LiF NOTES

Q: What were you hoping to change when you started?

"There is so much noise in the health and fitness world, it was hard to cut through it. I wanted a program that would work for me personally."

Q: What were you working toward?

"My goals were to have a healthier relationship with food, after decades of dealing with an eating disorder, and to explore strength training and incorporate it into my life. I specifically wanted to challenge myself to get stronger."

Q: What's changed for you since starting?

"My relationship with food has made an almost total turnaround. I eat to nourish myself. I don't punish myself through food restriction — in fact, I actually enjoy nourishing myself. My gains physically and mentally splash over into all areas of my life. I am more confident, I'm able to deal with stress better, and I feel good about myself and where I'm at, and proud of what I'm able to do."

Q: What strength wins have you had?

"I enjoy challenging myself with lifting — not just how much, but how well I perform different lifts. I focus on technique and I can feel the difference as I improve and explore what I am capable of."

"Learning to listen to myself and honor what I hear and feel has allowed me to trust myself and do what I need to do to be well."

Q: What shift feels like it's finally sticking?

"Seeing food as nourishment and not a tool is huge. Getting out of the thought cycle of failure and success being black and white, and looking at it all as a process and continuum rather than starting over repeatedly — that has had a big impact."

Q: What would you tell another woman who is nervous to start or feels stuck?

"You have the power to advocate for yourself. The things that you admire in other people are in you as well. You just have to start opening up to the possibilities, and listening to and trusting your own heart."

Tell us a little about Ascend Wellness.

"Ascend Wellness helps high-powered women stop trading their health for their success. I use functional lab testing to uncover the root causes behind fatigue, brain fog, hormone changes, and quiet burnout — the things that can easily be missed when traditional labs come back 'normal.' I don't just want to name the problem. I want to help women understand what their bodies are communicating and give them a clear, personalized path forward."

Who do you serve?

"I work with the woman who looks like she has it all together but is running on fumes underneath it all. She is the person everything runs through at work and at home. She has done all the 'right' things, but she still does not feel like herself. She is ready for real answers — not another quick fix, generic plan, or message telling her to simply try harder."

What makes your approach different?

"Most programs give women data without support or support without meaningful data. My approach combines both. Through the ASCEND Method™, I pair functional testing with personalized, one-on-one guidance. I look at the whole woman, listen to her full story, and build a strategy around her body, goals, and real life. Because just because your labs are 'normal' does not always mean they are optimal."

Why did you start Ascend Wellness?

"I started Ascend Wellness because I lived what many of my clients are living. For years, I pushed through fatigue and symptoms that were repeatedly dismissed. I was eventually diagnosed with prediabetes and PCOS and told that my chances of becoming a mother were slim. I knew there had to be more to the story, so I kept looking for someone who would truly listen. Functional nutrition was the first space where someone looked at my full story instead of isolated symptoms. My energy came back. My clarity came back. I went on to have two children after being told my body was failing me. That experience changed the direction of my life. I built Ascend Wellness to become the kind of practitioner I once desperately needed."

What do you love most about your work?

"I love watching a woman get her light back. It is not only about improving her energy or supporting her hormones. It is about watching her reconnect with herself. She begins setting boundaries, showing up with more confidence, and leading her life from a place of presence instead of survival. Getting to see her clearly and walk beside her through that process is an incredible honor."

What do you want the LiVE iT FWD community to know?

"Your body is not broken. It is communicating. You do not have to normalize constant exhaustion, brain fog, afternoon crashes, or feeling disconnected from yourself. Those signals are not the price you have to pay for being driven, capable, or successful. Your body is not an obstacle to your success. It is the foundation of it."

What is happening next at Ascend Wellness?

"I am opening the waitlist for ASCEND Base Camp, a new six-week hybrid program launching in September. It is designed as a lighter, guided starting point for women who are ready to begin exploring the root causes behind how they feel. Waitlist members will receive first access to the founding cohort and first pick of available spots. Women who are ready for deeper one-on-one support can also begin the signature ASCEND Method™ at any time."

Connect With Sarah:

Instagram: @sarahbousefntp

Website: ascendwellness.co

Message Sarah the words BASE CAMP to join the waitlist.