Why foodelicious
A Lifelong Passion for Food that is Delicious
My career in the foodservice industry began at a young age managing a catering company in Chicago. For 5 years I designed and executed a variety of events ranging from an intimate dinner for 2 on a private yacht to a cocktail party for 100 guests at the Botanical Gardens to a 5-course holiday extravaganza at the Field Museum with over 2,000 attendees.
Throughout the years I gained additional industry knowledge working as a server, bartender, and manager at a variety of operations such as diners, bar & grills, and country clubs. All that time I was honing my industry skills and feeding my passion for Food that was Delicious.
In 1999, with the support of a local restaurant, I built a catering company from the ground up only to leave the operation 3 years later when I gave birth to my second daughter.
At that point, I was fortunate enough to work from home which allowed me to spend more time with my two young daughters. During this period, I continued to expand my foodservice industry knowledge by designing restaurants and selling foodservice equipment. These opportunities led me to foodservice sales and a career as a food broker.
To say the least, my 30 years in foodservice has allowed me to gain expertise in all areas of the industry.
Life Changing Moments
On my 50th birthday, I woke up to a gorgeous day feeling extremely grateful for the amazing weather and the fact that at the half century mark I was feeling lean, mean, and ready to rock and roll. At that time in my life I was a busy single mother of two wonderful teenage daughters. Although I was working two jobs (in the foodservice industry of course), I made it a point to eat right (or so I thought), make time for working out, golf, yoga, bike riding and quality time with my daughters and boyfriend …Life was good!
Three months later….I could hardly get out of bed. The symptoms hit me like a ton of bricks.
- Severe pain in my head, neck and back
- Inflammation throughout my body
- Severe bruising at the lightest touch
- Significant hair loss
- Brain fog
- Numbness/loss of feeling in my fingers
Of course, I immediately reached out to my doctor. At that time, I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and treated with high doses of antibiotics. Sadly, weeks passed with little to no improvement. I then returned to my doctor who was confused by my symptoms. I had no sinus infection; all of my vitals were exceptional and I appeared to “look normal”. However, the symptoms continued to persist, so I insisted on further testing which revealed that I had Autoimmune Disease, Raynaud’s Disease and possibly Lupus.
The results of the tests set in motion months of additional exams, assessments, and appointments with specialists. A multitude of medications were prescribed for what they “thought” would help what they “thought” I had. Six months had passed and I still had little to no improvement. It began to weigh heavily on my family and myself. I was once a vibrant, healthy, athletic woman and now it was challenging for me to execute simple tasks, let alone complete a full day’s work. Medical bills were piling up and the doctors just wanted to prescribe increasingly more medications. When I told them that the medications were not working, they said “How do you know you would not be worse without them?” That is when I knew I had to take my health and wellbeing into my own hands! My goal was to GET TO THE ROOT of the problem, not mask it with meds!
At that point I dedicated my time and energy to finding a Functional Medicine Doctor to assist me on my journey to improved health. After months of research and networking I connected with Nicole James, D.F.M.P, C.N.C. at the Center for Optimal Health who provided an initial evaluation and completed several tests including: food allergy tests, environmental evaluations, stool tests, saliva tests and blood tests. All intended to GET TO THE ROOT of the problem. The tests were then reviewed, and it was suggested that I eliminate certain foods from my diet for 1 to 3 months. After all I had been through with specialists and medications, it was hard for me to believe that quality supplements and changes in my diet would improve my symptoms. However, after months of not feeling well, I decided that I had nothing to lose. So, I immersed myself in a strict clean eating Candida Diet plan along with specific supplements prescribed by Nicole James, Center for Optimal Health. To my surprise, one month later I was off all medications and feeling fantastic! Three months later all my inflammation levels were back to normal and my tests have been clear ever since.
It was an amazing transformation. With my determination and passion for Food that is Delicious I not only improved my health but created a new healthy lifestyle.
Why Foodelicious?
Why Foodelicious? Because we offer Food that is Delicious to meet all of your catering and clean eating lifestyle needs. Foodelicious is committed to providing personalized service and the freshest ingredients. Whether it is custom catering, meal planning or assistance with your individual healthy lifestyle goals, Foodelicious is available to meet your needs.