Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Borders.
Hi Heather, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I consider myself a recovering engineer! I am a former astronaut trainer turned medical device marketer who went back to school in 2013 to become a Registered Dietitian after reversing high cholesterol through diet in 2011. After several weeks of eating plants, my husband’s total cholesterol (over 300) plummeted 80 points and his triglycerides (also over 300) dropped 200 points and into normal range. After learning how to prepare meals centered around plants, I began to teach others how to make these fiber-rich meals taste incredible and do so without being a slave to the kitchen. I knew I wanted to make yet another career change once participants started relaying their health benefits such as weight loss, blood pressure and glucose drops!
I am passionately motivated help others recognize their ability to redirect the trajectory of their health by changing the way they eat. My practice and business offers programs that help individuals overcome the common challenges associated with implementing sustainable lifestyle changes.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know any entrepreneur that has an experience that is smooth or linear. I have thrown a lot of proverbial spaghetti up against the wall! Many of the challenges I’ve encountered are typical for anyone starting a business. Knowing which services to do myself and which to outsource has been critical. I’ve been able to hone in on my ideal client, those who work best with my style and vice versa. Over the last seven years, trial and error have lead to insights into networking, financing, partnering with like-minded community partners, and the services that fit my community the best.
As you know, we’re big fans of Kailo Nutrition. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Kailo Nutrition helps people Taste Life. Our programs combine individual counseling with in-home meal prep and (pre-COVID) group culinary wellness classes. My practice includes working with clients who want to address typical chronic disease like diabetes and weight management, however my specialty is working with individuals through elimination diet plans to determine the root cause of thyroid and digestive-related symptoms.
I also have a focus on culinary nutrition – as no one ever reached their health goals eating out. I’m known to work with clients who want to reverse disease, not manage it. These are incredibly motivated individuals that have “tried it all” and are in pain, experiencing an unacceptable poor quality of life, debilitated, or afraid of dying prematurely. Many nutrition programs focus on eat less or obsessive tracking of food consumption. My practice emphasizes eating an abundance of whole foods, a plate centered around plants, and minimizing processed foods.
It’s a privilege to work with people to determine a lifestyle that fits while also helping them eliminate health symptoms and achieve their health goals. Nutrition counseling is currently being conducted via telehealth for anyone that lives in Florida and in-home meal prep is available for anyone in the Jacksonville, Florida area.
Any big plans?
The next steps for Kailo Nutrition include expanding the Meals that Heal program, a collaboration with a local restaurant, House of Leaf and Bean. Meals that Heal is a comprehensive 90-day lifestyle wellness program that includes personal counseling, group cooking classes, and one meal a day for 90 days. The 2019 pilot program demonstrated the dramatic health benefits that are a result of prioritizing dietary behavior. We are ready to launch the next class, likely in early 2022.
In the meantime, Kailo Nutrition will be launching various online courses for those that are interested in building the habits and routines necessary to reach their health goals. In collaboration with Lindsay Corzine, owner of Well Life Health Coaching, there will be several 7-day self-care challenges offered over summer 2021 and a 28-day self-care challenge in September 2021. Our goal is to help others block out 15 minutes per day to focus on nutrition, wellness, or fitness and help build the foundation for routines that will move the needle on improving health.
Contact Info:
- Email: tastelife@kailonutrition.com
- Website: https://kailonutrition.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kailonutrition
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kailonutrition
- Other: https://www.welllifehealth.com/
