We were lucky to catch up with Ellen Postolowski recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ellen, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I am more afraid of the what-ifs in life. That may have led me to change careers at 50. Risky, but I wasn’t blindly jumping into the unknown. Or so I thought. I had been a professional nutrition-based chef for thirty years, but the wear and tear was getting to me. I knew I had to work smarter and give my body a break. It wasn’t just physical but mental implications; I was tired of working as a private chef. It is a very demanding job, and I worked many long hours and weekends, constantly adjusting my schedule to fit the needs of my clients.

I shifted careers and returned to school to become a certified health coach. I had always preached and guided my clients to make better choices, especially with food, pantry items, and convenience foods, to find what nourished them properly. I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and loved the curriculum. At the time, this was quite a risk. I left clients I had for years and a great-paying job to reinvent myself. I soon realized that this integrative approach being taught regarding optimal health was something I was unfamiliar with. Taking care of my needs and approaching life in a balanced state was far from where I was in my mindset. I was a go-getter who rarely stopped to take a breath. However, I was taking it all in, studying away, and mostly intrigued that body, mind, and spirit were critical components of self-care.

Furthermore, the concept of self-care was something I critiqued as selfish. I presumed for those who had too much time on their hands. And as life would have it, I was taught a great lesson.

I succeeded in getting my certification, but I was thrown a curve ball with my health during this time. I had many stomach issues, chronic heartburn, insomnia, anxiety, and tiredness. To make matters worse, I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis at 51. I was told I had the bones of an 80-year-old woman.

I stayed in school for another year to pursue additional gut and hormonal health certifications. The inner workings of the human digestive system and its connectivity throughout the body fascinated me, and I was starting to make the connection of where my health went south.

I have always walked the talk with food choices and ate very well, but I wasn’t and needed to absorb my nutrients more efficiently. My immune health was in overdrive. I had a sweet tooth you read about, exercised obsessively, and rarely gave myself a break. This trajectory of existence was not supporting my best health.

The unsettling part about a path where you find yourself in a situation of ill health is that you put your trust in medical professionals to make life-altering decisions for you. Sadly, I learned that in this country, we tend to treat acute and chronic pain similarly, which involves prescription drugs. It was rare that a doctor discussed my diet and lifestyle protocols. I am grateful that I had taken a risk by continuing my education and now have acquired a sharpened awareness of lifestyle medicine practices. I expanded my resources and utilized support to determine my best course of action before long-term medicine would be prescribed.

Constant bloating, bone loss, many doctor visits, and no concrete answers impaired me. The stress of it all was affecting every aspect of my life.

Osteoporosis is an autoimmune disease that typically goes hand-in-hand with several root cause issues. Therefore, I dove into figuring out the source of my problems. Still, I triumphed with perseverance, dedication, and the desire not to succumb to its debilitating prognosis and expectation of long-term meds. I regained 4 percent of my bone loss without meds in just one year! I take responsibility for that progress and my journey every day.

I found great doctors (weeded out the others) who cared enough about my concerns. One of my doctors’ best advice was to remember that I was paying him for his services and that I should always be comfortable with what was being decided on my behalf.

In this process, I realized I needed to be in sync. Caring for others and not putting self-care at the top of your list can do that to you. I had been ignoring the signs and symptoms. So, I started taking more time for me. Once I regained my digestive health, practicing more self-care significantly shifted my health.

During this journey, my father passed away quite suddenly from complications of stomach cancer. I believe years of chronic heartburn, poor food choices, and long-term acid-suppressing medicines may have contributed to this ailment.

I became so passionate about what I was learning. Becoming my lead health advocate spoke volumes that I wanted to empower others to champion, understand, and take control of their best health.

Food on and off the plate was lectured quite often at IIN. The food we eat is a secondary source of nourishment, and primary food is the things in life that bring us joy, happiness, and an overall sense of fulfillment. This balance and long-term well-being support and amplify a healthy human being.

I started my coaching business and worked one-on-one with clients looking to jumpstart better habits in this time frame. It wasn’t enough as I became passionate about the encouraging results I got with clients who modified lifestyle habits, got off meds, and made amazing transformations.

