I-WIL Intentional Wellness In Life by Jennifer Benson

os and Psoriasis and several years later discovered I was born with a genetic abnormality (MTHFR SNP) that had triggered those disorders, had caused me to have heavy metal toxicity and caused sensitivities to gluten and A1 Dairy. I had to heal myself (which I was able to do through years of research and learning how to supplement accordingly) and inspired me to help people to change their lives to be healthy, full of energy and the best possible versions of themselves (even if they were also dealing with health challenges). I became certified as a Personal Trainer and went on to receive certifications in sports nutrition, pre and post-natal fitness and PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitated) Stretching. I was counseling my clients on maximizing their health and reaching their goals by virtue of specialized meal plans, weight loss plans, detoxes, cleanses and zeroing in on possible food allergies/sensitivities and upgrading their digestive and immune systems. One of the biggest points that kept coming back to me when training clients was that you cannot out-train a poor diet. And even though I could plan challenging training plans for my clients, they weren’t going to see results from just the training – the nutrition had to be solid. As a result, I found myself coaching and speaking more and more about the nutrition and some sessions even became mostly about nutritional counseling and less about the physical training! At this point I decided to further my education more formally in this area. Although I was constantly studying new methods of training and nutrition, I wanted to dive even deeper into many theories on nutrition as one diet does NOT fit all and I felt it was vitally important to be well versed in them all. I received my training as a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s cutting-edge Health Coach Training Program. During my training, I studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. My teachers included Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University; Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating; and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities. My education has equipped me with extensive knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and preventive health. Drawing on these skills and my knowledge of different dietary theories, I work with clients to help them make lifestyle changes that produce real and lasting results. My Life:

I live in Los Angeles with my husband of over 12 years, our two little boys (9 and 6) and our two dogs (one Pug and one rescue Mut). We love to cook, play outside and get dirty. We try not to take anything to seriously and always “let the moment have its’ way”. My Beliefs:

I believe it is important to break a sweat everyday. My personal favorites are Burst Cardio, HIIT Training, Yoga (I love Ashtanga and Hot Vinyasa Flow) and being outside playing with my kids or going on long walks or hikes. I believe it is important to find time everyday to sit and be still and quiet, to meditate. It is a great way to unplug and restore your body and mind. I believe in listening to your body’s nutritional needs and honoring those requests. Sometimes I might feel like a green juice for breakfast and other times it might a sunny side up eggs, and other times it might just be a good cup of coffee. The point is NOT to deprive yourself, but find moderation and mindfulness in your food choices. I don’t believe in a “cheat” meal or being “bad” or “good”. I believe in being aware of the choices you make for what goes into your body and taking responsibility for those choices and moving on…. Life is just to short to dwell on anything that prevents you from growing as a person and living your best possible life!