Welcome to Passionette Palate! I'm Annette Licitra, and my passion is to provide encouragement, support and nourishing recipes to people as they invest in their health so that their bodies will shine for them. I believe in being the example, and truly living the best lifestyle that I can to keep me moving in line with optimal health.

My passions are plenty, but one matter that I'm most passionate about is the nourishment that goes on my plate because that's what helps strengthen the body or causes it to break down - and, I've had to learn that the hard way. Because there are so many toxins that can cause the body to break down on a daily basis, I've made a commitment to myself to try my hardest to combat these invaders with prayer as my armor and a plate as my shield! With that, I bring you my story... 

For as long as I can remember, I've been challenged with digestive issues, which I had always chalked up to a 'nervous stomach'. However, I knew in my gut (yes, pun intended!) that something was amiss, but couldn't figure out what to associate it with other than nerves. Fast forward to 2002, when I learned through conventional allopathic medicine that I had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is characterized as a chronic digestive disorder.

As I moved into early adulthood, my list of symptoms grew to include recurrent urinary tract infections, premenstrual symptoms (PMS), rosacea, melasma, cystic acne, interstitial cystitis (IC), fatigue, brain fog, pelvic pain, weight gain, bloating and thinning hair. Unfortunately, I believed that I would have to live with all of these for the rest of my life. Thankfully, I didn't fall into a depression, but I sure can see how some people might; it's frustrating to be battling these day after day, week after week, year after year...you get the picture! 

An innate sense grew over me, and I felt I knew my body better than what was trying to take over, so I began doing serious research on natural healing in 2014. I learned that all of these symptoms are related to one another, and are a result of nutrient deficiencies, leaky gut and a severe intolerance to wheat and gluten. After getting extensive blood work done through a Functional Medicine doctor, and working with other holistic health & wellness authorities, I have been fortunate to learn so much more about treating the body as a whole.

Cutting out gluten, dairy, eggs, and refined sugar, minimizing soy, corn and animal protein consumption, eating whole, real foods, and making a life-long commitment to a healthier lifestyle was the best thing that I have done. I have experienced improved health, and no longer feel controlled by chronic digestive issues. I've lost 12 lbs, my fatigue and brain fog have diminished, my skin has cleared up, and other ailments have begun healing.

Experiencing the positive changes with my own health led me to make a career shift from corporate finance to health coaching, and in my practice, I support and encourage others in health behavior change. I believe that health & food go hand-in-hand, so after transitioning out of corporate, I received my degree from Culinary school and decided to couple that with my integrative health coaching certifications.