Meet Trailblazer Laura Posteraro-Marquez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Posteraro-Marquez.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
A native to Arizona, I’ve been blessed with a large, food loving, Italian-American family that are transplants from Italy and the state of New York. Growing up, pasta, pizza, eggplant parmesan… you name it- was LIFE. With that, I always maintained a smaller figure and was the average weight for my height up until about the age of 21. However, I could never imagine that one day my body would reject those common meals and undergo physical changes in a short amount of time. Within four months, I gained 20 lbs and felt constantly lethargic, bloated, and just all around felt like a planet off its axis.

By the end of 2011, I was encouraged by a personal trainer at the time to cut out all carbs within my diet to jump start the weight loss.I disciplined myself to go seven weeks without any starch carbs and crafted my meals to reflect a paleo diet. At the end of those seven weeks, I traveled back to New York to visit family and used my trip as an excuse to eat all the pasta and pizza I wanted. By doing so, that physically came at a high cost and I became violently ill for a few days. After returning home, I still struggled to keep any food down without getting sick. This accelerated me to get an appointment with a local naturopath to navigate the root of the issue. Two weeks later, I got the call and sat in his office to hear that I had a major gluten sensitivity. Please note that back in 2012, being “Gluten Free” hadn’t really been brought to light by the public. So, with news that I am unable to eat my family favorite foods again, my thoughts went to “how was I going to eat?…ever?” Everything I had known and grown up with now became an altered universe.

As Facebook is the number 1 social media site and before the magnitude of Instagram came around, I actually started a Facebook page under the name “Gluten Free, AZ.” My vision behind that was to bring awareness to the allergy and simply assist with finding GF foods and restaurants around the Valley. That was the heartbeat of it all, to help. I wanted others to know I related to them on their questions, frustrations, etc. It’s tough having to change your lifestyle that way in order to feel normal and healthy again.

Fast forward to the end of 2017, I began to experience similar symptoms as I did back in 2011-2012 when I found out about my allergy to gluten. I ran some more tests, primarily a full food allergy blood panel, to distinguish if I had any additional food allergies that I was unaware of. Lo and behold, my doctor discovered I had six additional food allergies that I needed to add to my list of avoidance. This is how “Thyme 2 Turnip” came about. It was time (“Thyme”) to re-brand, turn up (“Turnip”) the global awareness, and voice what I felt my purpose was on this earth. I want to bring recognition to those who are fighting the same battles as me, just as simple as finding something to eat! Thyme 2 Turnip has the same pulse as my old page of “Gluten Free, AZ” but with more of a global take on it.

Currently, along with my social media pages, I am studying for my GRE to obtain my Masters in Public Health. I want to take my knowledge on this subject and use it to inspire, coach and educate others on this growing epidemic.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been many battles along the way and definitely hasn’t been easy. Learning the results from your doctor that you have allergies to food is super tough. Especially when it’s common, tasty foods that make up a lot of our meals. My advice to women, men, mothers, etc. Is the fight for answers. Don’t give up. If you know there’s something off in your body or your child’s body, listen to it. My heart goes out to the men and women out there who personally don’t struggle with food allergies but discover their kids have food allergies. That’s why it’s so important to me to act as a voice and be that advocate to find out WHY people are developing these allergies.

We’d love to hear more about Thyme 2 Turnip.
By day, I work in business development and marketing with a strong background in event planning. By night, I strive to educate myself on different meal combinations I can prepare for myself that week, researching menus on restaurants that I can hopefully visit, and post my findings on Instagram that I find to be helpful/useful. Aside from all that, people find me to be warm, open and very interactive. I believe that’s what personally sets me aside from others on my branding. However, when questions do arise, I answer to the best of my ability and convey that I am not a licensed professional and put them in touch with those who have helped me along my health journey.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I believe women are not taken as seriously or considered enough in the roles they would like to pursue. Larger organizations primarily have male dominance that in some cases make it harder for women to pursue the same upper management path. I also believe that sometimes women can be mistaken for being “too nice”, “too emotional”, or judged on the simple fact of how we represent/carry ourselves. Another barrier we face is the idea of being a highly successful career woman and a full-time mother. I think that in itself can generally alter a lot of opportunities for women as well.

However, I do believe that certain industries or corporations have taken the lead on women empowerment and have honored the hard work and dedication a woman has pursued in her career. It’s important to recognize the progress we’ve made and still strive to do more.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thyme2turnip_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thymetoturnip

Image Credit:
Lauren Jeroski Photography

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.