About

I entered Barnard college as a pre-med chemistry major but fell under the spell of philosophy my freshman year. I switched courses and earned my Ph.D. at Columbia University at twenty-seven, then entered professional academia. A few years in, I wasn’t feeling satisfied with my career, so I quit and moved home to Detroit, married, and started my family.

My interest in health resurfaced as I confronted infertility and, desperate to get pregnant, plunged myself into the literature, looking for answers. One day I chanced upon Dr. Andrew Weil’s Spontaneous Healing, and it became for me one of those books that forever changes your life.

Weil’s premise is that the body can heal itself. At every level, from our DNA up, he writes, the “mechanics of self-diagnosis, self-repair and regeneration exist in us.” We can hamper the body by making poor food and lifestyle choices, or we can support it by reducing stress, avoiding environmental toxins, and consuming the proper foods, herbs, and supplements.

This idea was my Copernican moment, and in the dozen years since, I have devoted myself to the study of nutrition, wellness, and integrative healthcare. Four years ago, I started my blog, KALEandKANT, to share my learning in both health and philosophy, and deciding to pursue more formal nutrition training, enrolled at the online Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Part of the program involved training as a professional health coach, an idea that I, at first, dismissed. Yet, as I started learning more about health coaching, that old desire to help people heal that had led me to enroll as a pre-med at eighteen suddenly came back.

Unsure whether this new course was right, I met with a friend who is a successful executive coach, and she encouraged me greatly and asked if I’d consider taking her on as my first client! From that point, with her support, I embraced my inner coach, recognizing that although I strive to help people lead healthier lives through my writing, I can help individuals address their specific health challenges by engaging them one to one as their personal coach.

I truly love what I do and feel lucky that my path has led me to this point, where I’ve been granted the impossible wish of both having my (whole grain, low sugar) cake and eating it, too.

Renee Erlich

Working with Kelly has been life changing. I've learned about healthy food options, their health benefits, portion control, reading labels, and how to prepare these foods deliciously. In just three months my eating habits have changed, my energy level is up, and I've lost weight even though I'm eating more food than ever! Most importantly, my family is reaping the benefits.

Renee Erlich

Tina Baird

Kelly helped me figure out why I kept making the same bad choices even though deep-down I so wanted to make changes. We worked together to enable me to get out of my own way! By helping me adopt small, easy-to-reach goals to work on between meetings, I made steady progress that added up to major change over the course of six months. I am eating and living in a far healthier way than I ever thought possible. I feel amazing and my weight is finally under control.

Tina Baird

Paula Milgrom

Kelly helped me put in place a system of new daily habits that transformed my eating and exercise. Rather than giving you a list of foods or exercises to figure out on your own at home, she takes you step-by-step with biweekly meetings to help you create a new lifestyle. I highly recommend her approach if you’re stuck.

Paula Milgrom

Stephanie Lyons

I learned with Kelly that small changes can make big impacts. She helped me prioritize my week and create a plan to get all of the important items on my to do list accomplished. Kelly showed a tremendous amount of support during our meetings which made it easy for me to speak about the aspects of my life I wanted to improve on. I would recommend Kelly to anyone who is looking to get on the path toward a healthier self.

Stephanie Lyons

Ann Knapke

I’ve been working with Kelly now for 6 months and have truly enjoyed each meeting. She has guided me, supported me and educated me on how to live a healthier lifestyle for my family and myself. Kelly has helped me set attainable goals and has provided me with the resources to meet my goals without feeling overwhelmed or stressed in the process. I highly recommend Kelly. She is dedicated and committed to helping you create optimal health whether it’s your own personal goals or your families.

Ann Knapke

Food, family, health, and the meaning of everything