Hi, I’m Gary (he/him), and I did not grow up playing sports. I’m actually really bad at them, but I’m living proof that you don’t have to be traditionally athletic to be fit, healthy and live a full life.
Fitness and nutrition helped me overcome the addiction problems that plagued my early adulthood. During my last stint in rehab, my counselor suggested that I get my body moving. I joined a gym the next day and started lifting weights, running, cycling and doing yoga. I loved the way that moving my body made me feel – like anything was possible. It helped me feel relaxed and at ease, the way I always wanted to feel but never could without drugs. I started to read more and more about how to eat well and exercise, and I threw myself into the world of fitness and nutrition.
In 2009, I got my first personal training certification and added two more in the next two years. As someone who has battled back pain and multiple injuries since I was a kid, I decided to deepen my understanding of how to help people like me by also obtaining a certification in Corrective Exercise.
As I built a reputation and skillset as a trainer, I started to become interested in how gut health and brain health are connected. It was obvious from my past that the problems I thought were only in my head were also in my gut, and I began to study how digestive function affects everything in the body from inflammation to hormone balance and cognitive function. In 2015, I became a Certified Sports Nutritionist, and since then, I’ve helped hundreds of people change the way they eat to feel better.
My love of yoga led me to complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training program in 2017. After completing my training, I partnered with an acupuncturist colleague for a series of unique yoga and acupuncture workshops.
My wife and I recently bought a century-old Craftsman house, so a lot of my free time is spent doing home improvement projects. One weekend, I may take apart the AC unit to clean it, and the next I could be in the yard with a giant pile of mulch. When I’m not fixing my house, working or exercising, you can sometimes find me brewing kombucha or cooking while listening to all types of music, from Dr. Dre to Velvet Underground and maybe even a guilty pleasure like Miley Cyrus or Boyz II Men (although my wife would argue that no one should feel guilty about a love of Boyz II Men). Whatever I’m listening to, you better believe that I’m singing along, and I’m not sorry!
In my fitness and nutrition journey, I’ve learned that everything in life is connected. My goal is to get to know the bigger goals of what you want for your life and find ways to use fitness and nutrition to help you feel as awesome as you are.
