Return to the
path of simple well being
My own health and wellness journey has been learning to let go of the outcome and enjoy the process
Simple Well Being is something I’m passionate about. It took me a long time to really understand how to balance nutrition, exercise and self-care to reach a type of ‘healthy’ that truly works for me. Now I want to share that understanding with as many people as I can.
I am a former gymnast who lost and regained her balance. I was a three-time Icelandic National Champion in Gymnastics and represented Iceland in many International tournaments. When I retired from the National Gymnastics Team in Iceland, I unfortunately ‘retired’ from healthy living too. The training had been so intense through my childhood and teens that, when I finally turned my focus away from competitive gymnastics, I also started to lose focus on my health.
Our own journey to healthy living is as individual as we are
When I moved to the United States, I reveled in newfound freedom, indulging in lots of new foods and experiences. I had a hard time exercising outside the structure of my former gymnastics competitions. After college, I spent too much time in the corporate world pursuing the wrong career, going out at night and holding on to a bad relationship. As a result, I was losing the connection to my true nature. In a few years I had gained 20 pounds, I had acne and digestive problems, grew depressed and many good friendships and hobbies faded.
I knew something had to change. At first I tried the quick fix. I joined a gym thinking it would be easy to get right back to my ‘fit’ self. But it wasn’t. I yo-yo exercised: on for a few weeks and off for a couple of months. The truth was I needed more diversity and fun – not a routine of dragging myself daily to a gym class in a room full of people I didn’t know.
More importantly, I didn’t see how my career and relationship choices were keeping me stuck. No amount of healthier food and gym classes were going to give me back that zest for life and sense of well being that I so missed from my childhood.
Once I had the courage to break off my long term relationship a whole new world opened up to me. I focused on fun ways to get moving and new ways to cook. I pursued new hobbies and discovered a new mindset. I started spending more time enjoying the outdoors and exploring the city. I went to museums, took cooking classes and went hiking on the weekends. These small changes proved to have much larger, holistic benefits. I eventually chose a new relationship that was empowering, not exhausting. I really started to enjoy this journey. I was feeling balanced and powerful again and I was excited to explore this different path to feeling great. I finally left the corporate world to pursue a career in a field more aligned with the Linda I so missed.
In 2005, I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. During my training, I studied multiple dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts, including Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University; and Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating.
This approach aligned wonderfully with my passion for life, my drive for improvement and my caring personality. Research that shows each person has unique food and lifestyle needs supports my belief that we need to chart our own path to healthy living, and that we all benefit from a compassionate, empowering guide, a mentor and muse. Now, as a Nutrition and Wellness Coach and a wife and a mother of two little boys, I am always testing the principles of Simple Well Being in my own life.
After gaining tremendous experience coaching my clients for 12 yrs, I decided I wanted to be able to go even deeper with them and help them uncover the underlying biochemical imbalances in their bodies to address their symptoms. I enrolled in the School of Applied Functional Medicine where I completed a 620-hour training on the principles of applied functional medicine. I received my certification as a Functional Medicine Coach in 2020 and continue to partner with individuals who understand the importance of health and nutrition, and who are ready to bring forth a new sense of well-being into their lives.
I am passionate about identifying the root cause of symptoms and empowering my clients to implement sustainable nutrition and lifestyle changes that support the body’s natural ability to heal. Through my online courses, one-on-one customized coaching programs, cooking classes, and speaking engagements, I strive to inspire people to take their health into their own hands to learn to thrive, not just survive. My main focus is on digestive health, cardiometabolic health (pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, weight management), peri-menopause, and brain health.
In 2022, I passed the National Board Exam for Health & Wellness Coaches. I can’t wait to guide you on your journey to wellness!
I recognize how completely personal health is – from its definition, to its chemistry, to its practice. And that many factors affect your health –your career, relationships, activity level, and spirituality.
I would love to work with you to help you discover what Simple Well Being looks like for you. Drawing on my skills, my beliefs, and my knowledge of many dietary theories, I’ll empower you to make lifestyle changes that produce real, lasting and wonderful results.
Here are some ways we can work together