I grew up in St. Louis and eventually studied Nutrition Science and Kinesiology at the University of Arkansas, where I graduated on the Dean’s List.
A respectable Rockefeller-style education for someone who now spends a suspicious amount of time barefoot in the Guatemalan jungle.
My interest in health started long before I received a degree. Years of experimenting with nutrition, fitness, supplements, and holistic practices eventually taught me that health is far more connected to how we live than I’d originally understood.
I experienced my own struggles with digestion, anxiety, and feeling disconnected from my body. I spent years researching different approaches, experimenting with my habits, and learning how much our environment influences the way we feel.
For a while, I figured the missing ingredient might be another supplement.
My cabinet was beginning to resemble a small pharmacy. Very holistic, of course.
Eventually, I started paying closer attention to the fundamentals. My food, sleep, relationships, stress, time outdoors, and whether the life I was building was actually one I enjoyed living.
Today, I live at Maestro Valley (opens in a new tab), an off-grid wellness sanctuary near Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. I coach, create content, train outdoors, play music, and help host Bioculture retreats (opens in a new tab) that bring people together through nature, nourishment, movement, creativity, and play.
There’s plenty of dancing, working with the land, meaningful conversations, and the occasional afternoon where clothing becomes completely unnecessary.
After years of studying health and working with hundreds of clients, I’ve become increasingly interested in something quite simple: developing the vitality and capability to experience life fully.
Being strong enough to climb mountains, creative enough to build something meaningful, adventurous enough to explore unfamiliar places, and present enough to enjoy the people around you.
That’s the kind of life I’m interested in living and helping others create.
Renato N.Funchal, Portugal
