LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE.
MEET ELLEN
I focus on personalized nutrition with my clients and guide them through the physical and mental aspects of making positive changes. The adverse effects of the standard American diet demand attention. Self-care and the undeniable force of a sustainable foundation can create a ripple effect of habits that favor the next trendy diet.
Food, nutrition, and health have been my passions since I stopped eating fast food at age 17. As one of six siblings, I enjoyed taking dinner into my hands and introducing colorful ingredients that added an exotic flair to my Irish family’s go-to meat and potatoes menu. My mother encouraged my passion for healthful cooking, and I poured myself into anything I could find on nutrition. Word got out, and I became known as the healthy chef.
I hold an honors culinary degree from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado.
A top NBA star recruited me as his private chef for my first culinary job. He wanted delicious meals to fuel his body for elite performance. Throughout my 30 years in the industry, I’ve worked as an exclusive chef for countless families. I emphasized the importance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as part of my services. I also educated my clients on how to read labels and select the most beneficial convenience items.
Still, I knew the missing piece of uncovering the root of a health issue required a 360-degree approach. My desire to shift my career led me to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I became a certified holistic health educator specializing in digestive and hormonal health. While building my new career and skillset, I realized I needed to be in sync. Caring for others and not putting self-care at the top of your list can do that to you. At just 51 years old, at a routine DEXA scan, I was informed that I had the bones of an 80-year-old! What I learned by digging deeper was that I had ignored and normalized the signs and symptoms that escalated this prognosis.
With the development of my diagnosis, my foundational health was fragile, and my immune system was a mess, so I had to rebuild for myself, my present situation, and my future. I value the principles of Eastern medicine but appreciate a holistic approach to health. While both are integral to my wellness journey, I initiated healing from root cause awareness and incorporated lifestyle modifications to avoid long-term medications. Throughout this journey, I remained open to exploring different approaches and constructing practices that align with my well-being.
As my occupation shifted to more integrative coaching, I unknowingly became my first client. Osteoporosis is an autoimmune disease that typically accompanies several root cause issues. Therefore, I dove into figuring out the source of my predicament, starting by advocating for my best health and finding an excellent team of professionals to support my goals. Your finest health is not a quick fix; still, I triumphed by zeroing in on stress reduction, sleep, optimal nutrient absorption, hormonal symmetry, and the desire not to succumb to this debilitating diagnosis—especially the expectation of long-term meds. And guess what? With lifestyle medicine practices, I regained 4 percent of my bone loss in just one year! Subsequently, I made substantial skeletal gains with a concise round of short-term conventional bone medicine. Happily, I am drug-free to this day.
Food is only one part of managing health symptoms. Through lifestyle shifts, I committed to my health in ways beyond food and exercise. Changing my mindset and taking inventory to build better self-care habits led to sustainable measures to nurture my body, mind, and spirit. I’ve experienced first-hand how your digestive system directly impacts your life, and it changed the old “You are what you eat” mentality to a mindset focused on “You are what you can digest.”
My mission is to bring attention to optimal gut functions through balance, awareness, education, and over 100 plant-based recipes for optimal microbial support. In my latest book, Gut Driven, and my 3-week Reset 90/10 program, I break it down and give you the road map to heal your body, evaluate root-cause awareness, achieve balance, and reset what “healthy” means for you. No two specific bodies are alike, so let’s create a starting point together and actionable steps for the affirmative change you desire.