first night I saw Renee I was so exhausted that I could barely explain to her how awful and tired I felt. As the weeks went by I learned that milk, chocolate, and peanuts are things that my body can not tolerate. Next, I learned that grains, greens, and roasted veggies were my new best friends. Sugar was a huge stumbling block for me. Renee came up each week with numerous options to ease my addiction to sugar. It was an ongoing problem for me----but I am happy to say that now I don't crave sweets as often. I think I am winning the battle! Then, I learned about chewing my food slowly and completely. My digestion was effected by me not chewing my food but quickly chewing and swallowing. (NOT GOOD) So, now I slowly eat and I drink only a small amount of water with my meals. These are just a few of the many things that Renee made me aware of and now my energy level has increased. I feel that I make better food choices and I am still learning what works in my body and what doesn't. I would recommend this program for everyone. You will leave knowing so much about how you need to nurture your body with food and positive thoughts. The sad part of my story is that I miss seeing Renee every two weeks. She kept me honest and guided me through my "Great Adventure." Thank you Renee, You Are The Best" ~Judy K. "I couldn't stop raving to my family about the grocery store tour. It was definitely informative and I immediately put what I learned on the tour to good use! -Paris B. "I enjoyed the grocery store tour! I thought it was easy to follow and I learned things that were worth while. I would definitely recommend this tour to family and friends!" -Barbara L. "Before working with Renee I was not eating as many healthy foods or offering healthy choices to my family. Since working in the 6 month Health counseling Program I have changed the way I shop for food. Some of the biggest changes have been eating more greens and whole grains. But the biggest change has been that I have my kids looking at the ingredients in foods that they eat, and they know the things they should avoid. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn how to have a healthy lifestyle. Some people are just too busy to make healthy life choices and Renee has taught me strategies to make it easier to be healthy!" -Jenna G. "Before working with Renee I was stressed with work and was in the process of making a career change. I was neglecting myself by not taking enough me time. I tend to be an emotional eater and noticed a change in my diet as well. Since working in the 6-month program I have gained so much knowledge in regards to different types of food that I can eat to help my body feel its best. I also learned to listen to what my body was saying and take some time for myself and relax. Journaling, although I do not do it religiously, has helped me sleep better and maintain the craziness in my life. I learned how to incorporate healthy foods into recipes that were extremely good! I would recommend this program to anyone who would like to learn more about themselves and how they can improve their well-being. Renee taught me that there are things that I can control in my life and the things I can t control how to cope with them better. She introduced me to many different foods and recipes that were so nutritional and delicious at the same time!" ~Kelley B. The gluten free cooking class I attended was so helpful and I really enjoyed it so much! Even though it was all gluten-free (and I don't have to eat gluten free), I gained a lot of knowledge and skills that I will find personally helpful. The food was delicious and would eat everything we learned to make regularly without hesitation! I can't think of anything that could've made it better. Thanks so much!!! ~Sasha