meet ellie
Hi there!
My name is Ellie.
I am the founder and creator of
Healthy Has To Happen.
I am a weight loss coach with an expertise in
helping folks with autoimmune disease
transform into the very best
version of themselves.
Helping people create more health in their life by changing their not-so-great nutritional and lifestyle habits into healthier ones that support their health rather than destroy it, is my deepest, most genuine passion.
I Believe:
- Knowledge is power. Once we know better, we can do better. Educating ourselves on important and potentially life changing health-related topics is not only necessary, but also crucial in a time when no consensus exists among nutrition scientists and experts about what constitutes the optimal human diet.
- Diets do not work in the long run, so an overall lifestyle approach is necessary for achieving, and then maintaining, a proper weight, and being free from diet-related diseases, including autoimmune disease.
- When we fuel ourselves with real, whole, nutrient-dense foods and combine this with structured daily actions, our bodies release excess pounds effortlessly – as a direct result of eating more healthfully consistently.
- By embracing healthier and sustainable nutritional and lifestyle habits, you can achieve successful and sustained weight loss, improve your health, and change your life.
- Real, whole food heals. And, getting the right kind and combination for your unique body and circumstances is key.
- You can heal most bodily systems through consistently choosing real, whole, nutrient-dense foods. But, I also believe diet alone cannot, and should not, replace medicine in all circumstances. Both food and medicine have their place.
- Teaching people how to create more and more health in their lives to prevent, improve, and even reverse chronic illnesses, like being overweight or obese, and/or having an autoimmune disease, is the future of healthcare (or at least is should be!). I am literally on a mission to help change the way autoimmune disease gets treated in this country.
The Road I Traveled
Health and wellness journeys typically begin because someone is striving to look their best, feel their best, or function their best.
My Story Is No Different
Yup, those are my pics! In my “before” pic, I’m at my highest weight ever, celebrating my birthday, with sugar-laden cake, no less! I hate the way I look in my “before” photo – it embarrasses me – but I’m showing it to you so you can get a sense of what is absolutely possible when you make the decision to put you and your health first!
At only 5 feet, I weighed 209 pounds. That amount of weight on my small frame made me m–i–s–e–r–a–b–l–e. But, it wasn’t just about the weight. I was also profoundly unwell.
All sorts of physical and mental issues plagued me, from anxiety and depression, to a slew of physical issues that left me unable to function. I’m smiling in this picture, but I wasn’t happy. And even though I was taking 17 medications (not a typo), prescribed by well-intended physicians, I wasn’t getting out of bed most days.
Here's
The
Thing
I wasn’t born overweight or ill. But, by the time I turned eight, I had significant weight to lose. So, I literally started my first diet then. Yes, at eight. The way I was taught to eat as a child did me no favors then, and it certainly didn’t help me as I grew into an adult. Please trust me when I tell you – my hand to God – from eight on, I tried every diet imaginable, with little to no long-term success.
Just like many of you, I was able to lose weight in the short-term. But, inevitably, I would gain the weight back, and, sometimes, even more. My attempts were just about following a diet’s rules, for a specific period of time, to get to a specific weight or to fit into that particular pair of jeans I purposely bought two sizes too small because I swore to myself that this time I was going to finally make it happen!
When this didn’t work for me in the long run, I was left feeling like a huge failure and feeling all the shame, frustration, and disgust that comes along with not succeeding. There I was, again, removing my “skinny” clothes from the closet and reintroducing my “fat” ones. The almost-continuous self-chatter going on in my head was overwhelmingly negative and dark. I felt defeated. I felt demoralized. I felt alone. I was left wondering what in the world was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I conquer this? I had almost given up.
Sound familiar?
I suspect it does.
Just like it wasn’t my fault,
it’s not yours either.
(I explain why below)
But, Wait...There's More!
Not learning how to keep the weight off long-term, did more damage than just keeping me on the yo-yo dieting crazy train.
It greatly compromised my health.
From my early twenties and on, I struggled with several health issues. But, worst of all, I was diagnosed with a “no cure”, serious connective tissue autoimmune disease resulting in years of can’t-lift-a-finger fatigue, persistent and insistent fevers, and chronic, systemic pain. Knowing what I know now, I do believe all of my health issues were a direct result of eating the Standard American Diet.
And, since all my doctor could offer me for my worsening and intensifying symptoms was more corticosteroids, more anti-inflammatory meds, more pain meds, and more immunosuppressants – all likely to come with even harsher side-effects than what I’d already been experiencing, and driving me deeper and deeper into debt, I decided I would (once again) at least try to lose a little weight in the hopes that doing so would help me to improve my situation and help me feel better.
But having failed at this task so many times before, and now dealing with the obstacles brought about by my autoimmune disease, I knew I had to approach it differently this time around.
I had to find a way out.
So, I did.
The Way Out
Hippocrates, the Greek founder of western medicine, once said:
“Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food”
And I agree.
So does the science!
By combining real, whole food with the process I teach, and by making the journey more about a lifestyle change rather than just about undergoing yet another diet full of rules, timeframes, and deprivation, I was shockingly, and almost effortlessly, able to lose the stubborn weight I struggled to drop, and keep off, since childhood.
