We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chiara Visconti di Modrone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chiara below.
Chiara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
Yes, in hindsight I know that defining moment, it was when my 33 year old brother succumbed to a very fast and aggressive cancer, and while unaware at that time, something inside me changed forever. Coping with the loss of a loved one is always life changing, but the injustice of losing a young and vibrant man, who witnessed the birth of his daughter three months before passing, defined my life in a way that only now is coming to fruition.
You see, after the passing of my brother to cancer and subsequently both my parents to cardiovascular disease, I knew the medical system was failing us. I was 22, just out of college and found myself taking care of family businesses that my own family should have been there to do themselves. It was at that time that I realized if the medical system could not support us when we are sick, then we must do our best to not get sick in the first place.
I began reading and studying about nutrition and exploring various diets including macrobiotics, veganism, and vegetarianism. This was my hobby, my side hustle if you will, all the while finding my passion for this topic growing as I began to understand the power of food as a prevention to today’s most chronic diseases. I became a reference point for family and friends who would often search me out to help them with some health concern.
After my third daughter was born, I decided it was time to go back to school to get a masters in integrative nutrition and herbal medicine. The responsibility of raising three young children in a world where we are our own best advocate was not lost on me. I was determined to understand the nuances of nutrition science and help not only my own family but my future clients thrive.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
After graduating with a masters in integrative nutrition, I opened Intuitas Integrative Wellness in 2019. A clinical nutrition and herbal practice in Atlanta that caters to the female. My passion and area of focus is metabolic health and I work with women dealing with conditions such as PCOS, obesity, pre-diabetes, type II diabetes, cognitive dysfunction, and cancer.
Women are the forgotten half when it comes to scientific research. Our complex hormonal fluctuations make us difficult clinical study participants and often times, recommendations are made to us based on male based research. As a favorite researcher of mine, Dr Stacy Sims says ” Women are not small men.” My work takes this into consideration and so I provide tailor made nutritional protocols for my female clients.
Women come away empowered with tools that are suited to their specific body to help them heal or to be the best version of themselves. We discuss nutrition, movement, sleep, mindfulness, relationships and genetics. I see everyone woman as a unique individual and work with her accordingly.
Interpreting genetic testing has been the most recent addition to my practice. This option allows me, together with my client, to really explore what might be the most relevant changes to make based on her own genetic profile. Together we can understand why something that may be considered “healthy” is actually a hindrance to her. Ultimately we redefine health for each and every client on a bespoke basis.
Finally, alongside my husband, we are opening a part of our ranch to the public. We are going to have a farm to table restaurant with seasonal vegetables from my husband’s biodynamic garden and other products from our farm. It is here where I will also organize retreats and activities for our overnight guests to reconnect with nature and themselves and learn about how food and lifestyle behaviors can change the course of there life.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Success can be defined in many ways. It can also be defined from different perspectives such as the external and internal perspective. For the purpose of this question, my definition of success comes from my own internal perception.
Education is often considered a foundational aspect of success. For many privileged individuals the right preschool is determined before their birth as a gateway to getting into the best college or University! I remember being told, when living in London, that I had to turn in the applications for my chosen kindergartens the day my daughter would be born! The ridiculousness of this situation was not lost on me and in fact changed my own perception of the importance of education.
Fast forward to 2020 when we were in the throws of COVID and the education system was getting turned on its head. Children and young teens that were not prepared for a vastly changing world ended up suffering ramifications that led to extreme stress and pressure.
COVID is just one example of the swiftly changing world we live in and to succeed requires much more than traditional education and knowledge. As individuals step out into the work force, they need to be armed with resilience and a sense of being citizens of a global world. The crazy advancements in technology keep us on our toes, constantly asking us to shift, reassess, let go and reinvent ourselves on a daily basis.
In the field of health and wellness, wearables and tools that are coming out on the market are helping us redefine what is “healthy” and making it more relevant than ever. The education I had in graduate school not that long ago is almost obsolete as we can now track client’s sleep, blood sugar, and genetics to redefine what healthy or better yet, what optimal is for them.
Success for me is to be able to pivot and refresh, change my mindset and my opinions based on what research is coming out and to be open and vocal about it. To admit when I am wrong and change course, all for the improvement of the health of my clients.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
My undergraduate studies were in art history, there was really no rhyme or reason to that chosen field except that I was still looking for my passion and this felt like a solid foundational education. Fast forward 25 years and I am in the field of nutritional science.
If I could go back, yes I would most probably have changed my undergrad studies to prepare sooner for the profession I am in today. Now more than ever we are faced with a global crisis. The earth’s resources suddenly seem finite and our existance is very much dependent on that. Our health as a society is not improving with the advancements of science and technology, in fact, we are getting sicker and fatter every year. Knowing what I know now, I would have absolutely prepared for this sooner. What I do know is that my life is coming full circle. My childhood and the farm I grew up on are again at the forefront of my career. The work we are doing here is right where I need to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: intuitaswellness.com
- Instagram: @intuitaswellness
- Facebook: Intuitas Wellness
- Linkedin: Chiara Visconti di Modrone