Healthy Chicks

Good morning ladies, and Happy Friday! Thank you so much for the love on my pregnancy announcement — the messages coming through via email and social media have touched me deeply and I’ve been so emotional this week (in a good way).

Moving on to this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series highlighting rockstar girl bosses doing their thang in the wellness industry! As you know, I’m a huge fan of functional medicine — that is a more holistic way of looking at health by helping patients get to the root cause. That’s why I couldn’t be more thrilled to feature Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (say that five times fast) Kristin Thomas of Thrive by Food. I love her Whole Foods based philosophy, knowing that good health begins with a healthy gut.

Heads up: She offers several juicy free guides and is currently offering 50% off her 4-week Restore Your Gut Program through 2/28, which if you ask me is a total steal! Alrighty, I’ll let Kristin take over from here as she’s got lots of golden nuggets of wisdom to share with you.

NAME: Kristin Thomas

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: I am a certified functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner (FDN-P) and holistic health coach who specializes in digestive health. That’s basically a long-winded way of saying I’m trained and certified to help people with digestive issues restore function naturally.

WHERE YOU LIVE: Framingham, MA (a quick 30 minute drive from Boston)

HOW YOU SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH YOUR WORK: I am so passionate about educating my community about health and wellness. I believe education is power, and when we know how to manage our health, we can feel better faster. Every day, you can find me posting free content and tips on my Instagram page and every week I’m coming out with a new blog post on gut health tips, strategies, and superfoods.

NUMBER ONE PASSION OUTSIDE THE JOB: Traveling! I love to explore the world to gain new perspectives on how people live, think, and enjoy life. It’s so grounding to be aware of what the rest of the world is like and to try and experience things you wouldn’t have an opportunity to do so yourself. So far, my favorite destination is Italy.

INTENTIONS/GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS: Digestive health is quickly becoming a hot topic in today’s health and wellness world, and it truly invigorates me. Not a month goes by that a new study is published on the microbiome, the impact of diet on health, and more, and I’m excited to be able to spread this information through my work with clients.

Fused with my true passion for gut health, I have big dreams to become the go-to resource for all things gut health. Gut health is the core of so much of our health, because if we can’t break down and absorb food properly, it’s pretty hard to feel well and nourished. By understanding all the ways gut health impacts other functions of the body, like energy, sleep, hormone production, detoxification, etc., I enable clients to begin healing in a deep and thorough way, and hope to bring that level of understanding and work to the masses.

ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D TELL YOUR CHILDHOOD SELF: “It will all work out.” I have been, and still am today, a “Type A” person, always wondering when I’d “have it all figured out.” From a young age, I vividly remember telling my parents I wanted to be a vet, and then a professional horseback rider, and then a teacher, and then a photographer. Who knew I’d actually end up in health and wellness, but I’m so excited I’ve found my real calling in life. Rather than worrying what my purpose and career would be, even at a young age, I wish I could tell my childhood self that it would all pan out with passion and a bit of elbow grease.

FOODS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL ALIVE & BRING THE MOST JOY: I love food, so it’s tough to pinpoint just a few! I thrive the most on avocados, blueberries, turkey burgers and green juices. Not only are many of these mood-boosting foods, they’re also loaded with micro and macronutrients, so it’s no wonder I feel amazing and alive when I eat them or add them to a meal!

SONG THAT MOVES YOU: “From the Ground Up” by Dan and Shay, a country music duo, because that was mine and my husband’s first dance song at our wedding and it brings me back to that magical day every time I hear it. I grew up in a small town in Connecticut that had more cows than people (seriously) and country music was big down there. Many find it surprising that a small Connecticut town was so into country, but I loved every moment of living there.

THREE FAB THINGS ABOUT YOU:
1. I am passionate about animal welfare. Not only did I adopt my cat Riley from the MSPCA in Boston, but I donate to them monthly to support all of their great work.
2. I love to cook and bake. Every day I’m in the kitchen whipping up a fun new recipe.
3. I have the best friends and family in the world. They have been so incredibly supportive both when my digestive illness was at its worse and when I decided to make the leap and start my own health coaching practice just a few years later.

FAVORITE BODY PART & WHY: I’ve always liked my back for some reason!

I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM: I’m inspired simply by experiencing life. There isn’t a single person, moment or thing that has truly defined me (that I’m aware of) but I’m a very observant person and get ideas and inspiration from even the oddest of places. It’s just how my mind works — I’m always thinking about creative ways to show up in this world and serve people.

EXERCISE THAT MAKES YOU SHINE: I love high intensity workouts that are drill-based. Because they’re so fast-paced, I can leave the world behind for an hour, push my body’s limits, and strengthen my mind. I love walking away from those classes stronger both mentally and physically; it’s a real foundation of myself.

SOMETHING IN YOUR “WELLNESS TOOLBOX” YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Collagen powder! I started using collagen powder a few years ago when I began to heal what’s called “leaky gut” or a damaged intestinal lining, and not only did it help to repair my GI tract and bring down inflammation, it also improved my skin, hair and nails. It’s an all-around amazing superfood.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Taking the leap to start my health coaching practice, Thrive by Food. I was in a completely different and unrelated industry before that, so diving into this was a risk, but worth it ten times over.

FEMALE LEADER(S) YOU LOOK UP TO: I don’t have any one particular person I look up to. I am inspired by so many incredible women doing amazing things in life, such as the author Gabby Bernstein, my favorite country music artist, Taylor Swift, the genuine and hilarious Ellen Degeneres and Michelle Obama.

IF YOU COULD PICK ONE PERSON TO HAVE DINNER WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE & WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE THEM: Taylor Swift. She’s been my idol since my college days and is a genuine person I would love to hang out with.

GO-TO MANTRA OR INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: “To each their own.” This is actually a quote my grandma used to say often, and it’s stuck with me all these years. I find it’s a great way to look at situations and better understand people. Everyone holds different opinions and circumstances, and it’s important to recognize that yours isn’t the only right one and that we each need to be understood for our own points of view. This mantra helps me to do just that.

MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER HEALTHY CHICKS: Wherever you are in your health journey, appreciate where you are right now. Being healthy is a lifelong investment, not an end goal. Appreciate the delicious food on you plate everyday, the self care and self love you practice (even if it’s small things) and find more ways to bring in joy and ward off negativity. This is just as important to do in the healing process as diet and supplements or medications.