Hi, I’m Mariah and I am Bryanna’s younger sister. I’m graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law, where I earned my Law degree. I am currently working as an attorney. We both love fitness and sports. Growing up, I participated in basketball, track, cross-country, and volleyball. I earned a scholarship to play for Rocky Mountain College Women’s Basketball Team in Billings, MT. After suffering knee and neck injuries, I switched to cross-country and track. I competed for an extra year at Pepperdine.
I started my healthy lifestyle because of external factors like injuries forcing me into a healthier standard. Although I was physically active throughout my life, I did not take nutrition seriously. I remember my sister offering health advice but I would just ignore her. I was known as the garbage gut and always willing to eat everyone else’s left over food. I ate whatever I wanted. After some setbacks with injuries, I started to realize the importance of nutrition in recovery.
When I broke my back in high school, my entire body felt depleted. I had to take pain killers that made me feel nauseous and suppressed my hunger. As result, I grew even weaker. The summer following my injury, I decided to adhere to my sister’s advice which included a wholesome diet including whole grains, protein, and good fats. These nutritional choices helped me regain my strength.
In college, I reverted to my unhealthy ways. I especially relished cafeteria food. Within a year, I started to experience stomach bloating, cramping, and extreme fatigue. I also blew my ACL in my second season, which lead to inactivity that exacerbated my symptoms. After going to several doctors, trying to figure out the cause of my symptoms, I found out that I had a fungal infection, known as candida. The infection started after I broke my back and had worsened after my knee injury. The doctor explained that the pain killers destroyed the bacteria in my stomach and a fungal infection developed, wreaking havoc in my intestines. The fungus made me sensitive to gluten and dairy.
My doctor treated me with a comprehensive eating plan that cut out all sugar. The fungi fed on sugar and starved without it. I felt even more exhausted during the treatment. As my body was killing off the infection, I experienced extreme fatigue, headaches, and body pains. This was all while I was recovering from my knee surgery. It took several months for the symptoms to subside. To this day, I am still sensitive to certain foods. I now live a healthy lifestyle because I know firsthand the important role nutrition plays in recovery and everyday vitality. I don’t crave the same unhealthy foods that I indulged in when I was younger. I have cheat days now and then, but I generally crave whole foods. I also exercise daily because it relieves stress and helps me manage my busy lifestyle.
I am also married (July 2016). My husband Schuyler and I enjoy being active, hunting and spending time with friends in family, and being an aunt and uncle to our beautiful nephews and nieces. We reside in California as we finish our law school.
I am honored to be able to share inspiration here on Wholesomely Fit and information on beauty and the beauty industry. I hope you’ll enjoy being apart of the Wholesomely Fit family.