And, I reversed my health challenges, including putting that “no cure” autoimmune disease into remission. I believe this all happened as result of getting my inflammation down.
And, getting my inflammation down was a very welcomed
“side effect” to the weight loss process I created.
Today, I weigh what I am supposed to, and I’ve maintained my weight loss long-term. I’m also in autoimmune remission and have been so since April 2021. I’m also living with mental clarity, with balanced hormones, with normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and with improved digestion. All of this without the need for continued medications. Yes, I was able to ditch those 17 medications!!
I’ve seen my approach help so many people,
so there is simply no good reason why
it wouldn’t help you as well.
And, while I can’t make any promises about individual results as every single body is different, I do predict you will, at the very least, have a general sense of improved well-being as a natural outcome of following my program.
This is absolutely within the realm of possibilities.
With our chronic disease rates, including our obesity and autoimmune disease rates continuing to rise, clearly the quality of our diet is declining.
And, more and more of us are choosing
to do something different.
Will You Be One Of Them?
If I can help you avoid the pitfalls, and get you, and then keep you succeeding, then I feel like what I’ve been through was worth it. Kind of like a “put your pain to purpose” thing.
I am definitely living my best life now.
And, I’m definitely living purposely in my purpose.
I lost the weight.
I ditched my autoimmune disease.
I reclaimed my health.
And my life.
I would love to help you do the same!
To learn more about my weight loss coaching, click here.
Why Healthy Has to Happen Exists
Our Current Diet is SAD
Having regained my own health after successfully battling several health issues myself, including obesity and a systemic auto-immune disease that left me unable to function, I am 150% committed to helping others shift away from eating the Standard American Diet (aptly abbreviated as SAD), and move more towards a way of eating that offers incredible nutrition and health.
This is because the Standard American Diet sets us up for illness.
It is full of highly processed foods that are:
– Pro-inflammatory
– Low in nutrients
– High in calories
– High in fat, sugar, and salt
and are:
– Full of additives, preservatives, and dyes
without regard as to how they may affect our bodies.
It’s been shown that all of these factors are contributing to a whole host of chronic illnesses, including autoimmune disease and being overweight or obese (source).
So, it really is in our best interest to move away from eating SAD.
What’s eaten instead, and how we make our
changes stick for the long-term,
are the focus of my coaching program.
A different Approach
As our chronic disease rates continue to climb, many of us are choosing to do something different.
We are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
We’ve had enough!
Yet, it is unlikely that the Standard American Diet will be changing anytime soon since there is big money to be made in its highly processed offerings.
So, it’s up to us to take action
if we want to restore our health!
a Solution That Actually Works
Most of us already know that
dietary habits influence
disease risk.
That is, the healthier we eat,
the healthier we can expect to be.
But many of us find ourselves coming up
short over and over, and over again.
And now, we are stuck because we’ve
tried everything with little-to-no
long-term success.
We’re at a loss as to how
we can finally succeed.
Some of us may have even
given up completely.
But, I hope you can find it within
yourself to try one
last time because the
process I teach is
different.
The process I teach
actually transforms!
It’s a new way of doing things.
It’s a complete lifestyle change that
will get you the results you’re
looking for.
It’s a proven way of eating that gets results by focusing on real, whole nutrient-dense foods, while minimizing highly-processed ones.
It also teaches healthier habits and patterns of repetition that ultimately turn your new choices into behaviors that become automatic so you can be successful long-term.
Nutrition and Lifestyle changes
Nutritional and lifestyle changes work in concert with each other, healing our bodies on a cellular level and rewiring the tracks in our brains so better choices become automatic.
And, when our choices become automatic, we’ve gotten ourselves into the habit of choosing the types of foods that are best for us, by default, which helps us reach our goals.
We can then experience the benefits of better health.
And, better health can mean:
- Experiencing effortless weight loss
- Autoimmune disease remission
- Looking and feeling younger
- Having more energy
- Living longer
- Reversing diet-related illness
- Dealing with fewer aches and pains
- Slower aging
- More mental clarity
- Better moods
And that’s just naming a few!
Learning A New Way is Key
Nelson Mandela once said:
“Education is the most powerful weapon
we have to change the world.”
And, I agree!
Therefore, my first goal for this site is to help you change your world – one delicious bite and one better habit at a time!
My road was difficult because I was confused for so long by all the diet and nutrition “noise” out there. But, yours does not have to be.
I’ll teach you what I’ve learned so you don’t have to learn the hard way like I did.
Benefiting from my experience means you’ll be able to get results much faster. And, in the end, I think you will be absolutely shocked, and very relieved to learn, that the right small changes can add up and make huge impacts.
The success you desire is 100% possible for you!
I also hope this site helps people in the mainstream experience the benefits of a real, whole foods, primarily-plants, lifestyle so they can thwart their risk of disease, and so we all can begin to heal our planet.
What Does "Primarily Plants" Mean?
“Primarily plants” does not mean cutting out animal products entirely, unless that’s your goal. It simply means my program relies heavily on plant-based ingredients because they are some of our healthiest foods. But, animal proteins do not have to be eliminated.
