Laura White

Hi, my name is Laura White and I'm the Rowan County Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

I started my work with the Cooperative Extension Service in May 2011. I have always had a passion for health and health promotion. I'm very lucky beause my job allows me to focus on health on a daily basis.

I work in my hometown,which I love. One of the best things about getting to work where you grew up is giving back to your community. Another great thing about working in your hometown is that I'm surrounded by family. I am a completely family oriented person, which means lots of cooking and eating with people I love (if you can't tell i'm a food fanatic).

About four years ago I was diagnosed with three different diseases that affect a woman's fertility. As most health related issues go with illness comes weight issues. I gained about 40 pounds in one year. For a person who liked to be active and loves food, my whole world started to crash. For the first time in my life I had to pay attention to what I ate, when I ate and exercise.

When I hit my heaviest weight I knew I needed to make a change. I became obsessed with eating healthy and exercise, but like most people I quickly fell off the bandwagon. I would lose weight, be in great shape and then get sick again. Eventually, I gave up on the exercise and eating right. However, when I started my work with Extension and I began teaching nutrition regularly I knew it was time to make a change.

So, here we go! This blog will be a testament to my goals. I will be posting both personal opinion and research based evidence. I will post great recipes, grocery lists, exercise ideas and more. I'm excited to get this journey started and I hope you enjoy reading as the road begins!