Complete Story
 

10/16/2019

Monique Costello

Culinary Nutrition Expert

MEET MONIQUE COSTELLO

 

CULINARY NUTRITION EXPERT, CHEF, INTEGRATIVE HEALTH COACH & EDUCATOR, RECIPE DEVELOPER, HEALTHY EATING BLOGGER / INFLUENCER

 

Monique Costello is a culinary nutrition expert, chef, professional recipe creator, integrative health coach and healthy eating blogger who has been featured on The Food Network and can be seen conducting healthy cooking demonstrations and guest speaking’s at food and health events throughout the United States. Monique is often sought after by restaurant owners looking to add healthy menu options, and by top producers of healthy food products to formulate and test recipes. For Monique healthy eating is personal. After curing her debilitating health problems by changing what she ate and how she lived, today Monique most enjoys teaching people how to reverse health challenges through good food.

 

Growing up in Minnesota, Monique spent much of her adolescence surrounded by food. Her Italian grandfather taught her how to plant, pick, and can vegetables. She worked for her parent’s catering company and learned how to cook, bake, and operate the business. And she spent ample time gathered around the dinner table for big family dinners. By the time she was of age, Monique had left Minnesota and moved to Denver to explore the emerging digital world as a multimedia producer. But the food business was in her blood, and soon after moving to Denver, an opportunity to own her own business presented itself.

 

In the summer of 2004, Monique opened Monkey Bean Coffee Shop and Bistro which quickly became a local hot spot in downtown Denver. After two very successful years, plans for a second location were underway when Monique’s good fortune and health were challenged. The grueling hours of running a business seven days a week took its toll on Monique’s health. She experienced the onset of a debilitating breakdown that started with extreme fatigue, restless sleep, weight gain, and progressed into chronic aching joints and back pain. Doctors were unable to diagnose Monique’s condition accurately. To make matters worse, the building Monique leased for her coffee shop was sold to an ambitious investor who raised her rent 400%. Monique had no choice but to close her business. With nothing left to lose, she decided to move to another favorite city, Chicago. 

 

While in Chicago, Monique’s health worsened. Her pain became so bad; she could hardly get out of bed or even lift her arms to brush her hair. Once again, doctors couldn’t seem to pinpoint the cause. It was during the peak of Monique’s health problems where she read an article how eating the wrong foods can ignite inflammation throughout the body. A light bulb went off in Monique’s head, and she decided to take her health into her own hands. She was committed to learning all she could about the impact of food on the body.

 

After changing her eating and cooking habits, and applying what Monique learned about proper nutrition, Monique’s health slowly improved. Healthy eating not only helped heal her health challenges, but it changed the course of her life’s direction. She quit her stressful job in corporate management and pursued a career in nutrition and food. Monique received her certification in culinary nutrition and became an integrative health coach. Today, Monique devotes her life to helping people feel better by teaching them how food and simple lifestyle changes can heal the body. Through her one-on-one health coach sessions, wellness certification course teachings, live cooking demonstrations, corporate wellness events, guest speaking’s, along with her www.happyeatshealthy.com website and social media posts, Monique is on a mission to spread the word that food is truly the best medicine for the body.

More about Monique

 

 

Monday, February 24, 2020

Featured Chef

 

Demo Stage, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

 

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