Meet Julia Scott of By Julia Alice in Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Scott.

Julia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in what most would call a completely dysfunctional home; we moved country, changed schools and houses 7 times before high school, which left me in a state of constant anxiety but also taught me how to be independent. I honed the art of ‘up-cycling’ thrift store clothes, and made my own lunches to fit in with the organic, mum-packed lunches my friends brought. While I thought I was in perfect disguise, the constant stress and hard work required to uphold this mirage began to weigh on my mental and physical health.

Throughout high school, this only got worse, as I joined the track and cross country team, signed up for every advanced class I could, became the president of the largest service club at school and had a job at the same time. Burning it at both ends was an understatement; I was constantly running away from my stresses with more activities all while living on bread, microwave burritos and ice-cream. When I lost my period during the season, my coach replied, ‘everyone does’, while my doctor prescribed iron tablets. I felt completely overwhelmed and this only got worse over the next few years. As I finished high-school, my stubbornness to ‘not be like every other small town girl’ put my 17- year young self on a plane to Paris to work as an AuPair for a family I had never met. This was definitely my most challenging year to date. New country, no support, strangers – and I was meant to be the grown up AuPair?… obviously, the makings of a disaster.

During this year, my now 5-year chronic constipation got much much worse (until I discovered the power of coffee) along with my anxiety, depression, insomnia and now cry-worthy stomach pain. Utterly frustrated by any doctor’s advice at this time, I began obsessively looking online and in any English bookshops I could find to try to figure out what my problem was.

Finally, as I started University the following year (2009) in Brighton, England, I was able to get some answers. While at first every doctor diagnosed me with IBS, finally through elimination diets and allergy tests, I discovered that gluten was the biggest culprit. After a month of crying nonstop over never being able to eat peanut-butter-jelly-toast ever again, I started to feel a bit better. The pain ceased a bit, but the constipation, bloating and inflammation were constantly there.

I became a little obsessed with finding solutions to my own health problems, including supplements to help with my depression and insomnia, and herbs to help heal my gut – which I discovered had been totally destroyed by years of eating gluten. Very slowly, I started to feel better and better.

After finishing my degree in Psychology and having become completely fascinated by the healing powers I saw and felt from food and natural herbs, I went on a year-long journey, studying raw food nutrition and juicing all over Europe; a journey which eventually led me back oversees to study Holistic Nutrition in Berkeley, California. The two years I spent at Bauman College felt like what I had always dreamt of – I felt so lucky to finally be surrounded by other people who wanted to talk about food and attaining health like I did! During this time, I began learning about traditional medicine and healing and how the western diet created the most un-healthy people compared to the rest of the world. I became once again consumed by learning everything I could about other non-western modes of eating and healing; a path which sent me back to university – again determined that I needed to learn more. My intrigue led me to London to embark on a masters degree in the Anthropology of Food at SOAS University of London.  During my degree I was able to conduct a research project exploring the common threads of the cultural diets which rank far superior in longevity than the global average. This research as well as my clinical knowledge of food and nutrition helped inform my nutritional program.

For the last few years, I have worked with men and women as a nutritionist and a raw & whole foods chef around the world. My passion is to arm my clients with the knowledge and tools they need to nourish their stomachs, minds, bodies and souls. I feel fortunate to be able to share what I’ve learned over the years to improve the life of my clients in a simple, engaging and fun way!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is not a smooth road – and mine has certainly not been!

I have been faced with a multitude of health conditions from depression and crippling anxiety to digestive issues and hormone dysregulation.

While these conditions seemed like a never-ending struggle, being faced with such hardship have turned out to be a blessing! I can now share my knowledge, often from first-hand experience, with my clients, friends and family and empathetically help to heal.

By Julia Alice – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a certified holistic nutritionist, I believe in the power of whole-food nutrition and that the simple act of cooking and eating together can prevent illness and promote optimal health. I use the most current scientific research and understanding of the body to promote and restore optimum health, performance and disease prevention. My approach is grounded in empowering my clients through equipping them with the knowledge and tools they need to nourish their stomachs, minds, bodies and souls. Using my clinical knowledge of human physiology and nutrition I create personal nutritional and lifestyle recommendations (including self-care practices such as mediation and healthy sleep practices) to fit their individual needs. ​

I am passionate about helping women with hormone imbalance, digestive issues, low energy or chronic fatigue, issues with weight loss/weight maintenance, stress and food allergies/intolerances as these are the areas I have seen such amazing improvement in myself and my clients!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment of my career was the decision to make my Nutritional Practice my full-time career. I have dabbled with different jobs through my life, with some success and some challenge, but a little while ago I fully committed!

I love working with people and sharing my knowledge and I feel blessed to call this my job!

Pricing:

• Get Started Package : Includes three 1 hour sessions, personalized recommendations report (includes lifestyle considerations), individualized 7-day menu plan & continuous email support – $225

Contact Info:

• Website: www.byjuliaalice.com
• Phone: 805 284 3831
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: byjuliaalice
• Facebook: by julia alice

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.