Welcome

Meet Dawn Dunkin

Hi there, my name is Dawn, let me tell you a bit about myself. I was born in the Midwest, raised my 3 children in California, and now live on beautiful Cape Cod taking care of a loved one with Parkinson’s disease.

I moved here because well… it is just gorgeous, but also to be closer to Doug’s family. Living and caring for a loved one with PD takes a village, and Doug has a pretty amazing village.

I feel like I’ve lived many lives…

My main career was raising 3 beautiful children. Truly the best job I’ve ever had. They are all grown up now so I guess I am what you call an ’empty nester’. I do miss them but I love watching my children carve out beautiful lives of their own.

Years ago I worked as a professional dancer, which is how I ended up living in California. When I became too old to continue my dancing career, in my mid-20s – ha!, I hung up my dancing shoes and worked as a physical fitness trainer. That was the start of me really learning how to take care of my body and physical health – and sparking my lifelong passion for helping others do the same.

Today I am a registered nurse licensed in both California and Massachusetts, and a certified lifestyle medicine practitioner. When I lived in Cali, I worked as a pediatric hematology oncology nurse while building my expertise in lifestyle medicine. Here on the Cape, I continue practicing lifestyle medicine and health coaching while caring for Doug.

The unique combination of professional healthcare experience and personal caregiving has given me deep insight into the real-world challenges people face in maintaining their health. Whether you are juggling work and family, managing your own health concerns, or caring for a loved one, I understand the barriers that keep us from living our healthiest lives.

I created this website to support anyone seeking to build sustainable health habits that work in real life.

The kitchen is my favorite room in the house…

In some form or fashion, I have been in the healthcare industry all my adult life. My passion is translating evidence-based health research into practical, nourishing approaches to food and joyful living in all areas of life – mind, body, and spirit.

The kitchen is my favorite room in the house, and inevitably, you will find me working and experimenting on some nutritious recipe, such as my delicious mushroom marinara pasta, or this decadent hummus that is out of this world!

Also, and I think this is because of my nursing background, I tend to nerd out on health research. I will definitely go down the rabbit hole on PubMed for any health-related topic, then figure out how to make those finding work for real people in real life. Such as my blog post on sleep to beat disease, or practical strategies for managing stress during challenging times.