Link to coach bios here:
Debbie Peterson
Wendy Bright-Fallon
Dana Fallon
I was 28, happily married, in shape, eating well (or so I thought), but I couldn’t get pregnant. Little did I know that the next two years of frustration, stress, and exasperation would be the seeds that developed into today’s Nourish. Back then, in 1998, I was living in Rhode Island and working full-time at Providence Public Library as a Literacy Program Director teaching English as a second language. My co-workers used to get excited at lunchtime each day to see what new, interesting, unfamiliar, healthy thing I brought to eat. To me, it was just food. I was young, an English teacher, aspiring to be the next bestselling American author with a wonderful and handsome husband in a new dental practice and I couldn’t get pregnant. AND, as fate had it, I worked in a library, AND I had some free time in my work schedule to wander through the stacks and do some research on what might be preventing me from getting pregnant. And so the new path was made.
What I learned from my hours of research was priceless. I discovered “alternative medicine” including Traditional Chinese Medicine, which encompassed herbal remedies and balancing the systems in the body. I learned about acupuncture and eating unprocessed, seasonal, whole foods. I learned about the mind/body connection. In practicing all that I learned, cleaning up my way of eating, “detoxing” and balancing my body, I finally found myself pregnant in late May of 2000. My son, Ty, was born in February of 2001, as was a new passion—to make him the healthiest baby I possibly could. I continued to study and learn, right through my second pregnancy that came easily. My daughter, Jamie, arrived in December 2002. In 2005 we moved to New Jersey where I discovered the Holistic Moms Network and found my tribe of other women who ate new, interesting, unfamiliar, healthy foods. Soon after, I became the Monmouth County Chapter Leader. It was then that my passion for health and nutrition blossomed. I was still teaching, holding adjunct positions at both Brookdale Community College and Monmouth University, but I was continually teaching myself about nutrition and healthy living. I often made lesson plans for my students with the theme of health and nutrition, merging my two passions. In 2006, a new like-minded friend and fellow parent introduced me to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition whose catalog seemed to be custom written just for me. I enrolled the following year, met Wendy, and, well, the rest is on our timeline. 
Nowadays, when I’m not at the office, I spend my free time playing tennis, reading, exercising, knitting, building my family tree, playing with my dog (June) and three cats (Pogie, Bunker, and Marlin) and, of course, spending time with my family. Oh, and one last thing . . . I am a consultant for an incredibly progressive, socially conscious, and completely transparent body care company called Beautycounter who develops and sells highly effective skin care, body and hair products, and cosmetics that are safe for consumers. I am happy to be a part of this movement and I’m excited to see where it goes.
From December 2020 through March 2021, Wendy and I took an advanced training course to be able to sit for the National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches certification. We successfully passed the exam in October 2021.
It was 2003, I was a newlywed, working 60+ hours in corporate America and on the state executive board of an active women’s educational organization (P.E.O.). I had a full life and burning the candles at both ends. When my husband Dana found a real spoon stuck to a very old yogurt container among a pile of other on-the-go food wrappers in my car, I was embarrassed. At the time, I wasn’t taking very good care of my car or myself. Although we often ‘ate well,’ there were days when lunch was only coffee and a Snickers bar. Dinner was often out to eat. Colds plagued me and I was stressed. At 33, I didn’t create time for self care and I didn’t know it was hurting me. In 2006, a company-wide lay-off took me by surprise – the wake up call that shifted my life. In my search for healing and peace of mind, I started a more regular yoga practice and incorporated fitness as a big part of my life. A local yoga studio was hosting a talk about using real food as wellness. The talk resonated with me so strongly that I searched out the speaker’s education. Within a week, I was enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and on a new path. At school in New York, I met Debbie and we clicked – you’ll find the rest of our Nourish story on our timeline.
Since that embarrassing metal spoon sighting, the major career shift and going back to school, I have become crystal clear about how real food, exercise, quality sleep, mindfulness practice and quality connections influences our performance. I’m on a constant quest to help people feel better. To use my husband as an example: Dana is a dentist and nationally ranked master’s cyclist, so performance is key to his success. I bring this up as a proud plug for his artistic talent as a cosmetic dentist AND because I believe our food and lifestyle choices are making him a better athlete and better doctor. We are a good team, he gets me moving and I keep him well fed. In 2010, Dana became a Health Coach (also through IIN) and in 2012, we got Metagenics First Line Therapy certifications. In 2020, he became NASM certified. Continuing education is a big part of our lives. And so are our rescue furry faces – one of the biggest joys in our life.
One of my goals as a wellness advocate is to walk this earth the best I can and use mother nature’s tools along the way. A love of nature and fascination with essential oils led me to seek out the best quality company to partner with. I am a leader and educator with Young Living – the global leader in distillation and distribution of quality essential oils. The company is a steward of the earth, the founder a farmer and all of their products are focused on living a life of wellness. I use these essential oil gems to support me physically, emotionally and spiritually. I run regular educational classes and DIY projects both in my office and via Facebook. Want to know more about the wellness benefits of essential oils?
Visit www.YoungLiving.com and if you want to order, use my reference #1529679 and I’ll get credit for introducing you to the lifestyle.
I love working with women in transition, athletes, couples, college students, and the corporate culture to infuse sustainable food choices and lifestyle habits to help people like you show up in life looking, feeling and performing your best.
Having a growth mindset is one of my core values.
In the summer of 2019, I proudly received my Precision Nutrition Level 1, 
Certificate in Exercise Nutritionwhich adds new tools to support athletes get better, fitter and stronger.
Beginning February 2019, with the urging of Dana, we embarked on an Optimize Coach (now called Heroic Coach) adventure together. It has already made waves of permanent positive changes in our life and we are eager to share these best practices with clients. We graduated in December 2019. Can I say power couple!?
From December 2020 through March 2021, Debbie and I took an advanced training course to be able to sit for the National BoardCertified Health & Wellness Coaches certification. We successfully passed the exam in October 2021.
In an effort to engage and support other entrepreneurial women on their quest to be their best for their businesses, I co-led W.I.N.G.S. {women, inspiring, networking, giving and supporting} and am still very active in the efforts of P.E.O. International to support women’s continuing education with grants, loans and scholarships. In January 2019, I joined the board of the John F. Peto Studio Museum in the quest to enrich our community and the arts.
When I’m not playing in the kitchen, playing with essential oils or sharing ideas on how to be more resilient, you’ll find me playing in the garden, enjoying a sail, walking/hiking/rucking with Dana, or reading a good book with my feet in the sand.