welcome
I’m so glad you’re here.
I’m Jennie, an integrative clinical nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner. Most people are surprised to learn that I wasn’t always a nutritionist. I actually began my career as an intellectual property attorney, and it was my own personal journey with food that inspired me to go back to school and get my Master’s degree in nutrition and integrative health so that I could help others navigate their own health, nutrition and wellness journeys.
After years of struggling and eventually finding wellness in my own life, I realized that looking at food in isolation from our biochemistry, physiology, spirit, psyche and emotions just doesn’t work. So, I undertook to combine all of these elements in a single approach. The result is a 5-factor methodology that I’ve used to help clients who’ve felt hopeless, lost and confused around food, health, nutrition and their bodies — so that they can find hope, feel empowered and get results that they never thought possible. My methodology looks at your whole person and is completely customized to provide support in the areas where you’re out of balance so that it’s possible for you to create lasting change and complete wellness.
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“Working with Jennie was one of the best and most impactful choices I have ever made for myself. First of all, she is a consummate professional—very smart and up-to-date on the latest research, organized, thorough, and responsive. It seemed like her lawyer background helped her to think really critically and analytically about my issues. She reviewed my records in great detail and showed a genuine interest in helping me deal with the root of my health issues. I initially reached out to her for issues with overeating, but what we ended up tackling was so much bigger than that. Jennie helped me pinpoint a histamine-related food response that numerous health coaches and functional medicine doctors had overlooked for years. It was causing all sorts of symptoms from migraines to heart palpitations to difficulty with sleep. Now that I’m addressing it, my health is improving every day….Jennie’s holistic approach is what makes her so effective. She knows that it isn’t just food, or stress, or sleep, or any other one factor that leads to health. She addresses all the pieces in the puzzle.”
— Julia S.
“Before I started working with Jennie, I was in a considerable amount of pain and I felt hungry most of the time. Jennie not only helped me figure out which foods were causing the pain she also helped me find healthy foods that I enjoy eating. I'm now nearly pain-free. When I eat, I feel satiated. I've lost weight and Jennie has empowered me with the tools to continue toward my goal. Working with Jennie was such an uplifting experience and I'm so happy I got to work with her. Jennie is inspiring, motivating and insightful. She is truly a remarkable woman and I highly recommend her.”
— Joyce Talmachoff
Body Nourishment is about eating beautiful, delicious, nourishing food that makes you feel radiant from the inside out. Body Nourishment is anti-inflammatory, whole foods-based, nutrient-rich and designed so that you can figure out which foods work for your unique body in a way that maximizes your health and helps you reduce or eliminate food sensitivity symptoms. When it comes to making changes to your diet, we always honor where you’re at and move at the pace that’s right for you.
With Body Nourishment, I also provide specialized, anti-inflammatory nutritional support for a variety of conditions including: autoimmune, gastrointestinal issues, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, inflammation, detoxification, and weight management. I also provide prenatal and postnatal nutrition support.
No diets. No deprivation. Just the most delicious change.®
“Over the last couple of months, Jennie has totally changed my perspective on food. Jennie really helped me navigate out of this RUT I had been in for probably 5 years. She helped me figure out the grocery store. This is embarrassing, but I think I was food illiterate. I would walk into the store and feel really overwhelmed and just leave with a boring pack of carrot sticks and then be starving and then binge on 10 tacos. She helped me find ways to make my weird food quirks (that means picky) work for me. She helped me understand how to make a smoothie that wasn’t pure sugar. AND, she helped me feel like “healthy” doesn’t mean bland or restrictive. Many of you probably have all this figured out BUT for those of you who don’t or who just want a little guidance, JENNIE WILL BE YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL.”
— Kelli Lamb, Los Angeles, CA
“If I could give Jennie 10 stars I would! Through her guidance, Jennie has empowered me to become the best possible version of myself. She is very thorough and knowledgeable and has patiently taught me how to incorporate the nutrients that I had been lacking for so many years. Since working with Jennie, I have lost over 10+ lbs! The best part is that I have never eaten so much food and lost weight. It's amazing! Her recipes are delicious, and I look forward to the breakfast smoothies every morning. I can honestly say that at the age of 63, I have more energy and mental clarity than I had at 45! A huge thank you to Jennie. I am forever grateful to her. She is THE BEST!"
—Jeannie Frias, California
Body Connection is about getting in touch with your natural appetite and learning to use your body’s innate hunger signals as the gauge for eating.
Mindset is an important part of making your new way of eating sustainable. Mindset is about cultivating the right perspective so that it’s possible to implement Body Nourishment in a lasting way in your life without feeling deprived.
Sometimes, even if we’re making major nutritional changes with Body Nourishment, we have to dig deeper into your unique Biochemistry to bring your body into balance. As a practitioner of functional medicine with extensive training in functional labs analysis, I will often integrate one or more functional labs in our work together depending on your specific health issues so that we can look at what’s happening with your underlying Biochemistry -- this can help us determine if we need to adjust what you’re eating and add in additional nutritional supplementation support.
Here is the list of the *functional labs that I currently provide nutritional analyses and support for in my practice:
• Micronutrient:
This test provides a comprehensive assessment of both extracellular and intracellular levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and fatty acids. It enables us to examine not only whether you’re deficient in a particular nutrient, but also whether you’re actually absorbing the nutrient in your cells.
