As a plant-based chef (embracing all eating preferences- from vegans to carnivores and everyone in between!) with a big appetite for delicious, wholesome, locally grown food, I have spent many years exploring the connection between food, well-being, community, and the planet. My appetite for vibrant, flavorful food & living a juicy life inspires my approach to wellness. I believe food should be as joyful as it is nourishing. That’s why I help you cultivate a healthy, intuitive relationship with food, listening closely to what your body truly craves.

I blend holistic nutrition with culinary creativity to empower you to make nourishing, mindful, and delightful food choices that align with your unique health goals & values. Through personalized coaching, we will create a nutrition & lifestyle guide that includes a customized cookbook filled with colorful plant-based recipes featuring your favorite superfoods and small daily habits designed to support your well-being. Together, we will explore the transformative power of food as medicine for your body, mind, spirit, soul, and the Earth.

Whether you want to enhance overall wellness, manage specific health conditions, or deepen your connection to the food you eat, I am here to support your journey. Let’s create a delicious path towards wellness, honoring both you and the planet every step of the way.

*While I emphasize a plant-centered approach, you don’t need to be vegan or plant-based to work with me. I do not focus on food restriction, fad diets, calorie counting, or anything that makes you feel bad about your food choices. Wherever you are on your health journey, I am here to support you.

MY CREDENTIALS INCLUDE:
-Culinary Nutrition Chef Certification from The Natural Gourmet Culinary Institute, NYC
-Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from T. Colin Campbell’s eCornell program
-Plant-Based Coaching Certification from The Food Revolution Network
-Pursuing a Master’s degree in Integrative Health and Nutrition from Maryland University of Integrative Health

As a board-certified physician, Air Force veteran, and plant-based health coach, I bring over seven years of nutrition study to my practice. I hold a BS from the University of Maryland, an MD from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and a plant-based coaching certification from Food Revolution Network. Since discovering the benefits of whole food plant-based eating in 2017, I’ve dedicated myself to supporting others in improving their health and achieving sustainable weight loss, combining my medical expertise with holistic wellness knowledge.

My comprehensive program focuses on personalized education, goal setting, mindset tools, food substitutions, and ongoing support. Clients benefit from tailored guidance, access to a private messaging portal, and flexible consultation options including in-person, Zoom, or telephone meetings. I aim to help lose weight, boost energy, improve digestion, support restful sleep, enhance health markers, and prevent chronic conditions, ultimately fostering a healthier, more fulfilling life for my clients and their families.

Dr. Young is an Arizona native who grew up in Cave Creek and now lives in north Scottsdale with her husband, Jon, and four kids. She is a currently practicing, board-certified, Emergency Medicine physician working and is certified as a diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She graduated medical school from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, AZ in 2006 and completed Emergency Medicine residency at Maricopa Medical Center in 2009. She has been practicing for 15 years.
As an Emergency Medicine physician, Dr. Young sees patients at their most critical points, frequently on the worst day of their lives.  Her job is to stabilize, rule out life-threatening conditions and treat any acute illnesses. Often what brings patients to the emergency department are things that could have been avoided with lifestyle changes. Heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. Through lifestyle changes, patients are able to significantly reduce their risk for all of these!
Dr. Young loves working in the emergency department but found herself wishing she had more time to spend with patients. When she sees patients in the ED, she can touch briefly on simple things they can do to take charge of their health, but her interactions are limited by time. She is excited to start Sozo Lifestyle Medicine so that she can change her pace, develop relationships with her patients and help support them as they take charge of their health. Through lifestyle interventions that reverse chronic disease as well as her skillset as an Emergency Medicine physician, she will do her best to help her patients stay healthy and out of the emergency department.
Her hope for Sozo is to create a place of community, health, service, life and joy.