I was born “sick”.

My tummy was a mess from the day I entered this world. It was never anything the doctors could figure out and being “sick” was something that was normal to me growing up. I would spend days bent over in crazy pain and I would be running to the restroom in the most awkward moments. This tummy sickness of mine became especially awkward and painful in my adolescent and college years, causing me to miss a lot of fun experiences, or creating incredibly embarrassing moments. There would be days that my stomach would feel like a “spastic colon” and days where I was in such incredible pain with constipation.

I had every kind of test done and there were still no answers. Around my 25th birthday I was going through some big life transitions and my stomach was even worse at this point with all the stress I was facing. My mom had found a book about going gluten free and I thought maybe it was time to explore things on my own without the doctors. So that is exactly what I did. I read the book, and never in my life had I ever heard someone explain my “normal” as their normal. I related to every symptom. I decided to try going gluten free, and I took this challenge on willingly! In about two weeks my stomach was already different.

This lead me to changing my lifestyle forever.

As I started to teach myself about my new gluten free lifestyle, my interest in healthy foods and even cooking came into place. I began to discover an extreme interest in holistic nutrition and as my new normal became something I never thought I would know, it opened the doors to a whole new career and way of living. Knowing that I could heal myself I decided I wanted to help as many of those that I could find a way to live a happy and healthy lifestyle free of pain in sickness. This lifestyle change went beyond just going gluten free, and it repaired more than just my stomach. My immune system is strong and healthy now, and I have energy instead of the fatigue I used to experience daily. I live a life in freedom from the physical exhaustion and pain I once knew.

When I met Emily, we immediately knew we shared the common interest of helping as many people as we possibly could. The dream of supporting others in finding a healthier lifestyle, with simple upgrades they could make in their very own kitchen because a reality when we launched the DIYcleanse. Now we are on a mission to reach as many people as possible. So cheers to as many happy and healthy lives we can help bring to all of you! xo, Tenley

“In my years as a naturopathic doctor, I have learned you can’t just treat the symptoms. You have to treat the person as a whole.”

 While I loved all of my individual roles, my life felt like a series of tasks and stressors. My capacity to accomplish goals was high, but my health, relationships, and sanity were suffering. Whom was I trying to impress, anyway?

Thus, I began the process of a-deep-dive into what excited and inspired me and who I wanted to be, on my terms. I began to review all the skills and knowledge I learned in my education and various trainings and then reapply them to my own life. I developed a devotional practice to myself, with two main tenants as the driving philosophy:

1) If I take care of myself first, the rest of my life flows and I can better care for others.

2) I have to trust my body, the messages it is sending me, and its ability to heal.

With the help of some friends, healers, guides and my own intuition, I began to thrive instead of survive. My background in naturopathic medicine, functional medicine, Ayurvedic healing, yoga, qigong, chronic illness and cancer, medical laboratory science, and counseling lead me down a path of finding myself in balance and joy.

I started sharing my findings with my good friend, Emily, and we realized the self-work I was doing could benefit every busy woman. She could relate from her own life experience and we realized that between the two of us we had a mountain of knowledge to create balance in many area of life: health, lifestyle, mood, relationship, genetics, environment and diet/nutrition. Hence, the Ignite Life Project was born; a project that brings me great joy and allows me to practice my skills on my terms. We hope it will do the same for you!

My primary goal when assisting others is to remain loyal to the fundamental naturopathic tenant of treat the root-cause of all symptoms. If these tools can help someone like me have more sleep, energy, self-confidence, and physical fitness, they can help almost anyone. For me it is about feeling VITAL, not just another “wellness” plan.

I am committed to helping women with their health and empowering them to feel great in their lives! Using science combined with traditional wisdom to influence the biochemistry of an individual’s health is my passion and I am honored to aid people on their journey to vital health.

In my free time I am busy being a present and caring mother, wife and friend and supporting a healthy and sustainable global enviornment.