• GUT HEALTH:
The primary test that I work with not only looks at markers for zonulin (i.e. “leaky gut”), intestinal inflammation, intestinal immunogobulin (IgA) levels and enzymes, it also looks at bacteria, yeast, and parasites. Food and nutritional supplement support are critical for supporting the gut and bringing it back into balance.
• Organic Acids:
This test provides a comprehensive metabolic picture and includes markers for oxidative stress, detoxification, mitochondrial function, neurotransmitters, vitamins and antioxidants, fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, oxalates, yeast, and bacteria.
• ADRENAL:
This test measures free cortisol, free cortisone, cortisol metabolites, cortisone metabolites and DHEAs. Customized adrenal support involves a combination of food, nutritional supplement support and self-care practices.
• Thyroid Panel:
This test looks at multiple thyroid hormone markers, including T3, T4, Free T3, Free T4, TSH, Reverse T3, Anti-TPO antibodies, and Anti-TGB antibodies. For clients with with imbalanced thyroid hormones or thyroid antibodies, I am able to provide specific nutritional support recommendations to help support thyroid hormone balance.
• Comprehensive Hormone Panel:
This test measures levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, DHEA-S and their respective metabolites and also includes 3 organic acid markers and 3 neurotransmitter markers. Food and nutritional supplements can be powerful tools for balancing hormones and altering the way you metabolize hormones.
• Food Sensitivities:
I generally use food sensitivity panels with clients who are still experiencing symptoms after an elimination diet. For clients with certain inflammatory conditions, I may also recommend specific wheat and/or dairy sensitivity tests, or a gluten cross-reactivity test, depending on the client’s particular issues.
•Toxins:
This test measures mycotoxins, heavy metals and environment toxins. I am able to provide specific nutritional support recommendations tailored to your lab results to help support the detoxification process.
*Functional labs are not diagnostic and any nutritional support recommendations tailored to functional labs are designed to address biochemical imbalances and are not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any disease or condition.
“Prior to working with Jennie, I was struggling with extreme bloating, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and persistent hives. I had been dealing with these symptoms for years, and despite seeing countless doctors at Cedars, UCLA, and other institutions, no one could identify the root of the problem. I was profoundly unhappy, frustrated, and physically unwell. Everyone I saw seemed to lump my symptoms under the umbrella of “stress,” prescribing antibiotics and sending me on my way. I felt hopeless.
Working with Jennie truly changed my life. Not only did she identify the root cause of my issues, but she also transformed my approach to health, food, and wellness. I’m now back to normal and can eat the foods I used to without bloating or breaking out in hives. I’m no longer anxious or depressed—I feel great, and it’s all thanks to Jennie and her support. I’m so grateful for our time together and would recommend her a hundred times over.
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If you cope with your emotions through food, Soul Nourishment is designed to give you new tools to replace your old habits and provide you with a healthy way to fill yourself up emotionally. Soul Nourishment also incorporates the practice of EFT, which is designed to help you with emotional food cravings, in addition to supporting you with letting go of limiting beliefs and underlying emotional triggers around food, health and body.
“….Over the course of work together, Jennie helped me to uncover the many, varied and complex issues that were at play when it came to my relationship with my body. She helped me to examine my relationship with food, find self-soothing and coping skills outside of food, determine and eliminate trigger foods, and unpack trauma that was impacting my relationship with my body….Now, as Jennie and I close our work together, I can confidently say I have done what felt impossible: I now have a true relationship with my body where I am able to listen to its needs and cues and respond with love and care. I enjoy nourishing my body through food and see exercise as a celebration of what my body can do. I no longer feel controlled by food and the limiting beliefs I have around my body….Jennie truly took me from a place where I saw very little hope for myself, to a place where I have so much hope for what is to come. My work with Jennie was the greatest investment of money and time I ever could have made in myself and I know that the work that we did together will pay dividends for truly the rest of my life. I am forever grateful to Jennie for her work and approach, and cannot recommend working with her more highly.”
EDUCATION, TRAINING, + CREDENTIALS
My methodology is supported by extensive education, training and certifications, including my credential as a licensed nutritionist:
UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
UCLA School of Law, Juris Doctorate, Order of the Coif
Maryland University of Integrative Health, Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health, Human Clinical Nutrition Concentration
Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential via the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists
Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN) in the state of Pennsylvania
Institute for the Psychology of Eating, Certified Coach
Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach
EFT Universe, EFT Certification
Epicurean School of Culinary Arts, Professional Chef I and Professional Baking I Certifications
I’ve also taken all of the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Advanced Practice Courses, including:
Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice
Hormone Advanced Practice
Energy Advanced Practice
GI Advanced Practice
Detox Advanced Practice
Cardiometabolic Advanced Practice
Immune Advanced Practice
And, I’ve taken additional Functional Medicine Training Courses in:
Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth (SIBO)
Detoxification
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis
Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis
Reproductive Hormones
Hormone Metabolite Assessment
Thyroid Hormones
Organic Acids
Oxalates
Gut Dysbiosis
Toxic Mold
If you would like to book an
initial consultation with me, you can do so here.