Who is the Girl Next Door?

Hi, My name is Candy Hagerman and I am a Holistic Health Coach. I am 46 years old and live with my handsome husband in the mountains of Blairsville, Georgia. We are both retired from the military and are empty nesters. My beautiful step-children are 24 and 27.  We also have three adorable dogs and three sweet kitties that I’m crazy about!

How do I begin to tell you what got me into the Health Coaching field? First, it started with me being diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 33 and receiving zero nutritional guidance as part of my care. To this day, that still infuriates me!  I wish I knew then what I know now about nutrition.  Of course I was grasping at straws wanting to make my body as healthy as possible so I could adequately fight this deadly disease.

The moment I was told, “You have cancer”, is when my whole world shattered in front of my eyes. It was a double blow because not only did I have cancer, BUT I would never be able to have kids because of it. How do you re-build after that? Even though I am very optimistic by nature, this was beyond devastating. I dug deep, then dug even deeper and focused on the positive things in life and was lucky enough to have an incredible support network.

I went through chemo and lost every hair on my body. I no longer recognized myself when I looked in the mirror. My husband was my rock and despite me being bald, he still made me feel like I was a beauty queen. We got through this terrible time and I became a stronger and more appreciative woman. Cancer brought me to my knees and I realized that I was no longer invincible. I am happy to be alive and am proud to report that I’ve been cancer free for almost 13 years! Amen.

I enjoyed a long and happy career in the US Navy (6 years active duty and 15 in the reserves). The highlight of my career was the time I spent working at the Pentagon. I also worked for amazing international real estate companies as well as for the US Department of State. I felt beyond fulfilled and accomplished in my careers. I climbed the corporate ladder and fulfilled my dream of working for the federal government. I lived in many different states to include being born and raised in MA. I also lived in CA, ME, NC, CO, VA and now in Georgia! We lived in the Washington DC area for 9 years. It was a very exciting, fast paced and sometimes very stressful life. When we moved to Georgia it literally took me two months to learn how to relax.I’m happy to say I now know how to relax.
I’ve been on my own personal journey of discovering who I am and what I’m passionate about. When we first moved here, I enrolled in culinary school. What fun! I learned so much about cooking and fell in love with it. This is a perfect compliment to healthy eating.  I enjoy sharing culinary principles with my clients.

Since I was diagnosed with cancer I’ve gone back and forth with my weight. As a cancer survivor, my goal is to have the healthiest life I possibly can so that cancer never returns.  This is what led me to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. I wanted to learn a holistic approach to eating healthy and the best way to take care of my mind and body once and for all! I’ve tried Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and working with personal coaches. Through these experiences I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and had success but never quite felt like I was able to make the permanent life change that I so desperately craved. Now, I am on solid ground and have learned that everything is connected. There is so much more to being healthy than counting calories and exercising.   

I obtained my certification as a Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition www.integrativenutrition.com I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.

I’ve always been the type of person who wants to help others. I feel very passionate about passing on my knowledge to others so they can live a happy and healthy life.

Even though we have strong relationships, we don’t always have our own personal cheerleader constantly supporting and cheering us along the way so that we can reach our goals. This Girl Next Door is ready to cheer for you and hold you accountable! My job is to assist you in reaching the health goals you set for yourself. I’m here to make a positive difference in your life. What are you waiting for? Sign up for one of my programs now!

Your future self will thank you!