Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonya Bell.
Sonya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story began over twenty years ago. My second son had just received an autism diagnosis at the age of two. At that time I also had a six-year-old daughter who had been diagnosed with ADHD and a learning disorder. My oldest son at that time was four. Although the four-year-old was neurotypical, he still had his moments of hyperactivity too!
I had retired early from nursing to stay at home with my kids. It was a blessing in disguise because I had the time to devote to doing research on autism. Even tho I was a nurse, I was unfamiliar with autism at that time. I also prayed for guidance and direction. My prayers were answered when I found an integrative doctor who gave me a long list of things to do.
One of the primary things was dealing with nutrition. There were other holistic practices that we implemented. My son was nonverbal at that time. Fast forward to the present day and he is doing extremely well. He’s a junior in college and attends out-of-state. He has accomplished many milestones and he is always sharing his goals with his dad and me.
My daughter continues to navigate life with a learning disability, however, she has overcome a lot as well. She is not hyper anymore. She continues to need redirection because she gets distracted easily but her strengths are reading and using her hands. She has learned how to crochet and enjoys that. It’s because of my children overcoming their limitations that has inspired me to become an integrative nutrition health coach. I am passionate about teaching parents how to connect the dots between food and behavior.
Last year I released my first book about our autism journey. It’s entitled, “Moving Forward; Details of an Autism Journey”. In this book, I share nutritional tips as well as the other holistic approaches that we use. It’s my desire to make it a little easier for families who are searching for nutritional information to support their family’s needs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth journey. First of all, I decided to return to school at the age of 50. That in itself was challenging. I had my own internal conflict. I had to stop thinking that I was “too old to return to school and that I would not retain the information taught”. Once I stopped believing those lies, it was a smoother process.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Beyond Radiant Health Coaching is a nutrition health coaching company. Our focus is on providing personalized support and guidance to parents of children with autism and ADHD, as well as individuals seeking to improve their overall health and well-being. We offer private coaching sessions as well as nutritional workshops.
All of our services are virtual however, we do offer in-person grocery store tours. With the tours, we are able to provide hands-on opportunities for our clients in reading food labels and assisting our clients in making better food choices in the grocery store. Speaking engagements are another service that we offer. With a background in nursing and personal experience as an autism mom, our founder is well-equipped and highly motivated to speak to audiences regarding supporting healthier lifestyles.
In the book, “Moving Forward; Details of an Autism Journey,” you will also find nutrition information to support parents who have children on the autism spectrum as well as children with ADHD or other behavioral problems. The book can be purchased on our website www.beyondradianthc.com as well as on Amazon.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
One thing that covid taught me was to “be still”. It’s not necessary to always be busy. Being intentional about rest is important to our mental well-being. It allows for peace of mind. During covid, we were all forced to “be still”. This practice of “being still” has become a part of my daily routine.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beyondradianthc.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/@beyondradiant422
- Facebook: @Beyond Radiant Health Coaching
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@BeyondRadiant
