Meet The Wellness Blonde

Hi!

My name is Suzanna aka @thewellnessblonde - welcome to my blog!

First and foremost I would like to give a little background on me, and why I started the @thewellnessblonde!

Growing up figure skating, I always valued a healthy lifestyle. I proceeded to study Kinesiology in University where I also completed a nutrition minor. I loved how I could apply science to the human body in this program. Upon graduation I applied this degree to work as a kinesiologist to assist physiotherapists in therapy plans with the elderly population – I loved running the exercise classes! The relationships I built with my patients were the best part of my job. SUPER rewarding! I became intrigued by what happened when individuals required hospitalization as they often decompensated even after only a few days in the hospital. ALSO, not going to lie... I wanted a job that had a good salary (to support my travel addiction), as well as opportunity for growth.

Low and behold, I decided to go back to school and become a nurse! Through many interesting placements, trauma really captivated me. It still amazes me how resilient the human body is and can recover from the unimaginable.

I started my career in a trauma/neurosurgery ICU and still work here! Being able to make a small difference in someone’s recovery is something I find extremely rewarding. I also work casually in a dermatology clinic that specializes in phototherapy and education sessions for individuals living with chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis & atopic dermatitis. Being able to form therapeutic relationships with patients and provide education here made me realize my love for health promotion. But anyhow that’s enough with the boring education stuff…

Why The Wellness Blonde?

As you can imagine having a fulltime job in an ICU, as well as a casual position at the Derm clinic can be quite stressful. Working as a nurse can be emotionally and physically draining. I found myself getting asked “how do you do it? How are you able to stay fit?” I’ve always loved promoting a healthy lifestyle to others and consequently was inspired to share. I wanted to create a platform where I can share my life and tips with managing a stressful job with a balanced lifestyle. BOOM The Wellness Blonde was born! It started off as a fun Instagram page where I shared my meals, exercises and inspirational quotes. I then realized that travel is a HUGE part of my life and decided I wanted to share it with everyone as it is something I use as a coping strategy. Also, I LOVE healthy food products (and by coincidence am married to someone who has the inside scoop on the health food industry) Overall, I want to share the good, the bad and the emotional aspects of my life. Feel free to follow along my journey to living a balanced life!

xo,

suzanna