Master Restorative Wellness Practitioner Jen Dreisch has worked in the health and wellness space for a number of years. With certifications and degrees from Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Bauman College, the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado, and, of course, her Master Restorative Health Practitioner designation from IRH, she’s seen and learned a lot. She’s amassed a number of advanced tools to help even the sickest of clients heal. Yet, she always starts her work with clients in the same place:
>> Healing the gut <<
“Gut health is absolutely life-changing”, says Jen. “I’ve worked with a lot of diverse clients who suffer from a range of health issues, and it always comes back to healing their gut.”
Jen was lucky enough to learn early on about how the food she ate impacted how she felt. While training for her first marathon, she was feeling really fatigued after every training run. Jen sought out support with fueling from a functional nutritionist and ended up learning she was suffering from candida. She went on a few cleanses and adjusted her eating. A few months later, she finished her first marathon and felt amazing – “I felt great and I couldn’t understand why everyone had always complained about marathons. I was like ‘this isn’t so bad’”.
Fast forward 6 months later and Jen toed the line with a friend to run the Chicago Marathon. This time, she didn’t feel so great – “I totally hit a wall. And, the next day I couldn’t move a muscle. It was then that I realized the only difference leading up to this marathon was my diet – I wasn’t eating as clean leading up to this race. And, it was from this point forward that I realized nutrition was the pathway to true health.”
Jen set out to learn more and completed a number of training programs to equip herself with the skills she needed to help her clients heal on a deeper level. But, it wasn’t until she completed IRH’s Level 1 Course – Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing that she found the clinical skills she was missing. But, it wasn’t just skills she could apply to help her clients. It was the skills she needed to heal herself.
Having struggled with chronic acid reflux for years, Jen had seen doctor after doctor and taken test after test in an effort to find relief. But, nothing had worked and she was beginning to lose hope. Restorative Wellness Solutions gave her the understanding and tools no one else could and allowed her to finally identify and heal the root cause of her acid reflux.
“I had been dealing with this for close to four years and was getting down on myself – ‘why isn’t my body good enough?’, ‘why doesn’t anyone else have this?’ It wasn’t until I went through IRH that I finally had the tools to test and address imbalances within my own gut that I didn’t know existed. And, I’ve been free from my acid reflux for two years now!”
Working on healing her gut health has also supported her mental health, too. “I was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks – it wasn’t until I started to do the deep gut healing work that these issues finally calmed down. It was fascinating to me how healing my gut improved symptoms I was dealing with in other areas of the body.”
Jen uses her own experiences to guide her work with clients. “I’ve learned that you don’t need to settle. You can get to the root cause of your health issue and truly heal, and that is what I seek to do with each of my clients. By focusing on gut health first – the body’s first healing priority – we’re better able to address the root cause of their symptoms. And, gut health plays into every other area, including hormonal health, autoimmune conditions, etc.”
Looking ahead, Jen plans to continue her specialization in working with clients to optimize gut health. She also continues to offer massage therapy services, which she finds are a perfect complement to her work as an RHP. “You can find out so much by working on someone – how hydrated they are, how inflamed their tissues are. So much of what I do with my massage therapy clients feeds into my work as a nutritionist and I’m currently working on building out a package for clients that allows them to maximize the benefits of both services”, says Jen.
When asked what she would tell someone considering starting their journey with IRH, Jen says “What are you waiting for? Everything starts with the gut. You’ll learn so much in three months and the investment is absolutely worth it.” Not only did she feel the material covered was extremely helpful, but she loves getting ongoing support from the IRH community, “I’ve had some clients that were extremely complex and having the IRH online forum and access to mentors has been immensely valuable.”
If you’re interested in being able to work with the same tools that Jen uses everyday to successfully guide her clients back to health, be sure to apply for our Level 1 class – Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. In less than 12 weeks, you’ll gain the clinical skills and confidence to start getting you and your clients outstanding results. And, when you enroll by August 12, 2022, you’ll enjoy over $150 off registration and earn over $2,500 in bonuses.
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FAQ
These frequently asked questions expand on the clinical themes illustrated in this case, helping practitioners translate gut-first principles into real-world application.
Why do many practitioners start with gut health when addressing complex cases?
Starting with gut health allows practitioners to address foundational imbalances that influence multiple systems. As described in this case, gut function impacts areas like hormones, immune responses, and overall symptom expression.
How does gut health connect to whole-body healing?
Gut health influences multiple systems, making it a central driver of overall health outcomes. In this example, improvements in gut function were associated with changes in energy, mental health, and chronic symptoms.
What is meant by a “root cause” approach in functional nutrition?
A root cause approach focuses on identifying and addressing underlying imbalances rather than managing symptoms. In this case, unresolved gut issues were identified as the driver behind persistent conditions like acid reflux.
What are early signs that gut dysfunction may be present?
Persistent symptoms that do not resolve with conventional approaches may indicate underlying gut imbalances. Examples from this case include chronic acid reflux, fatigue, and inconsistent physical performance.
How can diet influence gut-related symptoms and performance?
Diet directly affects gut function, which can impact energy levels and physical resilience. In this example, dietary changes were the key difference between two vastly different marathon experiences.
How is gut health related to fatigue and physical endurance?
Gut imbalances can contribute to fatigue by affecting nutrient absorption and overall physiology. The case highlights fatigue during training that improved after addressing gut-related issues.
Can gut dysfunction contribute to chronic conditions like acid reflux?
Yes, gut imbalances can be a contributing factor to chronic digestive symptoms such as acid reflux. In this case, identifying and addressing underlying gut issues led to long-term resolution of symptoms.
How does gut health influence mental health symptoms like anxiety?
Gut health can impact mental health through its connection to broader physiological systems. The practitioner in this case experienced improvements in anxiety and panic symptoms after gut-focused work.
Why might conventional testing fail to resolve chronic digestive symptoms?
Conventional approaches may not always identify functional imbalances within the gut. This case illustrates how repeated testing did not resolve symptoms until a different clinical framework was applied.
What role does clinical training play in identifying gut imbalances?
Targeted clinical training can provide practitioners with tools to assess and address underlying dysfunctions. In this example, advanced education enabled identification of previously overlooked gut issues.
How does gut health impact other systems like hormones or autoimmune conditions?
Gut health plays a role in regulating and influencing multiple body systems. As noted in the case, gut-focused work is often foundational before addressing hormonal or autoimmune concerns.
How can hands-on modalities like massage complement gut-focused care?
Hands-on therapies can provide additional insight into systemic patterns such as inflammation and hydration. In this case, massage therapy informed and supported the practitioner’s broader clinical approach.
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Jen Dreisch is a Master Restorative Health Practitioner and founder of Jewel Wellness, a holistic wellness experience in Maui offering nutrition, massage, and yoga services. You can find Jen on Instagram @jewelwellnessmaui.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margaret Floyd Barry, FNTP MRHP is owner and Executive Director of the Institute of Restorative Health. She’s a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, educator, and real food advocate. Through years of experience working with the most complex client cases, including reversing her own autoimmune condition, Margaret uses a powerful system for restoring health by addressing the root cause of illness.
Today, Margaret teaches fellow practitioners the same proven system she uses to get her clients life-changing results through the Institute of Restorative Health – a two-year comprehensive functional nutrition certification program for qualified health professionals. Margaret also runs Restorative Corporate Wellness, a team of Restorative Health Practitioners facilitating health transformations with corporate clients. She is the author of Eat Naked and its follow-up cookbook The Naked Foods Cookbook. She’s also the host of the Clinician’s Corner podcast, where she interviews some of the world’s top experts in the fields of functional health and nutrition.
