Hi, I’m Jackie

If it has to do with tackling the struggles around 40+ health changes, I can help. 

So let’s start here (check all that apply): I’m here because:

• I’m struggling with weight, hormonal or other physical changes and symptoms since hitting 40+.
• I want to know how to ease or eliminate the symptoms related to my changing body.
• I know that there’s so much more I could be doing but I just don’t have the drive or energy.
• I believe my current diet or lifestyle may be contributing to some of my symptoms like poor sleep, fatigue, weight gain and hot flashes, and I want to change the behaviors that are contributing.
• There is a history of cancer or other chronic disease/illness in my family and I want to take action now, before I am directly affected or diagnosed.
• I’m tired of yo-yo dieting and the negative effects it has on my health over the long-term.

Good news!!  There is no wrong answer.  If any or all of the above apply, you are in the right place.

It’s my goal to help you find your new normal so you can increase your energy, end the battle with weight and hormones, reduce your stress and anxiety levels, improve your overall well-being and start enjoying life again.

Let’s put your issues into perspective.  After all, you are not alone in your frustration.  According to the latest statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the Unites States:

“Chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis—are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems.”

Here is some of the data the CDC has provided on its website:

• As of 2012, about half of all adults had one or more chronic health conditions. One in four adults had two or more chronic health conditions.
• Seven of the top 10 causes of death in 2014 were chronic diseases. Two of these chronic diseases—heart disease and cancer—together accounted for nearly 46% of all deaths.
• During 2011–2014, more than one-third of adults were obese, and about one in six youths  aged 2 to 19 years was obese.
• Arthritis is the most common cause of disability.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations other than those caused by injury, and new cases of blindness among adults.

The site goes on to discuss risk behaviors associated with chronic disease and illness, stating: “Health risk behaviors are unhealthy behaviors you can change. Four of these health risk behaviors—lack of exercise or physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and drinking too much alcohol—cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases and conditions.”

What does this Mean for You?

You will learn below that I was in the same boat as you are now.  Maybe you’ve been doing everything you were told.  You follow the latest trends from low-fat to non-fat, high protein, low carb, paleo, etc.  Maybe you were too confused by all of it to even know where to start.  I get that.  All of these diets directly contradict each other, and yet you hear success stories for all of them.  How in the world are you to know which one would work for you?  Maybe you’ve tried them all and had some success, but it did not last.

More good news!!  Look back at those statistics.  Nearly 46% of all deaths were due to heart disease and cancer.  Seven of the top 10 causes were chronic diseases (including heart disease and cancer).  It’s safe to assume that more than 50% of all deaths were a result of chronic disease.  We also know that you can reduce your risk of chronic disease and illness through lifestyle change.

This is great news actually!  It means you are in control of your health!!!  Let me show you what that could look like and why you’re in the right place.

Why Health Coaching, Why Jackie?

My name is Jackie Clisham.  I always thought I was a health conscious person. I ate right (under the recommended guidelines) eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) – lite, and I exercised regularly.  But I was also plagued by health issues here and there. I spent much of my adult life going to school and changing careers, always striving to do my best by my daughter and myself. I earned a Master’s degree in psychology at age 26, a Master’s degree in business at 32, and my law degree at 37. I’ve been an accountant, a lawyer, a human resources professional, and I still never felt successful or fulfilled. I was determined and relentless; a Type A personality in high gear.

I received my wake-up call, and likely the path to my future, in 2013 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was the diagnosis and subsequent treatments which caused me to challenge my existing assumptions about what I was really doing to be healthy. That included examining all facets of my life; not just my physical health.

The most important tidbit of information I can give to you around my experience with cancer is, depending on your doctor, you may not receive adequate information around cancer prevention or regaining your health after conventional cancer treatments. You see, I had half of my thyroid removed in 2003. There was a nodule the size of a walnut on the right half of my thyroid. If you think about it, that’s pretty big. The biopsy result was indeterminate. They prescribed me a higher dose of thyroid medication and that was it. No discussion over what that meant in the greater scheme of things. No mention of what that might mean around any possibility of any other cancer in my body, or what that meant for me about my cancer risk going forward. In fact, I don’t recall any substantive discussion around cancer whatsoever.

Think about that for a moment. If someone had told me then, what I eventually had to learn for myself 10 years later, there’s a chance I wouldn’t have had half of my breast removed, as well as chemo and radiation that would change my health even more drastically (for the worse of course), and possibly forever.

2003 was not that long ago. What is dangerous now, was dangerous then. Research existed to tell us about the toxins and poisons we come into contact with daily, but it was not openly shared. It was shunned, kept quiet, swept under the rug. I kept buying, using, consuming all of the carcinogens I had no idea could bring me face-to-face with cancer just a decade later.

In 2014 I set out to learn as much as I could about cancer, health, and what I could do to reduce my risk of ever having to undergo those same treatments that actually increase the risk of future cancer recurrence. Living with the black cloud of cancer always hovering over me was very stressful. I learned the stress alone increased my risk.

Since then I have taken many steps I never would have realized were necessary. The result is that the only reason I think about cancer on a daily basis now is because it is so pervasive and it affects so many people. Not a day goes by that I don’t learn of someone else either being diagnosed with or dying of cancer. The lifestyle changes I have made and the steps I have taken have given me the confidence to know I can live without the constant fear of cancer; be healthy, happy and successful; and work to help others be confident they can do the same.

I received my most recent training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I studied a variety of dietary theories and practical lifestyle coaching methods. With my knowledge, experience and partnership, we co-create action plans based on your goals to move you toward your ideal vision of health within your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and resources.

As a coach, I put the power back in YOUR hands.

I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I learned innovative coaching methods, practical lifestyle management techniques, and over 100 dietary theories – Ayurveda, gluten-free, Paleo, raw, vegan, macrobiotics, and everything in between.  I have also completed a certification course in essential oils coaching from the Essential Oil Institute where I studied the chemistry, research and practical application of essential oils for supporting holistic wellness.  And, of course, I would never stop there.  I am continuously, actively engaged in further education and actively researching the ongoing advances in knowledge around health science.

My education and experience have equipped me with extensive, cutting-edge knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and prevention. Drawing on my expertise, I work with my clients to help make lifestyle changes and choose health-promoting behaviors that produce real and lasting results. You will develop a deeper understanding of food and lifestyle choices that work best for you, improving your energy, balance, health, and happiness.

Each session will leave you feeling inspired and motivated. We will talk about things beyond food, seeking to bring balance to important elements of your life such as love and relationships, as well as how to clean out the corners of your life that are not serving you in your goal towards wellness. I will personally and carefully guide you to make the changes you need, small and large, that transform your life.

Are you curious about how health coaching can help you? Let’s talk. Schedule a free initial consultation with me today.

Learn more about my training below, and read about my unique approach to health coaching and the Whole Health Program.

In addition to having a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, I studied with the world’s top health and wellness experts, including:

• Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
• Deepak Chopra, MD leader in the field of mind-body medicine
• David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center
• Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, chair of nutrition at Harvard University
• Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
• Gabrielle Bernstein, bestselling author and life coach
• Susan Blum, MD, MPH, assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• Mark Hyman, MD,  Director – Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine; founder of The UltraWellness Center
• Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating
• David Wolfe, raw food leader and nutrition expert
• Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor at New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health
• Joel Fuhrman, MD, family physician and leading expert on nutritional healing
• Joshua Axe, DNC, DC, CNS wellness physician, author and essential oils expert