I’m Jen, the nutrition geek behind Be Balanced Healing. I’m an eater, a dog and nature lover, a traveler, a voracious learner, and a passionate educator. I believe in laughter, gratitude, and dark chocolate. I’m glad you’re here.
I’ve always loved eating. I grew up in a large Italian family outside of Boston where food was the centerpiece of all activities. Food represented love, community, and comfort. My grandmothers were amazing cooks who, along with my mother, taught me the pleasure of eating. I value that food brings people together.
My goal with nutrition therapy is not to label foods as “good” or “bad,” but rather to educate that food is information to your body. Which foods leave you energized and which deplete you? When we start listening to our bodies, it becomes easier to tell.
I became interested in health and nutrition out of necessity. I was only in my 20s but was already feeling worn out. I was living in Jackson Hole and unable to keep up with my friends while hiking and snowboarding. That was the first time my health impacted my lifestyle, and it motivated me to seek change. (I thought my allergies and digestive problems were “normal,” so I just lived with them.) I was anemic, and the cheap iron supplements I was prescribed weren’t working. The doctor recommended I see a nutritionist. She taught me which foods were abundant sources of nutrients and which foods block nutrient absorption.
Within a couple of months, I was feeling better. But no one ever asked why I was anemic. The crippling stomach pain and bloating started a few years later, forcing me to leave social engagements – again my lifestyle was impacted, which bugged me. Then the allergies really kicked in and I couldn’t hike or spend time outside in the spring – my favorite time of year. Over these years I started seeking natural medicine advice, getting acupuncture, and peeling back the layers of my ailments. A stressful job compounded my issues. First it was food sensitivities, then gut infections, then exhausted adrenals. It all came back to my gut and diet. I wanted to learn more so I could help myself and others.
Jen is currently enrolled in 3 year+ Functional Medicine and Mindfulness Mentorship with Drs. Miles Nichols and Diane Mueller with Living Love Mindfulness Medicine, including the following topics from 2015 to present:
Jen is a lifelong student and stays on top of nutrition research by participating in many continuing education courses for advance certifications. These include:
Active member of the National Association for Nutrition Professionals.
Before pursuing a career in nutrition, Jen worked in PR and marketing for the organic food industry. Most of this time was with the charismatic boutique communications agency based in Boulder, Colorado, Fresh Ideas Group. Her tenure in this field helped shape her knowledge of the complexity of today’s food politics and how they impact your health. She spent her formative years waiting tables, and then nearly 2 years in retail-based nutrition counseling for dogs and cats. (Yes, really!)
Curious about how Be Balanced Healing got started? Listen to Jen’s origin story on the NANP Nourishing Your Practice podcast. She also shares how we stay focused and organized to help our clients get and stay balanced. Listen now.
An American Cultural Epidemic of Suppressed Immunity: How Stress, Sugar and Sunscreen Increase Susceptibility to the Flu, research thesis paper
Top cholesterol-taming foods, Delicious Living, 2013
