About Me

WE ALL HAVE A STORY

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada in the 1960’s with no cell phones or Internet connection, but lots of fresh air. My family loved to travel so by the time I departed to college to study advertising in Manhattan, I had some global perspective and a healthy zest for adventure. After several years in the ad agency business, I developed and sold successful businesses of my own including a personalized gifts business and a marketing consulting firm. In 2005 I transitioned to working full time in the special events industry, developing marketing projects for event producers and working as a consultant with private and corporate event clients.

As exciting as it was, the demands of working in event consulting all week then attending my live events on the weekends took a toll, and my health began to suffer. My family commitments and work schedule were so full that I ignored the signs of my declining health and just kept on pushing myself. Soon enough I collapsed- debilitating gut, joint and muscle pain, and chronic fatigue all set in. I was honestly operating on empty with my stress so out of control that I developed brain fog and started experiencing chest pains. With my family history of heart disease I truly feared I was on the road to a heart attack which would leave my young daughters without a mom. This gripping fear became the driving force, and my purpose, to step back and figure out what was going on. It took nearly 2 years, and the support of several caring health professionals to diagnose what exactly was wrong with me, reboot my diet and change up my lifestyle so that I could heal and get back to business.

In 2016 I shifted my focus from producing events full time to studying wellness. I committed myself to learning as much as I could about nutrition, lifestyle habit change and the psychology behind prioritizing wellness. What I discovered, through this process and my own personal challenges, is that each of us is very capable of taking good care of ourselves and changing our health habits. We are not broken. We can change for the better and this choice is ongoing. What I also discovered is committing to healthy living comes much more easily when guided by a compassionate, supportive professional.

We all have a story. I invite you to share yours with me. Schedule an initial consultation today.

"I wanted to learn the fundamentals of nutrition to improve my relationship with food. My mind is so much more at ease now, my appetite has returned and I learned so many helpful tips. I recommend Toby to anyone looking for a holistic, comprehensive health coaching experience!" - Kelly
"It's exciting to see that implementing all we talked about is yielding results! Thanks for believing in me, I feel really grateful for all the support!" - Leann
"I now have a significantly better mindset around food choices, more energy, have eliminated sodas completely and am exercising daily! Thank you for your kind, knowledgeable and empowering approach. Keep doing what you're doing!" - Dawn
"I highly recommend Toby as a wellness coach. She has not only helped me reach and maintain a healthy weight, she has also helped me to understand my health in a practical, holistic way. Toby is knowledgeable and conscientious, and truly cares about your wellbeing." - Amanda
"Toby is amazing! She listened, empathized and unconditionally supported me over 7 tough months to help me improve my gut health. I learned a lot about what foods trigger me, how to manage my stress and am now thankfully adapting to a new normal. I could not have asked for a better health coach to guide me through this process!" - Megan
"I so appreciate the support, motivation and acceptance you have brought to my life. I now realize how many resources are available to help me with the lifestyle changes I need to make for my health. Thank you for being so inspirational. I am so grateful and will always remember how much you cared!" - Lori

Toby Benton, NBC-HWC
National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach