Today we’d like to introduce you to Nell Stephenson.
Nell, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a wellness consultant, strategic eating coach, personal trainer, author and endurance athlete.
I am also someone who suffered for years from mysterious GI issues, even though I was eating what I had learned was a healthy diet for athletes.
I created my business as resource for anyone who is in that uncomfortable place where you’re simply not feeling well but no one is asking you the right questions.
I know that space all too well and my hope is that the mess I was in for so long can be turned into a message for you. Perhaps some of the mistakes I made and bad advice I took can be prevented for you or your loved ones. I learned about a Paleo approach to eating in 2004 and for me, and it’s been the single most important thing I’ve done that’s changed my life.
After a lifetime of being plagued with mysterious GI issues, endless visits to doctors and hospitals and every test in the book, I learned how to heal myself simply by omitting certain foods and focusing on the natural balance of eating real, clean food: local, seasonal vegetables, wild proteins and natural fats.
For me, the last straw occurred when I was in my early twenties.
I had gone to the nth gastroenterologist, who tested me for Celiac disease (after I’d already been ‘diagnosed’ with colitis, IBS, ‘possibly Crohn’s and my favorite ‘a sensitive stomach’) and when the results came back negative, told me not to omit gluten as it would create an inability to eat enough fiber, as many gluten-containing foods are marketed as the best source, and then handed me a prescription for Prozac, since there was nothing physically wrong with me, so I must have been imagining it!
I decided to take matters into my own hands and began researching online. I wasn’t about to settle for a lifetime of illness. It was compromising my training, my racing and day to day living.
I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I was convinced that despite eating what was considered a ‘healthy athlete’s diet’, to support my ironman racing, there must be something I was eating that was making me sick, or at least contributing to it.
I stumbled across The Paleo Diet, by Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD, read it, and began following it straight away. I felt better in three days. I wrote to Dr. Cordain to simply thank him for his work and tell him what a gift it had been to me to discover it, and to share with my clients. He wrote back, and invited me to contribute to his newsletter. We then developed an implementation program the following year and in 2010, we co-wrote The Paleo Diet Cookbook, along with his lovely wife, Lorrie.
Professionally, I began adding bits and pieces of my nutritional regime to my private training clients’ routines. Regardless of what their health concerns were, everyone began to get healthier, leaner and feel better overall. My training and recovery time improved and I was able to transition from being a very average participant in triathlon to being quite competitive and have earned a slot to World Championships in Kona eight times.
I started my blog in 2007 and began the gradual segue from a small business consisting of local private training clientele to one which enabled me to begin to reach people in greater numbers. I now work with clients globally to help them learn how to implement Paleo into their daily regime. I’ve had the opportunity to be featured on the Dr. Oz show as a Paleo expert and visit incredible cities around the world to educate about the impact food has on our health.
Over the years, I have also come to change my approach just a tad. While I do believe in the efficacy of a true ancestral approach, it’s not one size fits all. We are all unique, we come from different backgrounds and we each have a different set of goals and objectives. I invite you to reach out if you’d like to work together on your personal journey. After all, we should thrive; not just survive!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a Nutritionist, Chef and Healthy Lifestyle Coach based in Pacific Palisades. Using my food first methodology, I help each individual client to develop their personal eating blueprint, tailor made just for their unique needs. I offer one-day intensive programs as well as a 21-day reboot including lifestyle detox, kitchen clean out, healthy lifestyle assessment (current routines for nutrition, cooking, sleep, rest, recovery and exercise). I also work within corporations to help employees create an optimal eating plan to achieve high performance in the workplace, just as my athletes want to perform at a high level out on the race course!
My focus on local, organic, farm to table cuisine highlights the importance of mindfully sourcing everything we eat. I have written five books on Paleo living, including The Paleo Diet Cookbook, which she coauthored with her mentor, Dr. Loren Cordain. She has been featured on the Dr Oz show as a Paleo expert.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
With the focus on health and wellness in LA, it’s a fabulous place to start out! Plus, we are absolutely spoiled with abundant healthy food sources- both at our farmer’s markets as well as our restaurants. Last but not least, our weather makes it conducive to get out and move, no matter what form that may take- from triathlon to trail running or from ocean swimming to paddling… and more!
Contact Info:
- Address: 11685 San Vicente Blvd. #615, LA, CA 90049
- Website: www.paleoista.com
- Phone: 310 344 8040
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @nellstephenson
- Facebook: facebook.com/paleoista
- Twitter: @nellstephenson
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paleoista-by-nell-stephenson-los-angeles-2
- Other: https://business.google.com/dashboard/l/11694977709902392978
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.
