30 Facts About Me

Because I’m kind of elusive, and I’m ready to share a little more about myself…

Here are 30 random facts about Laura Franklin (aka ME) that are sure to excite you.
Well, they might not excite you but if your aim is to learn more about me, then read on:


30 Facts About Me:

I don’t usually wear this much makeup…

  1. I was born and raised in Toronto and lived there for 30 years. I now live in Dundas, Ontario and absolutely LOVE it.
  2. I am a pisces and definitely fit the empathic, intuitive, sensitive, emotional, go-with-the-flow, water sign characteristics (but also a little secretive, and I don’t tend to share a lot about myself). If I’ve opened up to you and begin to share personal information, you’ve really earned my trust.
  3. I played competitive soccer for about 15 years. I loved it, but I stopped playing within the last 5 years because of all the injuries I incurred. Over the years I really put my body on the line and received multiple concussions, fractures, sprains, strains, ligament tears, and bone bruises, and pushed myself to exhaustion… and then just had enough. I got to the point, and age, where I just needed to be kinder to my body. I am currently in the process of taking epic care of myself and repairing the damage I did over so many years. UPDATE: I have started a new sport, floor hockey, and absolutely LOVE it. I am about to go into my second year playing!

    My inspiration.

  4. My wonderful father, who counselled recovering addicts at the Addiction Research Foundation (what is now CAMH),  passed away when I was 7 years old from a sudden, massive heart attack. He was a triathlete and marathoner and in super amazing shape—on the outside. But knowing what I know now, his diet, sleep/REST and stress management (self-care) was not hardcore enough for how intensely he pushed his body for so many years. His story is a huge inspiration for me and what I do now.

    Also my inspiration.

  5. My mother, a former teacher specializing in art education, passed away from metastatic breast cancer in March of 2017. She battled with it for 7 years, bringing it into remission by mostly holistic means twice. Her story is also a huge inspiration for me and what I do now.
  6. I have one sibling, an older brother, who is the founder of U-RAAW!, a small, Canadian, family-owned custom health food company. I suppose you could say we have an appreciation for natural wellness in this family.
  7. Before completing my diploma in Holistic Nutrition at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto, and then becoming a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach through The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy I attended the University of Guelph-Humber. I graduated with an honours degree in Media Studies and a diploma in Creative Photography. I definitely love photography and visual imagery and still practice what I learned in that program. Before that, I attended the University of Guelph for a year in the Studio Art (Fine Arts) program. It wasn’t for me.

    Introverting.

  8. I’m an interesting mix of introvert and extrovert. I love my alone time, but also thrive in the company of others whom I really jive with. There are times I want to be social, and times I don’t. Time is a precious commodity, and I am selective with those who I share my time with. As an empath I am pretty receptive to the energy of others, so crappy energy can throw me off and I have to consciously make sure not to absorb it.

    Hiiii sweet little lamb

  9. I love animals and I think they can add such joy to our lives. I have a legendary grey tabby cat named Neville who we refer to as “Wellness Cat” (he likes our healthy food) and now a beautiful little black lab named Truffle who is obsessed with vegetables… how fitting.

    My happy place.

  10. My happy place is a warm, sunny day in the garden. Cultivating and growing plants and growing my own food truly feeds my soul. The dark side to this (quite literally) is that Canadian winters can really get me down!

    But veggies are my jam.

  11. My eating style is not defined by any one specific “diet”, but I associate myself closest with the Bulletproof and Paleo communities. Basically my food choices are based on the premise of REAL FOOD (aka unprocessed) and lots of vegetables but I am not strictly limiting or obsessive about it.
    I have tried various ways of eating, and this seems to work best for me at this point in my life, both mentally and physically.
    Generally speaking, I eat a lot of vegetables and high quality fats, minimal dairy and minimal grains and I pretty much avoid items that are heavily processed, artificially coloured, hydrogenated, packed with sugar, or artificially sweetened.
    I also don’t find that beans or legumes work well for me, so they aren’t something I typically include in my diet.

