Meet the Bloggers: Erica!

Greetings from New England! I am Erica Bencivenga and I wanted to introduce myself to you and explain what little things matter to me. I am wife to Mario who is a naval veteran and occupational therapist. We have been married for almost 13 years. We met 15 years ago at a restaurant when we were both attending college. 

I am mother to 3 beautiful daughters, ages 9, 7 and 3. I homeschool them and we call our school the “Three Sisters Classical Academy.” I consider it a privilege and a blessing that I get to spend my days mothering, educating and loving them. It is a joy to watch them learn and grow up together. 

I am currently a nurse practitioner. I received my doctorate degree from East Carolina University in 2020 at the peak of the pandemic. I am working part time. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, I served in the United States Navy Nurse Corps for 6 years. I have lived in Florida and Japan due to my naval service. After I left the service, my husband remained active duty and we lived in North Carolina before moving back to New England. I gave birth to my first 2 daughters in Japan at a Japanese hospital. 

I have always been interested in wellness. I ran cross country and track in middle school and high school. Thanks due to my grandfather and mother, Andrea and I grew up in a home that placed a high value on wellness. Although, it was not quite the buzz word back then that it was now. As a newlywed, my husband and I found paleo eating and I was hooked. When I was pregnant with my first, a breakfast for me routinely was eggs, baked sweet potato, sausage, peppers and scaloppine roe. 

Now, I am passionate about bread making, avoiding “natural flavors” and seed oils. Your version of wellness can ebb and flow as your life changes. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Japan and that included eating out and enjoying the food. I was less focused on paleo eating then. 

I am focused intensely on how I manage my time and maximizing my time. I homeschool, work, volunteer (a lot), cook, and am now starting a blog. I am absolutely fascinated by functional medicine and I am striving to be a functional medicine provider. Conventional medicine is great but also broken in our country. There has to be a shift in our culture that there is a place for both conventional medicine but also complimentary medicine. And prevention, through food, exercise, and lifestyle is still the best form of medicine. 

Andrea and I hope that this blog will show you that all the little things matter. All the little things can make a difference in your family. We are here to guide you, show you how we do it, and support you on your journey to make healthy and lasting changes for you and your family. 

XOXO, Erica