I do this because, even though science now tells us that a diet high in plants is best (source), many of us have been eating diets full of animal products most of, if not all of, our lives. So, making a transition to eating mostly plants happens in stages, over the course of time – and not necessarily all at once, if it happens at all.
And, that’s okay.
My process works no matter if you
choose to eat meat or not.
You can look at it this way:
If you’re eating three times a day, every week, that’s 21 meals per week ( 3 meals per day x 7 days). If you can replace just 3 of those meals with a plant-based option, you still have 18 other meals in which you can choose whichever option you want.
This is very do-able.
Just keep in mind that with each sequential
addition of plant-based meals, dietary quality improves,
the risk of health problems diminishes, and healing can happen faster (source).
Inspiration When You Need It
In addition to teaching you how to create more and more health in your life, Healthy Has To Happen exists to give you hope, motivate, and inspire you on your journey.
This is because we live in food environments where the odds of us eating healthfully are so heavily stacked against us. This means it is down-right difficult to stick to any kind of healthy eating plan, let alone mine, so extra support is oftentimes warranted. Remember earlier when I said it’s not your fault? THIS IS WHY!
From food manufacturer’s purposely manipulating their offerings to keep us coming back for more, time and time again, to constantly being cued to eat all the wrong kinds of food literally 24/7, it is almost impossible to make healthy food choices on any kind of consistent basis. Yet, to take back our health, and to make any kind of dent in our obesity and chronic illness rates, we need to be consistently consistent with our choices.
This disconnect is a huge problem.
But, the process I teach bridges this gap.
My coaching program teaches what foods help to heal, and which ones don’t -based on the science. Additionally, it offers practical, evidence-backed ways to navigate around the factors that are intent on sabotaging our efforts so we can remain successful long-term.
And, because I adhere to a very high standard in everything I do, I will work tirelessly until it’s tailored to your personal needs and circumstances so you can succeed, regardless of any challenges you may face.
Who Is This For?
- If you are looking for a solution – one that actually works for autoimmune disease patients, my weight loss program is for you!
- If you want to lose weight and then keep it off for good so you never have to address this weight issue of yours ever again, this is for you.
- If you want to kick your extra weight to the curb so you can take back your power, enjoy your life again, love the body you’re in, and rock the kinds of clothes you really want to wear, this is for you.
- If autoimmune obstacles like medications, fatigue, or the inability to exercise due to pain or other physical limitations have kept you from getting your weight under control, this is for you.
- If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and are done with carrying your weight, this is for you.
- If you are completely over being on the yo-yo dieting crazy train to No-where’s-ville, always losing and then gaining back your weight always having to start back at square one – all the while mortgaging your health further – this is for you.
- If you know you need guidance, support, accountability and motivation around finally reaching your desired health goals, including getting to your desired weight and then staying at it for the long-term, this is for you.
Final Thoughts
And, finally, it should be mentioned that it makes no difference which eating style you prefer (except, of course, for SAD) – omnivore, carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, WFPB, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, keto, paleo, nutritarian, low carb, etc. – everyone is welcome here.
In short, the process I teach works no matter which way you prefer to eat because we are all exposed to our modern foods and food environments. And, bad habits come in all shapes and sizes, regardless of which way you choose to eat. Vegans and vegetarians, and any others who wish to minimize meat, will simply choose plant options for all their protein requirements.
If I can get you focusing on real, whole foods that contain plenty of nutrients, fiber, phytochemicals (beneficial compounds found in plants), vitamins, and minerals, while helping you reduce, and eventually eliminate, unhealthy fats, excess salt and sugar, refined grains, and most processed foods, you can be well on your way.
Here’s One Last Thing to Consider:
Time is going to pass by whether you take action or not. Do you really want to wake up one, two or three months from now and find yourself in the exact same spot?
Nobody wants that for you.
And you ought not want that for yourself!
The sooner you get started, the sooner you can be looking better, feeling better, and functioning better!
And, perhaps you even learned how to eat a healthy balanced diet somewhere along the way, yet you’re still struggling.
Struggling is a sign you are in need of more support.
The process I teach is about finally getting the
results that have eluded you thus far.
I promise.
It truly transforms.
The success you desire is
100% possible for you!
Your Time IS Now
But, I can’t want it more than you do.
If you are serious about getting long-lasting results, if you are serious about finally getting your health under control so you can look better, feel better, and function better, if you are ready to learn life-changing lessons and tips that you’ll be able to carry with you for the rest of your life, and if you know you need help and accountability, I’m here for you.
And, to show you that’s true, I offer
a free, no obligation Compatibility Call.
This is a 30-minute call, at no cost to you, with absolutely no strings attached whatsoever, where we can chat about you and your goals, the Healthy Has to Happen 90-day Weight Loss and Wellness program and my coaching style, to see if we are a good fit.
You can get yours here.
Or, if you know you need guidance and accountability
starting pronto, you can start your
enrollment into my coaching
program here.
Space is limited and is a on a
strict first-come, first-served basis.
A Quick Word Of Caution
The internet is full of misinformation
and wonky points of view.
So…
Whether you stay here or not, it’s crucial to:
friends, and community. 🙂