Nice To Meet You!
Let's reach the
health goals you have
for your family
"What's the vision?"
That's the very first question I ask parents before we start our work together.
We never expect our kids to struggle so much or for feeding them to feel so complicated.
We never expect the allergies and skin breakouts, the explosive moods & unpredictable behavior.
Do they need medication? Is there something wrong with their brain?
Why can't they just do well at school, sleep and poop and stay healthy?
And why won't they ever pick the healthy stuff over the junk no matter how hard you try?
I help parents raise physically & mentally resilient kids.
That means, I help parents implement systematic changes so their kids calm down, have better poops, learn better, focus better, feel better, get better sleep, have more energy, have fewer sick days, rebound from stress better, stay off medication... and simply be happier.
It all starts with having a vision.
So ask yourself, what does your future look like? What does it feel like? What do you want for your child and your family that seems out of reach right now?
Our process for bringing you closer to that vision is simple (though not easy) - we nourish deeply and we relieve hidden stress.
And hey, if you've been avoiding making shifts to diet because, "it sounds great, but I can't actually get my child to eat much in the first place and it's too expensive and I don't have enough time and it's too hard and there's not enough research..." (etc etc etc believe me, I've heard all the objections) stick with me for a bit... you'll find that the unique approach we take here will allow you to make massive progress no matter where you're starting out.
(psst...Looking for my professional bio with my credentials and media kit all that jazz? Scroll to the bottom)
I'm Jess
First and foremost, I'm mom to three beautiful boys and partner to an amazing artist. We are both purpose-driven entrepreneurs trying to simplify our lives, enjoy the process of raising our kids, and do our little bit to make a difference in the world.
I've worn many hats in my life, but education, health and personal development are the common threads that tie all my experiences together.
My Journey...
I became interested in the topic of resilience when I was a high school teacher.
Recurrent illnesses and infections, aberrant behaviour, sleep conditions, learning and even mood and mental health struggles all had become so commonplace that we spent a significant amount of time strategizing about them in teacher meetings.
Many students responded well to our creative teaching strategies and started to turn around. But some did not and referrals for assessments & medication or even expulsion became our only recourse; extreme measures, in my opinion.
I felt we had failed these kids.
I felt there was something deeper we were missing.
It was while working as a high school teacher that my interest in the factors that promote and erode resilience was born.
I left school teaching to study nutrition & holistic health with a particular interest in the impact of food and stress on child development.
I graduated top of my class from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2007 as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™, (Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant™in the province of Alberta). And I thought I had my answers.
I had learned that what and how we eat could influence how we think, feel, act and function. I had learned that each of us is biochemically unique and that "one man's food can be another man's poison". I had learned how and why stress is a game changer when it comes to our health.
I had learned about the deep and profound impact of food on our kids' mental and physical health and development.
I had found that missing piece and was ready to shout what I had learned from the rooftops to parents and teachers everywhere....
Then I had my first child, and my whole world changed
I realized right quick that there's nothing simple or straight forward about feeding a family.
I realized that it's one thing to know information about what the body needs for health, it's another thing entirely to actually feed a family and apply all that knowledge.
And more than that, it's one thing to know how to support and change our own health, it's another thing entirely to try to change the health of another person (especially one we love with the deepest kind of intensity but who has food sensitivities, picky or aggressive behavior, or who can't sit down to get a bite in!)
Add in sleep deprivation, stress, and the pace of daily living and it's enough to throw even superheros over the edge!
So I set my mind to simplifying the job of keeping a family healthy.
The Raising Resilience Process Was Born
I discovered that the key to worrying less and staying focused on what's most important is to focus on the factors that support Resilient Health.
So I set my sights on developing a process to help parents do this.
The process for Raising Resilience I outline in my book is a two-step process: we need to identify and remove stressors and barriers and we need to feed in a way that deeply nourishes our natural processes of self regulation.
There are 4 Pillars to this process. I call them The Pillars Of Resilient Health™.
Staying focused on The Pillars Of Resilient Health™ helps kids and their parents learn better, feel better, sleep better, calm down, relax, focus better, reduce infection, reduce allergy, have better skin, and have more consistent energy because the pillars support the foundational systems that make the body work.
Learn About The Book Here
I have learned through more than a decade of study and practice that given the proper tools, guidance & strategy parents can improve their child’s ability to self regulate, learn & thrive, while also improving their own energy, focus & drive.
We do it by boosting the body’s innate resources.
Food is that powerful.
When you learn how to use food strategically and constructively to achieve the health goals you have for yourself and your family, you will feel empowered, confident, vibrant, in control and energized.
You will be giving your child a gift of health while being able to worry less and enjoy more.
You will be helping your child develop into their full potential.
The key is to stay systematic and focus on what matters most. The Raising Resilience System will guide you.
It's Time For Change.
My nutrition education and research have taught me about the need for good nutrition in building physical and mental resilience, and my parenting and my work with parents has taught me how to put it all into practice in strategic, practical & simple ways.
The process of Raising Resilience and The Pillars Of Resilient Health™, sometimes in conjunction with other therapies, have helped families all over the world reverse food sensitivity, stabilize mood & energy, reduce sick days, reduce dental costs, improve sleep, reduce tantrums, improve skin, reverse attention problems, improve language... and so much more.
This model also helps busy mothers get their energy back, pick their libido up from the floor, and rekindle their zest for life.
You Have A Vision For Your Family's Health. Let's Move You Closer To It
When We Have Health, We Can Do Anything
Jess's Professional Bio
Jess is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ and Family Health Educator, specializing in brain health & resilience for kids.
Her path shifted when she took a sabbatical from her high school teaching career to study nutrition. In 2007 she graduated top of her class as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and since then has worked alongside Naturopathic, Chiropractic and Medical Doctors, Family Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, teachers and parents to help kids calm down, learn better, have better sleep, have better poops, enjoy more stable moods and get over their picky eating.
Jess has been featured as a nutrition expert on various online summits dealing with childrens' health, she has been a nutrition expert for on-line courses and communities, and is a regular contributor to various blogs and print magazines including Ecoparent Magazine, Medium.com and The Whole Family.
In 2019 Jess was honoured with the Award For Clinical Excellence by The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition Alumni Association for her work with families.
As a parent and advocate for children’s health Jess is working to bring an understanding of the power of good nutrition into the mainstream conversation about children’s mental health and learning. Her book, Raising Resilience: Take the stress out of feeding your family and love your life, her virtual community The Raising Resilience Community, and her online resources have helped families all over the world fit the food and feeding piece into their health puzzles and guide them towards safe, natural and effective tools to improve the lives of their children with learning differences, anxiety, ADHD, autism and mood disorders.
Jess is board certified in practical holistic nutrition by the Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals (CAHN-pro) where she serves on the board of directors working to advance the holistic nutrition profession. She is an associate member of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research, a Certified GAPS practitioner and an ambassador for the MINDD Foundation.
You can find her at www.jesssherman.com
Interested in booking Jess for writing or speaking? Click Here for media inquiries
