Hi, I’m Jaclyn!

My interest in nutrition dates back to my teen years making yogurt in high school biology class.  The science behind how something born of bacteria could actually be good for you (let alone edible!) was unconventional wisdom at the time, but it sparked an early interest that has intersected my passion and purpose in life.

I entered college at the University of Missouri majoring in Nutritional Science with an emphasis in Nutrition and Fitness. After graduating with my degree, I spent twelve years in the Corporate Wellness Industry as a Health Educator, helping companies and their employees get healthy and reduce health care costs. Over the years, I’ve coached thousands of people through life-changing education, helping them grasp the reality that what you eat has a direct impact on energy, quality of life, and well-being.

I am a Certified Functional Nutrition Coach, Certified Wellness Practitioner through the National Wellness Institute, and Culinary Nutrition Expert through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. I’ve completed certifications as a Healthy Behaviors Coach from the Cooper Institute, and was nominated as one of The Wellness Council of America’s (WELCOA) Top 100 Wellness Professionals in 2015. Although I see my primary focus of holistic living in the area of nutrition, I also recognize the importance of balancing physical health and have maintained my certification as a Certified Personal Trainer from the National Strength and Conditioning Association since 2007.

My Philosophy on Nutrition

I believe food should be real, whole, and nourishing. Food is a gift we have been given to eat responsibly, healthfully, and thankfully. I believe food has the power to heal, treat, prevent, reach and teach.

The choices we make with our food are personal, intimate, and life-giving when chosen wisely. Our everyday decisions with food define the life we want to live, the energy we want to have, and the world we leave to future generations.  I choose to help create a world that appreciates and understands that real food takes time and effort for an investment lasts a lifetime.

Applied Nutrition Beyond the Kitchen

My practice of nutrition is woven far beyond what’s written on paper, and I get the privilege of living it out every day as head chef and nutritionista of my young family. You don’t fully absorb the detail of something until you’ve gone through it yourself and after going through the highs and lows of two healthy pregnancies and raising two young children who will eat literally anything, I’ve turned my own health, and my family’s health, into my greatest experiment. I’ve had close relatives and friends (including my own dad!) battle through cancer using nutrition as their weapon and others near and dear to me (including my own brother!) manage Chron’s disease and the potentially devastating effects of IBD. I’ve seen first hand now nutrition can heal, treat, and prevent, and that’s why I choose to spend my energy and knowledge spreading the power of good health. My faith in Christ permeates who I am as a nutritionist. While I acknowledge God is the ultimate healer, I believe my calling in life is to love others through the love of Christ by helping them live their best life on earth through the time and talents I’ve been given.

When I’m not attempting culinary magic in the kitchen, you can find me slalom skiing and boating, being fiercely competitive against my husband at tennis, and challenging myself to not let anything from our backyard garden go to waste.