Nutritionist’s goal: Get people to eat healthier

As the nutritionist sat in her Newport Beach office, her eyes widened when talk turned to bell peppers.

“They have these amazing things like antioxidants,” Julie Hefner said. “And they have these fibers in them that act like a broom and sweep out all the toxins. Add vegetables to everything you eat.”

Hefner, a certified nutritionist who advises people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy life, founded Nourish Nutrition and Health three years ago. She said she saw too many people struggling with health problems.

Hefner, after fighting allergies all her life, learned to rid herself of the problems they caused by adjusting her diet and eating “clean” — meaning unprocessed and organic foods and plenty of water.

It all started when a fitness trainer told Hefner to eat more wheat. The only thing was, she was allergic to the grain.

“I had all these allergies and I didn’t know it,” she said, noting that after being allergy-tested, she also learned she’d have to remove dairy and red meat from her diet. “When I eliminated those foods, my skin cleared up, I noticed my energy was higher and I felt so much better.”

As her three children, now ages 14 to 19, got older, Hefner decided to enroll in Orange Coast College, where she obtained an associate degree and nutrition certificate.

Her dream was to open an office that felt friendly, not clinical, where clients could share their fitness goals and get sound nutritional advice.

Hefner said social media, particularly the online mobile photo-sharing app Instagram, has helped grow her business.

She frequently posts recipes, motivational quotes and pictures of what an organized refrigerator with healthy foods should look like — lean meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables and hummus.

When she first started her business, Hefner said, she’d ask clients, who include Corona del Mar High School football players and people who fly in from out of state, to write down their meals in a journal and share with her their food history. But she quickly noticed their reported eating habits seemed too perfect.

“So I changed it to having a conversation in person,” she said, with a grin.

Eating healthy, she said, can start with picking one day out of the week to prepare meals, alone or with family. Hefner suggested going to a farmers market or grocery store and stocking up on protein, eggs, vegetables, fruit and guacamole. The vegetables should be washed, and they can be chopped up and put in small plastic bags for a quick grab-and-go snack.

“My clients tell me that it doesn’t feel like they are on a diet and that it’s a lifestyle change,” Hefner said, remarking on a husband and wife from San Diego who together lost a total of 47 pounds in three months.

The couple joined the Nourish program to reduce the amount of medications that had been prescribed for diabetes. Since following Hefner’s liver detox program and food guidelines, they have lowered their cholesterol and blood pressure and removed two of their medications, Hefner said.

Maureen LaGrandeur of Costa Mesa said that since Hefner has modified her eating plans, she has lost weight and she sleeps better and has more energy than she has had in years.

“She eases you in, making subtle lifestyle changes that become routine, and next thing you know, you’re living a healthier, happier life,” LaGrandeur said.

The personalized program begins with a one-hour, $120 health assessment, where Hefner discusses the client’s health goals and makes recommendations that meet his or her needs.

In researching a person’s eating patterns, Hefner said, she has undercovered health issues like thyroid disease. In these cases, she recommends that a client visit a doctor.

Her six-week plan, for $450, includes a dining-out guide, grocery shopping list, customized meal plans and recipes, and weekly body measurements and weigh-ins. The three-month plan, costing $1,200, provides all that the other plans offer plus an exercise plan, a food scale and 12 one-hour check-in sessions.

“It’s fun educating people,” Hefner said. “Everybody is different, and I feel like I can make a huge difference. It’s not one size fits all. It’s all about moderation.”

For more information, visit nourishnutritionandhealth.com.