From an early age, I have been described as "alternative". At the age of 14, I became a vegetarian and my mother insisted I read Frances Moore Lappe’s “Diet for Small Planet” to educate myself. How food interacts with our bodies, environment and society was totally fascinating to me and it started me down a path of gathering information on healthy living. I have read countless books and used myself as a guinea pig trying various ways of eating to see what works for myself and my family.

While at Southern Oregon University, I felt called to take a break and go to the local massage school. I had always loved helping people and was drawn to the healing arts. My parents, in their infinite wisdom said no, finish your degree and then you can do what you’d like. Upon finishing my Bachelor’s degree, traveling and working an office job for a couple of years, I decided it was time to enroll in massage school. 

After finishing my training at the Sebastopol Massage Center in 2003, I worked at a medical spa, a high-end exclusive spa, and Chiropractic offices. The clinical setting of the Chiropractic office was the most rewarding. I liked seeing the results and helping people feel better in their bodies. 

I had always been drawn to pregnancy and birth, and went on to complete Prenatal Training at Alive and Well Institute in San Anselmo. While working with a pregnant client, she asked me to attend the birth of her first child. I was honored and humbled, as well as feeling a little under prepared. I completed a Doula training program at Natural Resources in San Francisco in time to attend her birth. Serving my client through her birth journey felt like the most natural thing in the world to me and I was fortunate to attend over a dozen births before I had my own children. 

My introduction to Functional Medicine came when I was fortunate enough to find a health care provider for our family that shared that same holistic view and trust in the innate wisdom of our bodies. He utilized functional lab tests, supplements and dietary recommendations in his practice. The paradigm shift from treating symptoms only (conventional/western medicine) to looking at the body as a whole, finding and treating the root cause of dis-ease was profound! I knew this was the path for me and I wanted to learn more.

In 2013, my family and I followed our bliss to Nevada County and settled down to raise our children. Since then, I have been blessed with a busy massage practice. One client in particular was instrumental in changing my life. She was at the end stages of her battle with cancer and through weekly massage sessions in the final months of her life, she shared that she had no regrets. Being with her so intimately to the very end, I was struck by the similarity between a woman giving birth and a person leaving their body and how natural it was for me to support both. I started thinking about how long I had wanted to study nutrition and really help people in a meaningful way.  With “No Regrets” fresh in my mind, I signed up for a Nutrition program.  And this is how Wellness With Ali came to be.

This journey from massage therapist to doula to health coach creates a full circle around my core beliefs. You can choose to be well. You are meant to be well. 

I have been studying with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo at the Institute for Nutritional Endocrinology since 2016. I completed a Clinical Mastery of Digestion Program and I am a Certified Insulin Resistance Practitioner. I have learned that health is built upon the foundations of proper nutrition, optimized sleep, appropriate movement, experiencing joy and regulating your nervous system with stress mitigating tools.

In 2022, I decided to dive deeper into Women’s Functional Health through the Integrative Women’s Health Institute. I am wrapping up a Women’s Functional Nutrition Certificate as well as Perimenopause and Menopause Coaching Certificate by the end of the year. As part of their Advanced Women’s Health program, I have access to hundreds of hours of resources to support women throughout all seasons of life, with my greatest focus on the Perimenopause years. This specific time in a woman’s life seems to be a black hole in the western medical model. I am passionate about reframing how we approach this time so we can be empowered to transition through this second puberty with grace, wisdom and strength!

In the summer of 2022, I become a certified Functional Breathwork Facilitator through Breath Body Therapy. After decades in the wellness space, it has been clear time and again that a dysregulated nervous system is the root cause for many, if not most of our ailments. By optimizing something as simple as the way we breathe, we can train our bodies to access the part of our nervous system that allows proper digestion, rest and ultimately true healing. Sharing this work has been
transformational!

Integrating these new tools into my practice has led me to a magical point where I get to meld my education, lived experience, expertise, intuition and skill to empower my clients with tools to not only balance their blood sugar, but their hormones and nervous systems as well.

While I am not working, studying or reading about the latest health research, you can find me on the local trails running and hiking, doing yoga, making green smoothies, playing with my dogs, swimming in the Yuba, paddle boarding on any of our awesome lakes, and hanging out with my favorite people…My husband Billy and our kids, Isaac and Isla. Life is full and I wouldn’t have it any other way.