    Eat what feels best to your body.

    11.5. I believe there isn’t ONE perfect diet for everyone, but there are ways of eating that will generally make the majority of us feel better (like eating a lot of vegetables). In addition, our nutrition needs are ever-changing in accordance with our environment, age, physical and mental states, stress levels, etc.
    Currently, I am intermittent fasting and eating a modified Bulletproof diet which is higher in healthy fats and lower in carbs.
    In general, I’ll start my day with water, supplements and a Bulletproof coffee, eat a lunch of fat, veggies and protein between 12pm and 2pm, and then have a dinner of protein, fat, veggies and some carbs. In between there you will likely find me eating 85% dark organic chocolate, coconut, or almonds.
    Update: As of Nov. 1, 2017, I am practicing a gluten-free diet (not that I ate a lot of gluten before, but I ate some, mostly while eating out). I started working with a functional medicine team and had functional medicine testing done. We found that my body was having some pretty intense reactions to the main protein in gluten, gliadin. So to take some of the stress off my already stressed bod, I’ve eliminated it. Eating at restaurants is definitely more challenging now, but you get used to it. For a more in-depth account of my health journey and experience with functional medicine, click here.

    Like here

  12. I’m generally rather silly, grinny, and laughing a lot. I enjoy really bad puns.
    I’ve had multiple people that don’t know me ask me things like, “why are you smiling so much?” or “why are you so happy?”. Dude, can’t a girl just enjoy life?!
    Don’t get me wrong, I have my dark moments like everyone else and I do allow myself to feel sad or unhappy when it’s merited, but I really try to look on the bright side as much as possible.

    My homemade ‘booch

  13. I make my own kombucha, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented pickles and beans, fermented hot sauce, and herbal tinctures. They’re all dammmmn delicious.

    Still gotta play.

  14. I do my best to treat my body like a temple (especially these days while I heal myself from years of poorly handled stress and physical exhaustion) but I’m not obsessive. In this industry, it’s easy to become that way (orthorexia) and to beat yourself up for not making completely “healthy” decisions ALL the time. But I’ve learned that it’s necessary to find a healthy balance. I know myself very well, and know what makes me feel good and what doesn’t. I do my best to stick to what makes me feel good… but sometimes I choose the less-healthy option. Every once in a while, it’s truly okay indulge or let loose.

    I love the Canadian north in the summer! Who doesn’t?

  15. I NEED to be in nature. I think we all do, but I seem to be hyper-aware of it. I am SO much happier since I moved out of Toronto and am surrounded by much more green space and trees galore. From May – November, I barely ever wear shoes and it’s the best!

    Spicy Thai Green Curry from Pai in Toronto, OMG

  16. As a born-and-raised Toronto girl and foodie, I have some favourite spots for tasty treats. My favourite Toronto eating-out meals are: spicy Thai green curry from Pai Restaurant (served in a coconut, HELLO!), Chipotle salad bowls, bacon+avocado+brie eggs benny on GF from Lady Marmalade (aka the B.A.B.) and this spiced GF Pink Velvet Cake from Dufflet Bakery. The ridiculous ramen from Jinya is up there on the list too, but now that I’m gluten-free, it’s sadly off the list. Now that I’ve moved outta T.O., my absolute favourite resto is The Mule which has a 100% gluten-free kitchen.
    Ok now I’m actually drooling…

    Sunday dins…

  17. I really really believe in the importance of food quality. You can choose to eat real food, or “food-like substances”. For example, if you eat bread, you could choose bread that is organic, naturally fermented (sourdough, not yeast) and consists of 3 ingredients, or you could eat bread that is made of a list of 20+ ingredients, contains added sugar, preservatives, and things you have never heard of. You always have the choice, and I choose to eat high quality, real food whenever possible.
  18.  I use Himalayan salt basically religiously. Seriously, that shit makes everything taste amazing and it’s full of kickass minerals.

    So much love.

