Hello, I'm Jen!
Hi I’m Jennifer Laurence and I want to help you lose weight and feel great.
I work with women who are struggling with unwanted weight gain and undesired symptoms such as fatigue, low energy, or lack of motivation. If you are feeling overwhelmed and confused over what to eat and want to feel your absolute best again, I can help you.
Maybe you’ve tried fad diets such as Weight Watchers, Paleo, or Keto but couldn’t stick with them. Maybe there are more underlying causes to your weight gain that you suspect, but no one will listen or help you figure it out. Maybe you prioritize everyone or everything in your life (your children, your partner, your friends, your job) but need support and a plan that is just for YOU. Maybe all of this thinking about food has you really STRESSED OUT.
I will help you identify the barriers that are standing in your way and holding you back from success. Together, we will create a simple, stress free and effective plan to overcome those barriers. And guess what? You won’t have to starve yourself! I will teach you effective strategies that will help you lose weight, regain your energy, and feel full and satisfied in a way that is sustainable FOR LIFE. This is not a diet – Diets never work! This is a lifestyle that you will be able to wholeheartedly embrace.
Work with me. I am excited for you to begin the journey to better health. Here’s to living your best life!
I have dealt with digestive issues, hormone imbalance, and food sensitivities for most of my life.
It began as a child. I suffered with constipation. I would have painful bowel movements once or twice per week. I was small for my age, and underweight. I did not look healthy. The doctor told my mother that in order for me to gain weight, she should feed me milkshakes. As a kid, this sounded great to me. I loved ice cream. Unfortunately, it only made things worse. I developed a big bloated tummy that would plague me for years.
As a teen, my diet was poor. I ate a lot of sugary foods and very few vegetables. I had heavy and irregular periods. I suffered from cystic acne that required extensive visits and medication from a dermatologist. I developed recurrent sinus infections. I was placed on antibiotics for both the acne and the sinus infections. I continued to have bloating, and my weight fluctuated all throughout my senior year of high school and college.
At age 28 I was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer. I was very fortunate in that it was caught early and I was cured surgically. However, post-op I acquired a horrible infection that landed me back in the hospital. I was given IV antibiotics that cured the infection but wrecked my gut and left me with chronic IBS-D. When I called my doctor to ask why this was happening, they told me they didn’t know and offered no help other than some over-the-counter medication. They told me to “give it time.” I was stunned.
In order to be able to go about my day to day and control IBS-D, I had to significantly modify my diet. I avoided caffeine, dairy, fatty foods, and anything else that might trigger it. I was confused and overwhelmed. My diet changes helped control the IBS but significantly impacted my life because of all the foods I had to give up. I could eat very little without feeling sick and I felt exhausted most of the time. When I wasn’t suffering from IBS-D, I was bloated. I had never felt worse.
Frustrated, and wanting answers, I turned to integrative and functional medicine. I learned all about the importance of my microbiome (my gut). Mine was an absolute mess from years of antibiotic use and a nutrient depleted diet. I learned firsthand the value of functional stool testing and the information it could offer. I finally received the answers I was looking for.
After following a gut protocol, I couldn’t believe how much better I felt. My IBS-D and bloating disappeared, I had energy again, and I lost weight and kept it off. I became a believer in integrative and functional medicine!
I knew that in order to continue to feel well, I had to start focusing on my diet. I began to pay close attention to the ingredients that were in my food and opt for more whole organic foods, and healthier options. I embraced nutrition. I felt like it gave me a sense of control over the health issues I had endured for so long. It was at this point that I decided to become a dietitian. During that time I began to learn all I could about functional nutrition, and boy did I learn! I was fascinated by how the right types of foods can make a person feel so much better, and how the wrong foods could make a person feel so much worse. I was fascinated by how much nutrition plays a role into so many different types of disease and health issues.
I have never looked back. Through years of education, I have learned how all of my health issues throughout my life were connected. To this day I still have to manage my diet but things are so much better! I continue to limit foods that are inflammatory to me (such as dairy), but I am able to now enjoy a host of other foods that before I had to completely avoid. I no longer suffer from sinus infections, skin issues, or hormonal imbalances and my weight has remained steady. I understand the importance of keeping my gut balanced with probiotics, and protecting it by managing stress, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and eating an organic whole foods diet. I also take supplements that I know I need, based on functional testing that I have had done. Since becoming a dietitian, I have learned all that I can in order to offer this knowledge and expertise to you and to help get you well again. I am passionate about helping others because I have been there. I understand. I don’t want you to suffer like I did or to just “give it time.” I feel compelled to bring my knowledge, expertise, and experience to you.
Credentials:
- Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist
- Master’s Degree in Nutrition Education
- Practices Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy
Education:
- Masters Degree: Immaculata University
- Dietetic internship: Immaculata University
- Certification: Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT)
Professional Memberships:
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- PA Nutrition Education Network
- Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine Dietetic Practice Group
- Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA)