Courtney Contos Cofino

Hi! I’m Courtney Contos. I’m a chef, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (candidate), and speaker. I was raised and mentored in downtown Chicago under the expertise of my acclaimed restauranteur father, Bill Contos. He was the owner of Chez Paul – an ultra-elegant French restaurant and known in popular culture as the fancy restaurant from the iconic classic films Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Blue Brothers. Chez Paul is where my love of food and appreciation for quality was born.I carried on my father’s vision by working in restaurants and cooking schools until ultimately attaining my degree in culinary arts from Kendall Culinary School in Chicago. I opened Chef Contos Kitchen & Store in Vermont, which was featured by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the best cooking schools in the world – focused on culinary education and chef-curated retail.

Amidst my successes, I struggled and suffered for years with chronic pain due to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. My rheumatologist declared on numerous occasions that my condition would never change and that I would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life. Unwilling to accept this fate, I persevered to find a solution, and in 2018 – along with my Functional Medicine doctor, I set out to overcome my autoimmune disease. After decades of systemic inflammation, multiple health issues, and over six years of severe foot pain, I now take pain-free steps with immense gratitude!

Having been so positively impacted by my healing journey – I merged my rich experience as a culinary leader and educator with overcoming my autoimmune disease by becoming a certified Functional Medicine Wellness Coach. My mission is to help others transform their health by guiding people in the right direction when they find themselves stuck without wellness support.

I SUPPORT AND EMPOWER MY CLIENTS TO MAKE POSITIVE DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES. HEALTH COACHING HAS THE POWER TO TURN THE TIDE OF THE CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIC- and change the world.

My ongoing journey to wellness continues to inspire me to help others. I believe deeply that food can heal. I remember what it felt like to be sick and not know why. I promise my enthusiasm will excite you to change the way you live and my recipes and classes will forever change the way you eat.

FOLLOWING A NEW LIFESTYLE PRESCRIPTION TAKES COURAGE AND HOPE. ON MY HEALING JOURNEY WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, I HAD HOPE ANGELS THAT PUSHED ME THROUGH AND ME EXTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED. YOU WILL NEED THAT TOO.