About Tracy Matesz

This page is about me, Tracy Matesz, my background, credentials ~ and how I came to study many forms of holistic health.

About Tracy - Abridged Version

About Tracy's Early Health Challenges & Bad Habits

These next two sections are about some of my health and life challenges, for those interested. My health challenges began at an early age. I learned how to overcome those outlined, and many others using the very tools, lifestyle practices and diet I recommend to my clients, depending on their needs.

One fall day, around the age of 4, I went back indoors after playing outside in our yard. My mom took one look at me and was aghast. She immediately scheduled an appointment with our family doctor. He did an allergy test, and diagnosed me with Hay Fever.

I apparently had allergic sensitivities to ragweed, dust, pollen, grasses, and cats. My eyes had swollen to the size of golf balls. My heart sank at this diagnosis. 'How could life be so unfair?' my young brain thought. I loved our family cat, Tammy. And I especially loved being outdoors. The trees were my friends. I could not imagine a life spent indoors.

Around 4 years later, after lagging behind on my morning walks with my mom to run errands, she again scheduled a doctor's appointment. Diagnosis: anemia. Prescription: iron pills. The only problem was that those pills caused major constipation.

My parents owned a bar while I was in grade school. Many of my peers smoked cigarettes, and drank alcohol. My father also consumed both. I hated cigarette smoke, but I succumbed to alcohol. Drinking helped me (temporarily) overcome my shy / highly sensitive insecurities. My alcohol consumption was enough to cause alcohol poisoning on more than one occasion.

After high school, I registered for and was accepted into the Nutrition department at Northern Illinois University (NIU). I had already dropped out of another college. Nutrition was one of very few subjects that really lit me up as a kid. Despite this, I allowed myself to get talked out of completing the program, which would have led to a degree in Dietetics.  

This was one of my first and biggest regrets which impacted much of my life.

I experienced some of my darkest years during the remainder of college, largely I believe because of going against myself.

About Tracy's later life health issues 

During my twenties and early thirties, I traveled to several areas of Mexico, plus Costa Rica and Guatemala. On several occasions, I became very sick with Montezuma's Revenge. After returning home from a trip touring around the Yucatan Peninsula, I ended up couch bound for days with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe unquenchable dehydration, and chills and fever. It turned out I had contracted Hepatitis A from tainted shrimp. After this, I seemed to have an increase in health issues.

I had planned to move to Aspen, Colorado after my trip to the Yucatan. This trip was delayed until I recovered. My first year working in a busy mountain town where people visited from around the world, I caught every bug going around, each taking weeks to recover. I had a high fever four times during that first year. By the fourth time, I dragged myself to see a local doctor. She immediately put me on antibiotics, and sternly warned me that had I not gone to see her, I would have been in serious trouble. I was at the beginning stage of a kidney infection.

In addition to the illnesses mentioned, I had hypoglycemia, digestive issues including bouts of constipation or irregular elimination, skin breakouts that would not go away, and other nagging issues that led me to start seeing an acupuncturist, and eventually make more lasting changes to my diet.

It's also what prompted me to go back to school. I still wanted to study nutrition, however, it required my getting another bachelors before I could start a Masters in Nutrition program. Since acupuncture helped me so much, that was my choice.

About Tracy's Path to Holistic Healing

In addition to having many physical health challenges, I struggled emotionally. I felt easily overwhelmed, and would withdraw into my shell until I felt more 'normal' and could be 'out there' in the world again. This rattled my confidence, already shaken after dropping out of the Nutrition department at NIU. Over time, I developed many insecurities.

My challenges and seeming hypersensitivity sent me on a journey to better understand human health from all levels, physically and mentally / emotionally. I wanted to better understand what motivated some people to be successful, while others, like myself seemed to always struggle.

I searched for  answers, mostly in books to start. I ended up studying a variety of healing arts, in part because I was still trying to heal myself.

Without going into further details, I was driven to experience more thriving health, emotional freedom, and realize my true divine purpose. (Whatever that was!) 

A couple things that helped me along the way

A couple things really helped me change my life was:

1. Reading The Highly Sensitive Person, How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, by Elaine Aron, PhD, The Highly Sensitive Person Survival Guide, by Ted Zeff and The Introvert Advantage, by Marti Olsen Laney
2. Becoming certified as a Holistic C.O.R.E. Counselor through asat.org. Dr. Hart's program provided a 'MAP' and effective tools to help me finally begin to integrate all my disparate parts, and transform my life. 
3. Finally adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet centered around macrobiotic and Chinese medicine principles of balance.

Given my health history and many life challenges, I am grateful to God I am here, and am able to maintain my optimal weight and fitness while now in my 60s. I credit my diet and lifestyle practices, without which I know I would not be enjoying a healthy, peaceful life.

About Tracy's Credentials 

About Tracy's Earlier Life Employment in Restaurants, Catering & Health Food Stores:

While in college I volunteered at a local coop.  I loved being in that environment, surrounded by a variety of fresh and natural foods.  

Later, I worked in a couple different health food stores, doing everything from creating and preparing foods for the deli and juice bar, to setting up the organic produce, to helping customers with their nutritional questions and product sales.  

I learned a lot about food from working in a variety of restaurants, and as a caterer, including preparing healthy plant-based lunches delivered to private clients.  

I also participated in organized cleanses held by Gary and Nancy Meze, co-creators of the Aspen Wellness Group 7-Day Diet Cleansing & Renewal Plan. Nancy was a well known macrobiotic chef at the time, who included singer Ringo Starr among her clientele.  Her husband, Gary, taught nutrition and health from both a Western and Eastern perspective.  

I briefly apprenticed at Gary's Aspen Wellness Center, under the tutelage of an acupuncturist licensed in both the USA and Japan as part of my acupuncture training, which unfortunately fell through for a variety of reasons.

About Tracy's credentials:

• Animal Reiki Certification, 2023
• Completed certification in the Forks Over Knives Plant-Based Cooking through the Rouxbe Online Culinary School, December, 2022
• Certificate of Occupation in Yoga Teacher Training through Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ
• Health & Wellness Certification through Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, with certification as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, 2010-2012 & Transformative Reiki Master & Teacher
• Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Foundation and E-Cornell, 2012
• Certified Holistic C.O.R.E. Counselor through the Association of Alternative Therapists, 2006
• Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine, with ongoing education in Chinese Food Therapy, 2002
• Reiki Master, 1997-1998
• Other certifications in more esoteric / energy healing modalities, including Magnified Healing, ReAtOneMent Now (ReAn), Channeling, and Massage (Aspen, CO 1997-2006)

Tracy's Books

More Resources...

• Holistic Vegan Health Coaching 
• All my Holistic Healing Services
• 5-Elements-Based Holistic Energy Clearing and Healing 
• Why Being Vegan helps me as an Intuitive Energy Healing Practitioner
• Are You an HSP?
• Questions?  Contact Me!
• Return to Home Page

More About Macrobiotics From the Vegan Great Life Blog

• The Macrobiotic Action Plan, Your MAP to Greater Health & Happiness
• My Macrobiotic Weight Loss
• My Macrobiotic Meals for Weight Loss
• Macrobiotic / Plant-Based Tips for Weight Loss
• Our First Intro to Macrobiotics + Early Pioneers
• Macrobiotic Page linking all macrobiotic related articles

Eat in Harmony With...

• The Spring Diet, Go Green! How to Maintain a Healthy Liver
• The Summer Diet, Part 1, The Fire Element & Cooking Techniques 
• The Summer Diet, Part 2, What to Eat & Drink to Stay Cool
• The Fall & Winter Diet