About Me
My goal is to teach you how to help your body heal itself with nutrient-dense, delicious foods and simple lifestyle shifts that will leave you feeling empowered and joyful.
Gina Giarmo
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, GAPS Coach, M.Ed.
Raised in a busy household, I subsisted on bread, cheese, pasta and burritos during my childhood. As a young adult, my “healthier” diet of kale smoothies, and big salads for lunch turned out to be one of the things that was actually making me sick. My damaged gut simply wasn’t able to digest all that fiber.
After a few years managing the food sensitivities, joint pain, fatigue and brain fog (etc. etc.) that come with having a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I began to use food to heal. Slowly, I learned how to nurse myself back to health, and give my body the foods it needed as it got stronger. Food has been one of my most effective forms of medicine, and I’m excited to help you & your family discover the foods and wellness practices that are allies to your bodies.
In a fast-paced world, it can be challenging to make the shift to a healing diet.
I’m here to help you add nourishing & digestion friendly foods & wellness practices to your routine.
1
Learn about your goals.
We’ll talk about your current symptoms, and flexibility to make changes
Together, we’ll:
2
Meet your needs.
We’ll choose a nutrition plan that works for you and get you everything you need to succeed.
3
Make some shifts.
We’ll start your plan & pay close attention to your symptoms, shifts & next steps.
My Story
Some of my earliest memories are standing on a wobbly stool, mixing and measuring with a family friend who taught me how to cook from scratch. Raised as a vegetarian before it was cool, I transitioned to a mostly vegan diet while living in a housing co-op as a student at UC Berkeley where I studied psychology. That’s right when my health began to take a nosedive.
After graduating, I helped launch, “The Farmhouse,” a co-op in Berkeley, where we raised two dozen chickens. During these years, I explored a career as a children’s cooking teacher, worked as an intern with The Good Food Awards, and helped small farms and food businesses raise money as a food and farm focused crowdfunding consultant. Then one day at age 26, I couldn’t get myself down the stairs.
My whole life I thought it was normal to have aching, unstable joints, to be bloated after eating, to have trouble remembering words and struggle with depression and anxiety, along with an eating disorder. When I correctly diagnosed myself with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an acupuncturist & naturopath begged me to start eating meat. So I finally made myself a batch of meat stock.
After the first sip, my brain turned on in a way it never had before. I spent the next few months slowly incorporating stews and probiotic foods into my diet, until I garnered up enough strength and healing to begin teaching preschool.
I discovered that food was one of the key ways to heal when I was working with a nutritionist while getting my master’s degree in education and teaching elementary school. I was so exhausted, I could barely get through the day and crashed the second I got home.
After nine months of trying to make shifts all on my own, I finally hired a nutritionist. I relearned how to cook, and have found ways to keep homemade cooking sustainable with a busy schedule. With my coach’s support, I healed my chicken egg and dairy allergy, and experienced the first of many pain free days.
After supporting friends through their own health journeys, and dealing with the repercussions of sugar crazed students, I decided to turn my passion for nourishing food into a career. With my background as a teacher, I’m particularly good at helping families make the switch to a more nutrient dense diet and keeping it fun for kids. I’ve experienced first-hand how this protocol can change lives, and am dedicated to helping others on this journey.