About Deanna

When I was in 6th grade, my teacher called for a conference with my parents because I was asking too many questions in class.  I'm so glad to have found a profession where this is a strength. Offering questions and thought-provoking reflections is at the heart of what I do as your health coach. This is one of the ways I help you make sustainable change that is important to you and aligned with your values. 

I've been interested in health and wellness for as long as I can remember. I've always wanted to know the WHY in what was happening with my body. (Most of my doctors over the years haven't necessarily appreciated this curiosity. Sound familiar?)

I've also been living with chronic illness for 33 years. 

I was first diagnosed with autoimmune disease at age 11. It was initially called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and I was prescribed 16 aspirin a day. Eventually I "outgrew" this but was also diagnosed with discoid lupus, mixed connective tissue disease, Raynaud's and Anticardiolipin antibody, a blood clotting disorder where your body makes antibodies to your own blood. 

I was often labeled a "medical mystery" and sent off with a shrug and the advice of, "there's not much you can do." The journey of health has been a winding one. But I have never, not for a day, let those labels or those illnesses define me. 

I've also perpetually looked for more "natural" ways to address my illness and to maximize my wellness. After all, HEALTH is not just an absence of illness. It is the measure of how vibrantly you are able to live your life every day! 

Even more than my own health journey, my appreciation for the value of health has been shaped by the loss of my husband to leukemia 10 years ago. Our son was 5 years old at the time. 

If we do not have our health, we have very little. 

I can't really remember a time when I wasn't tuned into searching for deeper health solutions. 

So when I found Functional Medicine, it felt like home. FINALLY - an approach to medicine that wanted the same answers I had been asking. 

Today, I've accumulated a long list of wellness habits such as eating a whole-food, nutrient-rich (and delicious!) diet, moving my body thoughtfully, keeping toxins to an absolute minimum, and being proactive about my stress and anxiety (ha - easier said than done, I AM human!)

But none of my "healthy habits" happened overnight. Our well-being is a long and continual journey. 

For a very long time, my life motto has been, "you learn something new every day." I am curious and flexible and strive to be constantly growing and evolving. 

I also love to learn about people. They fascinate me. One of my superpowers is that I will see the best in you and believe in you. 

This is one of my roles as your health coach. It is also to ask questions that allow you to come to your own answers, help you figure out what is most important to you, help you see your strengths, educate you, and provide accountability. 

I have a 15-year-old son and live in Idaho. I also spent 25 years living in Colorado.  I have lived in the mountains since I graduated from college (ahem...more than two decades ago!) and being in the outdoors is a vital part of who I am. It brings me the deep joy and gratitude that is so important to each of us as beings! 

What more do you want to know about me? Reach out! Email me at deanna@wholemountainhealth.com .