Healthy Living Starts Today

-Artist, Wife, Mother,  Nutrition Coach & Behavioral Change Specialist certified through NASM - 

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I have  a deep passion for health and wellness, and for helping people.

Before moving to the States in 1985, I  was born in Vancouver, Canada, and raised in the Fijian Islands. My upbringing was not full of sunshine and rainbows - my parents had a very turbulent relationship filled with drugs and abuse, and divorced before I turned 1 years old. I grew up mostly with my mother’s side of the family where I dealt 

with dysfunction and a spectrum of unhealthy behaviors 

that I would remove myself from in my adult years. 

I had fallen in love with health and wellness through the overcoming of my own personal  psychological and emotional struggles throughout the course my life. Since I was a little girl, I've loved food - I love to eat!  - but I had always struggled with my weight - and was never athletic or fit. I hated the way my body looked. I always had to hide behind baggy clothes or settle for clothes I didn’t care too much for, and dealt with having very low self esteem issues. Growing up with limited resources both emotional and financial, I learned to utilize my resources and work with what I had, and a lot of times, all I had was my fighting spirit, which meant that even if nobody else believed in me, I believed in myself. 

My diet used to consist of 80% processed and fast foods, and 20% nutritious food which constituted 

of  a lot of soda, I hardly drank water, ate a lot of candy and chips, lots of fried foods and burgers  - It was not at all optimal for good health!

I had 0 understanding about the importance of a healthy diet.  I had no muscle mass whatsoever, had a high 

level of body fat, was not athletic at all. I had aches and pains 

in my body, my joints were unstable, and I would fall all the time.

In college I signed up for a weight lifting program, and fell in love with the weight room and the  barbell. Shortly thereafter, I became pregnant with my beautiful daughter, and three years later, with my handsome son, however, I had managed to put on quite a bit of pregnancy weight, and weighed a little over 200 pounds, placing me in the pre-obesity range as far as body fat percentage came into play. Shortly after my son’s birth, I started working with fitness professionals and started gaining a very general understanding about exercise and the very basics of  nutrition (eat more whole foods, prioritize protein, keep processed foods to a minimum, stuff like that). 

I managed to drop the pregnancy weight - however because of various lifestyle factors, 

I managed to gain quite a bit of that unwanted weight back.

In 2017, right before my 38th birthday, I declared that I would take control of my health and never gain unwanted weight back again - but the way to do that was through having control over my nutrition, alongside my workouts. 

I was determined and hungry for knowledge - and utilized all my past teachings

 of what worked for me, and threw away what didn’t - And I built from there.

Being no stranger when it came to discipline (through my upbringing and education), I simply applied the same basic  principles towards my health. I had to learn to like doing all the hard things, like planning and preparing 

my foods and workouts. I became mindful of how much I was consuming. If I had cravings, I learned to listen to them and observed the reason for the cravings. I started learning more about calories and macros, and 

began logging my nutrition - without judgment.  Throughout the years, I trained myself to like foods that were good for my body - while still incorporating the foods I enjoy - within moderation of course. All in all my mantra being 

“slow and steady wins the race”.

As time went on and life kept happening, I managed to continue to stay the course and kept dropping

 weight and hitting my goals. For the first time, I didn’t gain unwanted weight 

during the holidays, I actually dropped more weight! 

I dedicated 5 years to understanding the craft behind the power of nutrition 

and strength training, as well as mastering my own personal habits 

before pursuing my certification as a nutrition coach with a specialization in behavioral change.

In March of 2021, I received word of my father’s passing in Vancouver, Canada. 

In September of 2021, my mother passed away in Sherman Oaks, California. Their life long struggle with mental health and drug addiction had finally come to an end, and their souls found peace at last.
I had already wanted to do something in the health related field prior to their passing, but now it was solidified - I wanted to do something with my life that would honor my parents in health, and wellness - I wanted to be the one to break the cycle of unhealthy behaviors and an unhappy life - Real talk.

In March of 2022 - I earned my certification as a Nutrition Coach, and in March of 2023 - my certification in Behavioral Change Specialization, both through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). I have now 

dedicated my life to health and wellness as an evidence-based lifestyle nutrition coach, where I help guide my clients 

towards their health and wellness goals that work for their 

individual lifestyle - providing education, motivation, goal setting and accountability, as well as 

dispelling any myths and misinformation surrounding nutrition along the way. (Read Client Testimonials) 

Currently I have maintained a healthy body weight and body fat percentage, have added good muscle mass,

  and am going on 8 years without a relapse. I have a wonderful relationship with my food - and I love being in my skin!

 I take great pride and pleasure in what I do, and am grateful for the ability to do what I do every single day.

If you feel that I can be of assistance to  you or someone you know, don't hesitate to send a message over my way.

Thank you for visiting :)

~ T. Maharaj.