I’ve spent over a decade learning everything I can about staying healthy. Over that time, my opinions have evolved and my beliefs have become more nuanced.

After years of applying these lessons in my own life with great success, I went back to school to become a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. In that capacity, I’ve helped many others on their journey to have “transformative” and “life changing” experiences with their own health.

Yes, clients have benefited from my specific recommendations and have often felt an immediate shift in their energy and improvement in various symptoms. But the reason people have more profound results is because of bigger shifts in mindset and new frameworks that they carry forward to make sustainable changes in their lives. And that is most certainly the goal!

Below are my four guiding principles for healthy living. I hope these will inspire you to feel more empowered, and perhaps simplify your approach to healthy living.

Bio-Individuality

Bio-individuality means that one size does NOT fit all. Some things work for certain people and not for others. This principle applies to food, exercise, sleep needs, the capacity to handle everyday toxins, caffeine and more. There are some absolutes when it comes to health (e.g. drink clean water, don’t smoke, etc.), but there is also a lot of gray area. Therefore, personalization and experimentation are key. I believe that tuning into your own body is more valuable than anyone else’s formula. When I come across a practitioner, influencer, etc. who does not take bio-individuality into account, I find that they are usually too tied to their own ridgid – often dogmatic – beliefs, rather than reality.

Whole Person Health

Wellbeing goes far beyond nutrition and exercise. Things like sleep, stress, social connection, a sense of purpose, stored / unresolved trauma, mindset, circadian rhythms and one’s home environment can all have a profound impact on a person’s health, resilience and ability to heal. These are all pieces I take into account and discuss with my clients throughout the coaching process, and I view them as foundational for overall wellness. Without these less tangible elements in place (or in balance), I’ve learned that people are not well-positioned to make meaningful diet and lifestyle changes, and they will have a harder time adhering to them over the long term. They’re also fighting an uphill battle if their nervous system is out of balance because of chronic anxiety (stress) or they’re not able to get the kind of rest they need to thrive.

Ancestral Wisdom

We must recognize that there’s often a mismatch between our biology — how we are wired as a result of hundreds of thousands of year of evolution — and our modern environment. I believe that traditional eating and ways of living can provide valuable insights about how to best support and care for ourselves and our families. While I appreciate the medical, social and scientific advances we enjoy in the modern world, I also see a lot of changes that have been detrimental to our physical and mental health. A simple litmus test I teach my clients is asking “was this around when….” or “how was this done when my grandmother or great-grandmother was little?” to help people quickly identify additives and chemicals that are new to our environment (foreign to our bodies) as well as modern cultural and social norms that might be negatively impacting our (and our family’s) health.

Synergies Simplify

A huge learning in all these years is that everything is connected. Therefore, what supports one system often benefits others. For example: the things that improve your brain health improve your mood and cardiovascular system. The things that improve your fertility also help you down the road in perimenopause. Diet changes aimed at managing blood sugar or cholesterol levels can also result in healthier hair, skin, nails, better sleep and better gut health. These synergies simplify the process of healthy living and create a type of snowball effect when someone starts optimizing their diet and lifestyle. I don’t believe in different dietary protocols for clients who want to manage blood sugar, cholesterol, balance hormones, improve gut health, reduce cancer risk, or brain health. The ways I teach my clients to fuel and care for themselves helps them in ALL of these area.

I hope these four guiding principles for healthy living inspire and support you on your own wellness journey. If you’d like to learn more about my 1:1 or group programs, you can email me at jessica@kaleifornian.com or book a free consultation with me here.