Do you work in-person, via video call, or via phone?
Yes! I offer sessions in-person in Goochland, VA a few days a month. Other sessions are either via Zoom or phone call, based on the client’s preference.
Do you treat specific conditions?
As a health coach, I do not diagnose, treat, or prescribe. Functional medicine seeks to promote health from the foundational aspects of nutrition, sleep, stress management, and exercise. Committing to living in alignment with your biology in these four critical areas can be a life-changing healing experience.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please allow 24 hours notice when cancelling an appointment to avoid the charge for our appointment. I set aside this time specifically for you. Prepaying for wellness services is also a great way to encourage your future self to take the time to take action on your health. However, if you have an emergency or extenuating circumstances, let’s talk.
How should I communicate with you?
I use an app, Practice Better, to communicate with my clients. This is the system you used for filling out your initial forms. Feel free to use the chat in Practice Better or email me (jeni@plantingseedsofhealth.com) for any communications. I love to hear from my clients, especially when they are excited about a win or notice something shifting in their health. I typically respond within 24 business hours.
Please do check notifications from Practice Better as I will send forms and communications through the app.
What is your food philosophy?
Real, whole food that God made is what we were designed to eat. Period. We wouldn’t expect our cars to run well on milk, because they are designed to run on gasoline (or electricity). We can’t expect our bodies to run well on highly processed foods laced with chemicals and pesticides, as these things do not support our biology and wreak havoc in our bodies.
I believe that you can be a vegan or even a carnivore and still fuel your body well – although this is more difficult. Most of my clients are omnivores. As long as we are eating a variety of real, whole foods, we can create an environment that allow our cells – and therefore our bodies – to thrive.
Do you prescribe supplements?
As a health coach, I do not diagnose, treat, or prescribe. During the course of our sessions we may discuss the pros and cons of supplement use. As a very food- forward health coach, I believe that food is one of the most potent and effective forms of medicine. That said, most of Americans are deficient in at least one important nutrient. Due to soil depletion and our modern diet, it is difficult to get all of the nutrients that we need from food alone. Supplements can be very helpful in healing. I do provide my clients with a FullScript account where they can order high-quality supplements should they choose to do so.
Do you order lab work?
As a health coach, I do not order or interpret lab work. This is something you should review with your doctor. However, I do talk to my clients about how to advocate for themselves by requesting lab work (either from their doctor or from one of the many new direct-to-consumer options) and tracking it over time. This is a critical way that we take control of our own health.
I don’t like vegetables. Should I still work with you?
As a very food-forward health coach, I believe that God made a variety of plants as information for our bodies. If you are open to cutting out ultra-processed foods from your diet, keeping a food journal, and considering the quality of your food, we will likely be able to work together in a way that will improve your health. If not, I would recommend reading Food, What the Heck Should I Eat? by Mark Hyman or Good Energy by Casey Means. Then book a free discovery call and let’s talk!
Do I have to log my food when I work with you?
There is good evidence that those who log their food intake are much more successful with meeting their goals, especially weight loss. Logging food doesn’t have to take a lot of time, can be done in a variety of ways, and helps you to hold yourself accountable for your food choices. I strongly encourage my clients to keep a food journal. However, for people with a history of disordered eating this may not be appropriate.
How should I log my food?
However you find it helpful! If you are trying to increase muscle or lose fat, it is best to use an app that calculates calories and macros for you, such as MyFitnessPal or LoseIt. If you are working to heal, you may find that keeping a paper log in a notebook (that you carry with you) or a running text form note on your phone (that you can dictate) works best. Either way, we will have a concrete snapshot of your food intake when we meet and can talk about what is working and any tweaks you might make.
How can I share my MyFitnessPal food diary with you?
MyFitnessPal Instructions
Here are some instructions to share your MyFitnessPal Food Diary:
In the MFP app click on More (…) from the menu Select Settings
Select Diary Settings
Select Diary Sharing
At the bottom, select Locked with Key (and make a key)
Send me the link to your diary (right of the key) and the key itself
Did I miss something?
Have a question that I didn’t address? Email me at jeni@plantingseedsofhealth.com and let me know!