About Kerri FerraioliMaster Nutrition Therapist
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Kerri Ferraioli, Master Nutrition Therapist
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About MeCan you imagine walking around in pain every day for years, but on the outside look healthy? This was my life for at least 10 years. I grew up the daughter of a nurse, so you would think that my diet was healthy, I certainly thought it was. I later found out that it wasn’t, we ate a lot of processed boxed food and not many fresh fruit or vegetables. I could live on sweets and the older I got, the worse my diet became.
Early in my teen years, I developed headaches. At first they were occasional, then every day. I started out with over the counter medications then as the headaches got worse I went for help. I went to many doctors, a physical therapist, a massage therapist, a couple chiropractors, and for Acupuncture but nothing helped. Since there are no tests for headaches, I usually left the doctor’s office with a prescription for pain relief, but no answers. This was not new to me, in my house there was a pill for every ill. Unfortunately, the pills did not work, they only masked the pain and made me feel groggy and I actually started getting what are called rebound headaches. The doctors were of little help and I was losing my youth. After years of seeing different physicians (conventional and alternative), and doing my own research, I came across a book on vegetarianism. This book really resonated with me, it made me realize where my food was coming from and I didn't like what I was finding out.. I immediately gave up meat and started doing research on the vegetarian diet. I also thought it might help my headaches. Sadly, the headaches continued and even got worse, you see because of my ingrained eating habits, I went from the Standard American Diet (SAD), to a vegetarian version of the SAD. I basically just took out the meat and kept eating packaged food and not many vegetables...a junk food vegetarian. Finally, a friend introduced me to her nutritionist. The nutritionist helped me tweak my diet, add in veggies, and she helped put together all of the information I already knew. This was the turning point for me, It's when I finally took charge of my own health! My headaches went away… AND…it happened quickly. All of this was roughly 30 years ago. Since seeing my nutritionist I continued to tweak my diet and educate myself. My desire was to go to school, but it was never the right time. After having my children, I was able to finally go back to school for nutrition. I learned not only about our how our body works but how to use food to nourish it. I learned that what we are being told in the media is not necessary true, that we are being marketed to all the time by the processed food industry and that our food isn't what it appears to be. My path became clear! I had to get the word out, I had to empower people with the truth! Even if it's different from what they know. I want to backtrack a little and tell you about my family (the one I grew up with) so you can see how my life might be different if I had not made my dietary changes. They all have continued to eat the Standard American diet and each one of them have health conditions. My father’s health issues began in his 40s with a heart attack, followed by a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, and was on a lot of medications. My mother has Osteopenia, Osteoarthritis and Type 2 diabetes. My younger sister has been on many medications, is obese and has Type 2 diabetes among other medical issues. My younger brother has heart issues, is overweight and has Type 2 diabetes. My older sister is overweight, also has Type 2 diabetes. All of these health issues are related to the food that they eat and could be resolved with a change in diet and lifestyle. By changing my diet and lifestyle, I have avoided all of the health issues that my family has acquired. I have remained vegetarian tweaking my diet as my tastes change and I learn new things. This is a personal choice for me, I don't believe everyone has to follow this lifestyle in order to be healthy, in fact my husband doesn't. This gives me a unique perspective.. My job is to guide you to be as healthy as you can be within your belief system. I didn't get to where I am overnight, it took me many years. It takes a lot of work on your part, but I can shorten the transition period so your can reach your health goals quickly and not have to go through the trial and error that I went through. My goal is to support you in your unique health journey and help you to become the healthiest version of you! |
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Education and Professional Affiliations
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