I’m a quiet, Midwestern girl enjoying the urban single life. I moved to New York to pursue acting—it is my passion and is my career. Just when I was getting my life under control, my boyfriend of 3 years unexpectedly broke up with me. I felt overweight, apathetic, and weighed down. I wanted to rebuild and take control of my life in a positive way.

Monica helped me set goals around cooking, exercising, and getting auditions. It got me motivated and reprogrammed my mind. I’m sleeping better and I feel more confident and relaxed. I’ve worked my body into the best physical shape I’ve had in 10 years! Since I started working with Monica I’ve had many auditions each week, and I’ve hired a manager. I think this is because I’ve said yes to taking care of myself and to going after what I want. The things that I truly want in life are falling into place.

I was approaching 40, fortunate to have had a very active youth, participating in many of athletic activities including playing Division I lacrosse in college. I considered myself pretty knowledgably about physical health and discipline, but was really starting to run up against the wall in weight management. Let me also be clear, I live in Manhattan, I rarely cooked, and really enjoy eating out with friends. Working with Monica was life-altering experience. I have lost weight, but importantly Monica has helped me create a formula that is really healthy, really fun, and I can feel the difference. Don't get me wrong, there is no magic formula, and it takes effort and one needs to keep with it. However, with Monica's suggestions on meal size changes (big breakfast), varieties of new foods (all organic) and new recipes, suddenly I was cooking. Even more shocking, I was loving what I cooked more than many of my old favorite restaurants in New York City.

I was stuck. I didn’t trust myself and constantly looked to others to tell me what to do in my life. Then, I learned how to listen to myself and my body. Since working with Monica, I have changed my life in many ways. I learned how to cook foods that feel good in my body. I now feel good about what I eat and actually prefer cooking to eating out (if you can believe it!). I am a school teacher and was constantly getting sick from being exposed to so many runny noses, coughs, flus… I have noticed a significant boost in my immune system. I am much clearer about how I want my life to be and I have actively made choices to effect those changes. I feel healthier and happier and now realize how interconnected those two things are. I am much healthier now than I ever have been.

I used to believe that maintaining a figure meant restricting calories and depriving myself. Since working with Monica, I’ve learned what it means to nourish myself and be satisfied. I’ve learned tactics to help prevent me from binging, and I’m not pumping my body with artificial sweeteners! It feels so good to be taking better care of my body. Miraculously, the self-critical me is less judgmental when I know I’m giving my body what it needs. I no longer rely on caffeine and no longer fear carbohydrates. Monica has helped me to take pride in healthy eating and enjoying a healthy lifestyle. She’s such an amazing supporter! It’s really a luxury to have that kind of continuous positive support; a luxury every woman deserves.

Before working with you, I was intimidated to walk into a health food store, terrified of detoxes, eating poorly during the day and losing energy, and not cooking much.

I now get excited about walking into a health food store where I used to be intimidated. I am cooking healthy meals and feeling great about what I am eating. From the detox, I know how good it feels to be eating only clean foods and can now use the detox in the future to figure out which foods are best for me. I also have more energy. These new habits will be lifelong friends.

When I approached Monica I was troubled with skin problems, an ongoing plight of some years. My digestion has always been erratic too and I’d often experience stomach cramps, bloating and other related problems. Since I enrolled with Ideal Balance, those ailments have drastically reduced in severity. If I have a recurrence I also know the best antidotes gained from Monica’s wealth of knowledge.

While working with Monica I was able to recall what it felt like to be healthy. The last time I consistently felt this way was when I was 14 years old. It is great to know that I can be in charge of my well being through the slew of tips, recipes, advice and wisdom that I gained from the program.

It is always better to have someone guide you when you are looking to change things in your life. I've had a lot of people say "why can't you just go on the internet and find the info yourself?" Well, yes, I could have done that but work well when I have a coach. I also adore the idea of someone who is looking for ways to REALISTICALLY incorporate diet ideas and concepts into a person's regime. I've been able to take the knowledge from this program and use it in my own world. I'm proud to have found new ways to shop, new ways to flavor food, new ways to give myself permission to not be perfect but to stay healthy in all endeavors.

I was a scattered food mess before working with Monica. I had gotten a great start with my goals from my triathlon coach but had stalled because his diet was so limited and uncreative. I received an enthusiastic champion of my goals AND someone who understood that food was more than fuel but still had to be respected as something that must be controlled. I learned so much about new items in each food group and new ideas for cooking. I also learned new ways to de-stress, so important to the total health.

Monica was very patient and giving towards me. I now sleep better, and have lost pounds, but mostly I know how to draw truths from my consciousness to answer my bodies issues. Monica taught me that. I have a better understanding of goal making and following through. She was very informative about the changes that you go through depending on different situations in your life and how to appreciate who you are so you can get better results out of yourself. I very much enjoyed our discussions, and am thankful for the guidance.

The most important things I learned from Monica during my program with her involved my primary foods, especially around my career and exercise. Monica was my cheerleader as I committed to walking regularly. She gave me info about heart monitors and I got a pedometer and aimed at 10,000 steps a day. During the time I worked with her I went down 2 dress sizes and I wasn't dieting, I was just eating whole foods wisely and with enjoyment. She really helped me with my business, especially around scheduling, setting boundaries and achievable goals. Her commitment to supporting me in whatever I needed felt very nurturing.