It’s risk time again! I then decided to empower the masses by writing a book. I have studied much on the gut microbiome. I knew that introducing whole food plant-based options supported a diverse and healthful gut environment, so with my chef and coaching careers, I merged the two worlds and wrote my book, Gut Driven, simplifying and educating the reader on the science behind the inner workings of the digestive system. In addition, I also encourage robust health with food planning, prepping, and over 100 recipes to support the process. There is also much information on self-care to complement all the above.

We never know what the ideal outcome will be when we take a leap of faith. Putting hope in your desire to grow and learn will lead you in a direction that suddenly makes sense. The unknown can be scary, but staying stuck, unhappy, and unfulfilled alarms me more. Life presents opportunities all the time. Sometimes, we are too busy to notice, and the door quickly closes until a new one opens. There is no reward without risk, but if passion drives that risk, I will always choose opportunities with an open heart and confidence, anticipating the most significant outcome.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I focus on personalized nutrition with my clients. The adverse effect of the standard American diet demands attention. Creating a ripple effect with self-care on and off the plate and the undeniable force of a sustainable foundation favors the next trendy diet. I aim to connect with like-minded individuals and spotlight awareness and health benefits of whole food plant-based choices.

I use the phrase “food as medicine” but apply an integrative approach. As a nutrition-based chef, I focus on more plants and whole grains and the power of healing through food choices, on and off the plate. In addition, there is an emphasis on potential inflammation in the body.

A top NBA star recruited me to be his private chef for my first culinary job. He wanted delicious meals to fuel his body to perform at an elite level. Since then, I’ve worked as an exclusive chef for countless families.

Throughout my 30 years in the industry, the secret ingredient that connected me to my clients wasn’t just the food. It was that I crafted my meals like “medicine” and listened when their needs/goals changed. Whether my clients were dealing with acne or autoimmune issues, my health-minded recipes would nourish more than their hunger.

Food is one piece of the pie to managing health symptoms. I’ve always preached the importance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as part of my services. I also educated my clients on how to read labels and select the cleanest and most nutritious convenience items. I hold a culinary degree from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado.

Still, I knew that the missing piece to get to the root of an issue required a 360 approach, and my desire to go deeper led me to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I became a certified holistic health educator specializing in digestive and hormonal health.

I’ve experienced first-hand how your digestive system directly impacts your life, and it changed the old “You are what you eat” mentality to a mindset focused on “You are what you can digest.”

Little things like getting better at saying “no,” scheduling myself a short lunch break, and even enrolling in meditation classes created a significant shift. Self-care looks different for everyone, so exploring and developing the groundwork is a work in progress, not to avoid.

My mission is to help you improve your gut health so you feel your healthiest – mind, body, and spirit. Through my latest book, “Gut Driven,” and my 3-week Reset 90/10 program, I break it down and give you the road map to heal your body, achieve balance, and reset your relationship with food. Together, we can create the change you’ve been waiting for.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience comes from adversity. The mishap of my deteriorating health fired up a determination that has always been deep-rooted. I was shifting my career in a direction that supported an alternate holistic outlook on wellness, and the timing encouraged me to dig deeper into my health.

Digestive functions are crucial to whole-body wellness. The body breaks down nutrients from food and drink into carbohydrates, protein, fats, and vitamins: cellular growth, repair, hormonal and cognitive health. Digestion fuels the body with energy, development, and cell expression.

Food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients before the blood absorbs them and carries them to cells throughout the body.

The downside of the standard American diet is that long-term meds, antibiotics, and over-the-counter relief in the long-term doesn’t address the root.

Considering bio-individuality and the unique physiology of every human being is essential in addressing root-cause concerns. Before considering long-term medication, we can focus on the proper care, lifestyle medicine, and changes to support immune health, risk factors, and metabolic dangers.

The resilience of exploring what works best for you, advocating, and understanding your body could free you from a lifetime of ill-health, disappointing dieting situations, and dependence on prescription drugs.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I learned that if I want to care for the only body I have in this life, I must put on my oxygen mask first before I can help anyone else. We hear this phrase every time we board an airplane, but if we can apply those words effectively in our health journeys, we could move mountains with health care and resiliency.

I dedicated my book to my late father and used his words to remind me of their impact. He often said, “When you have your health, you are the richest person in the world.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chefellen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefellen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gutdriven
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-postolowski-9375877/
• Other: https://www.TikTok.com/@iamgutdriven

Image Credits
Erin Hart Kristine Carney