Kelly Pickering

I am a 2010 graduate of the Professional Training Program at the Institute For Integrative Nutrition in New York City and am certified by the American Academy of Drugless Practitioners.

 

In 2016 I earned certification as a Healthy Gut Advisor under the instruction of nutritionist Karen Langston.

I lead workshops on various topics including:

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• Nutrition

• Inflammation & Gut Health

• Food & Feelings

• Breast Health 

 

I offer health and nutrition coaching to individuals, couples, groups, and families.

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My Story

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I’m a Maine girl, through and through. I was born, raised and married in Maine. It is a stunningly beautiful state where the weather is often dramatic.  The food is healthy and the people are unpretentious, salt of the earth, I like to say - and the pace is slow. Something about this combination tends to bring out the best in people – Mainers and tourists!

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After I married, my husband’s career as a speech therapist took us places we didn’t expect; Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky. We adapted and started a family. I dedicated my life to raising our 2 boys, creating homemade healthy meals, learning to be a mom. We eventually settled in the Capital District of New York – a bit closer to the ‘Maine’ land – where since 1993 we’ve established a wonderful community of friends.

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Like so many moms, once the boys were school age I wanted to find work to help support our family while also being available for after-school activities. The choices for such a schedule were few so I decided to start a house cleaning business where I had total control of when and where I worked on any given day. I felt I was helping others find balance just by taking one thing off their plate – house cleaning. Believe it or not  I loved cleaning – I’m an attention to detail kind of woman! Little did I know I was becoming a budding entrepreneur.

 

Once the boys were grown and out on their own, I kept up with my house cleaning business and took on a part-time job at a local wine store, another favorite of mine - good wine. One day a regular customer came in and started a conversation about the health benefits of wine. She asked me if health and wellness was an interest of mine and introduced me to an opportunity with world renowned author and women’s health expert, Dr. Christiane Northrup. That conversation turned the tide of my life! It felt like a fait accompli – Dr. Northrup lived in Maine!!

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Health and wellness has always been a priority, but I never thought I could make it a business.  After 20 years of housecleaning I was ready for a change. I was excited. I devoured all the information I received and after a couple of years, returned to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and became a Health Coach.

 

At first I doubted my abilities and questioned myself. Who am I to tell someone else how to eat and be healthy? Now I’ve done an about face. With the rise of so many lifestyle related disorders I feel I’m doing people a disservice if I don’t share my knowledge about how nutrition and healthy foods can help reverse many of them.

 

What I do now is help people find balance in their life from a mind/body perspective. It’s not about being perfect, but about progress and making small changes that over time add up and make a difference in our well-being. I meet you where you are at and focus on how you want feel. Guilt and shame were a big part of my upbringing and consequently have no place in my practice. I pride myself on offering a safe, non-judgmental space for clients to voice their health concerns. I listen for the bigger picture to find the root cause of health issues rather than just treating the symptoms.

 

My number one teaching is to help people move away from processed foods and shop the perimeter of the grocery store – to stay away from the inner aisles. Processed foods are made for “shelf life not human life”. Imagine what all those preservatives are doing in our bodies.

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Today I offer individual and group health coaching and run health and wellness seminars on various topics in the Capital District. I also hold healthy cooking classes in my home several times a year.  Join my mailing list to receive my newsletters and stay up to date on workshops and classes. I look forward to meeting you!       ~Kelly

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PS – We NOW have a second home in Maine!