I have loved working with you Monica. You have been so supportive and loving! I feel like my relationship to food is evolving and becoming far healthier.

I actually feel excited by eating more consciously. I have been eating more greens and whole grains. I have cleansed with the apple vinegar and experienced its benefits. I have shed pounds and have just become more educated about food in general.

I have more awareness of what my body needs. I rarely eat sugar and actually find the after-experience of sugar to be un-enjoyable. I eat (and enjoy) kale! I also find that I have more energy when I am eating what I am supposed to be happy.

Monica, you are positive, uplifting, a wealth of information, motivating – basically everything I could ever want or need in a health counselor!

I feel 110% better!

You have helped me to make so many important shifts and changes in my life and have been incredibly supportive and thoughtful throughout. I am so glad to be working with you.

I hope that you have a wonderful few weeks until we speak again filled with lots and lots of sweetness.

Monica Shah has been a tremendous help to me in my efforts to eat healthier and lose weight. I have shed old eating habits, gained more control of my blood sugar, and have more energy than ever before. I used to crave chocolate for a pick-me-up, but now find fruit and nuts much more satisfying. People tell me how great I look--that's the best testimony! I would recommend Monica for anyone who needs to break their old eating habits and live a healthier life. There's minimal deprivation and great rewards! I can even eat my favorite food (pizza) and still lose weight! Thank you very much Monica!

Your guidance has been incredibly versatile--from changing my diet, to scheduling and time management, to learning to be true to what really makes me feel good.

It's no small task to live in a healthy, fulfilling way in an urban environment that continually encourages otherwise, but I go through days now and feel like I am able to live life better and accomplish more yet feel less taxed overall. I've learned to cook delicious food that is good for me every day, *and* I save money by not eating out.

Not only have I learned a tremendous amount from your program, but it has set in motion a process of learning and curiosity that will no doubt continue long after we are done. And, I feel like I have good solid knowledge to build on.

As a little bonus, I keep getting unsolicited compliments from people about how great I look - I think it’s probably a combination of being physically healthy and feeling spiritually more balanced that comes across somehow. I have friends and work associates who are beginning to ask about how I do things, what I eat, etc...I'm passing on your teaching already!

After working with Monica for the last six months, I've learned about my body and my mind in many different aspects, along with how to help me learn how to take care of the temple we call the mind, body, and soul...I actually began treating myself like my body, mind, and soul were different rooms in a temple. And I feel great! I've learned to cook (slowly but surely)! I've been working out more and getting my body back into shape. I've been eating healthier with more whole foods--which, shockingly, taste soooo yummy when you know how to eat them the right way! I've learned not to restrict myself, but to have everything in moderation in respect to each area of food and exercise. My ulcer and my stomach aches were to a bare minimum, and are healed naturally with all-natural and healthy ways of taking care of them. My energy is up. And my relationship with my husband MUCH better (we are enjoying our marriage and each other without my frustration with myself and my body). With the help of Ideal Balance I taught myself to take care of...myself (and my family)!

It was so great working with you – definitely look forward to doing it again in the future. You really changed my life!

The things I have accomplished with you are: finally figured out that I am allergic to cheese, learned to breathe and relax, now eat more vegetables and fruit, now trying to cook more. I also now have fewer symptoms related to digestive issues and less bloating. I am much more aware of what food I put in my body and how I feel after I’ve eaten.

Monica, I have learned so much from working with you, and it not only affects me personally but my family as a whole. I have much more energy getting me through the workday now with some to spare which comes in really handy when my nanny leaves and my 2 year old son places his own demands on me. I am also trying to remember to set aside some “me time” and take a couple of deep breaths and slow down when I notice myself starting to spin out of control.

Before working with Monica, I was often lethargic and unfocused with pronounced mood and energy swings. I was also frequently bloated and not feeling healthy. Monica taught me a lot about monitoring my food intake, what I eat, when I eat it and how it makes it feel. In addition she gave me lots of handy advice from better breakfast menus to healthier snack ideas. In the course of changing my eating habits I noticed a steady improvement in my overall energy and focus. Plus, in keeping her advice very practical and catered to my situation, I found those ideas easy to incorporate into my lifestyle, therefore significantly increasing the likelihood that I will stick with the program long after our sessions are over. I now have less bloating, increased energy and focus all day, and a wide range of cooking ideas!

I have found our work together immensely helpful and supportive. You were a delight to work with, filled with knowledge and information, support and gentle prodding and I have thoroughly enjoyed our work together. Prior to starting the program my energy dragged and my food choices were poor, even though I knew better!!! Since beginning our work together I find I make better food choices and have learned numerous tips to make eating on the go---and out, a easier, healthier process. The most significant gains I’ve made have been in the area of improvement in food choices, greater energy, better focus and learning a mix of self acceptance/self support and gentle movement toward change. Thank you for everything that you have given to me, I will forever remain grateful and informed.