  19. I didn’t know it at the time, but looking back, I can see that I didn’t have a lot of self-love in my early twenties. I was in a very unhealthy relationship for almost 8 years and it taught me some serious life lessons.
    After finally getting out of that hell (it was hard AF), my life is very different. Out of necessity I have prioritized self-care and am constantly seeking deeper self-knowledge. I definitely practice self-love more (though this is always a work in progress) and this is reflected in who I attract into my life and the experiences I have. Note: you really do need the ‘not good’ before you can appreciate the good, so I am very grateful for all of it and have no regrets.
  20. I’m working at embracing a more minimalist lifestyle. It’s a real process, but one that definitely frees you. I’ve already gotten rid of over half of my clothes within the past 6 months, and donate household items regularly. It’s crazy how fast ‘things’ can accumulate in your life if you let them, and most of the time they really just weigh you down both physically and mentally.
  21. I don’t follow or care about celebrities or award shows or reality TV or anything related to that… like AT ALL.
    I find all that stuff to be “noise” that distracts us from the actual important stuff in life.

    Community is key.

  22. Speaking of important stuff in life, family is number one for me, followed by friends, then everything else* (*side note, my HEALTH comes before ALL of that, because you need your health to even be able to have these relationships with others). And the friends I keep are like family to me. Wellness has a lot to do with the communities of people you build around you, and the relationships you foster and cultivate, so this is a huge area of importance to me.

    Me and my nap buddy.

  23. Sleep is VERY important to me, and I’ve really come to appreciate it even more as I prioritize my health— it’s really a very under-acknowledged aspect of vitality. Sleep is the time when the body is able to reboot, repair and re-generate, and this is SO important. I don’t like to sacrifice sleep or really believe that sacrificing sleep so you can “do more” makes you a more productive or successful person. Sometimes you have to, of course, but mostly it just hinders your performance and your health.
  24. I don’t like buying things new, unless I absolutely have to. There’s SO MUCH WASTE out there already, so I prefer to check second-hand options before I go the new route. Unless it’s something like underwear…:)
  25. If I could go barefoot all day every day, I would. My feet are dirty a LOT. But effffffff shoes. Amiright?! For when I am required by law to wear shoes (haha), I’ve recently started making the switch to barefoot shoes and I find them SO much more tolerable than regular shoes. My go-to brand at the moment is Vivo Barefoot.

    Strong = Healthy

  26. My body responds well to weight-bearing exercises, and they make me feel awesome. I like lifting weights at the gym, and am not a fan of straight cardio.
  27. I have my level 1 Reiki certification, although I don’t practice much.
  28. My favourite go-to spices are sage, thyme and turmeric (plus that Himalayan salt, see point #18).
  29. I’m in the process of cultivating a life where I can take the best possible care of myself and then pass what I learn and experience onto others. It’s a journey. This means often working remotely, putting aside lots of time for self-care and self-reflection, constantly learning and growing, and also building a healing home space where I can incorporate all the holistic lifestyle practices and health-promoting ‘biohacks’ that I am constantly learning.

    Sign me up.

  30. I spent long periods of time in Hawaii annually and just loveeee it there. You will find probably find me owning property there one day, and even if I’m only able to be there for half the year, that’s totally okay…

Think we’d work well together? Contact me!
P.S. all these photos are from my Instagram account so if you want to laugh with me on my journey, follow and connect with me @laurafranklin

Laura Franklin, CNP, FMCHC

Laura Franklin, CNP, FMCHC

Functional Medicine Health Coach & Holistic Nutritionist at Health Upgraded
Laura Franklin is the owner of Fresh & Frank Wellness and curator of freshandfrank.com.
She is here to preach what she practices and help you to prepare amazing whole food meals from scratch, grow your own organic food and optimize your lifestyle and environment to promote the most vibrant, glowing and energetic you.
Laura is currently based in Dundas, Ontario, Canada but works remotely with people from all over the world!
Laura Franklin, CNP, FMCHC

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