HILARY GRANAT, PT, DPT, MS
MY STORY
As with many other health practitioners, it was my own health issues several years ago that led me down the path of nutrition and my own health journey.
So, here is my story….
When I was younger, I could eat whatever I wanted and never gained weight. I never even thought about whether a food was healthy or unhealthy. If it tasted good, I ate it. I also loved being active. I was a huge tomboy and was always running around and playing outside. After college, my lifestyle of constant exercise, being a personal trainer and physical therapist helped me to stay fit. I was also a runner for close to 30 years and have tried almost every type of exercise out there. I’m proud to say I ran 2 marathons back in my younger days and pre-injury phase.
When I stopped eating meat in my late teens, I ate lots of carbs and fatty foods! My go to foods were grilled cheeses, macaroni and cheese, french fries, lots of pasta, cheese, chocolate, nachos (still my favorite), and did I mention cheese? As I grew older and wiser, I added more fruits and veggies into my diet. But, my diet was still not ideal. I was still happy with the way I looked physically, so I had no huge motivation to make healthier nutrition choices in my life.
By the time I hit my 40’s, everything changed for me. I could no longer eat whatever I wanted without noticing my body changing. I also noticed that certain foods made me feel bloated, sluggish and not very good. Around this same time, I struggled with infertility, my cholesterol that was “genetically” high continued to rise, I gained 10 pounds in less than a year, was then diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroid disease (Hashimoto’s), and to top it off, I hit pre-menopause! WTF, right?!
I also thought more about my family genes and it didn’t look good there either. My family history includes heart disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, cancer and arthritis.
I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and do something about my own health and did not want to go down that same health path as my parents.
Through my own journey, I’ve realized the power of eating real foods and making healthy choices in my own life. I want to get better with age and not buy into the belief that we gain weight and lose energy, fitness and vibrancy the older we get. It is totally possible to get stronger and healthier at any age! I want to teach others that they can take control of their own health and happiness. Health is not a matter of reaching a destination, but a personal and individual journey of progression and growth of the body and mind together.
I believe in empowering my patients and clients by teaching them about the power of nutrition and how it effects healing, inflammation, and living life optimally.