Hi there. I’m Stephanie, wellness education specialist.
Nice to meet you! First and foremost, I am a wife, to the love of my life. My husband and I have been married for 36 years. And I am a mom to two wonderful adult children.
As a Certified Nutrition Counselor (CNC), my passion is chronic disease prevention through health, spiritual wellness, and nutrition education.
I’ve had the unique experience of living in three different countries and seven different states, which has given me a very global perspective on health and wellness.
My Personal Wellness Journey
When my son graduated from high school in 2013, I started a blog as a ministry of encouragement and a resource for caretakers and individuals struggling with chronic disease and stress-related illnesses. The inspiration behind the blog was my son, Nathan, who lives with a chronic gluten intolerance and adult ADHD and my mother, Nancy, who has been living with Parkinson’s disease since the age of 50.
It was through these experiences as a mother of a child with two chronic conditions, and as a daughter watching my mother go through the diagnosis and progression of her disease, and finally, my own personal journey through thyroid issues and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis that I became interested in nutritional health.
Through these experiences, I learned the value of good nutrition, and I saw little miracles happen when the principles of God-given natural health were applied. This set me off on a journey to first educate myself further, and then become a health educator educate as many people as possible about practical ways they can help themselves live healthier, fuller lives.
Becoming a Wellness Educator
After home educating my kids, the teacher went back to school, but this time it was different. This time, I was very particular in what I wanted to study, and it wasn’t something that just any school could provide. I wanted to study natural health and focus in on nutrition, but at the same time, I wasn’t interested in becoming a dietician, so I found the perfect program and it was in the field of Alternative Medicine.
Certified Nutrition Counselor (CNC)
As a Certified Nutrition Counselor (CNC), I could educate, and counsel and that’s exactly what I knew God was calling me to do. As a Christian, I found the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal Studies to be a light in the Alternative Medicine world that is full of Eastern, New Age, practices that I tend to personally shy away from. I enrolled and after a year of hard work, I received my certification as a Certified Nutrition Counselor (CNC) and became board certified shortly thereafter through the American Council of Holistic Medicine.
A Focus on Chronic Disease
As well, I went through special training programs, through the Atlanta Regional Commission, to become certified as a facilitator for the Stanford, evidence-based Chronic Disease and Chronic Diabetes Self-Management Programs. I feel privileged to be a part of these amazing programs that assist seniors in our community to thrive in some really tough circumstances related to their health.
Currently, I am continuing my education and hope to have my Health Education Specialist Certification within the next three years! Cheer me on as I have embarked on the journey back to University for this one!
Serving as a Certified Nutrition Counselor (CNC)
Since beginning my counseling practice, I enjoy working with groups and individuals within the community to educate them about Chronic Disease and Chronic Diabetes Self- Management through evidence-based programs I facilitate through the State of Georgia. As well, I teach many healthy living programs that I have developed personally over the years that cover topics such as:
- Intentional eating
- Breaking free from food addictions
- Family health
- Heart-healthy eating
- Nutritious cooking
- Emotional eating
Corporate and Small Business Wellness Packages
As CNCs, my team of professionals serve the small business community by providing them with health and wellness packages for their employees or tenants through quarterly, group lunch ‘n’ learns; bi-annual wellness events that are tied to charity, nutrition and wellness screenings, and monthly health challenges. We also offer healthy food service consulting, and healthy space/place consulting.
Interested in more healthy living information?
Stephanie Wilkins, CNC, serves the community through:
- Health & Wellness Packages for small businesses
- Health & Wellness Education Programs for groups, organizations, and individuals
- Evidence based Research & Reporting
- Chronic Disease & Chronic Diabetes Self-Management Education facilitator
Listen to Stephanie teach here.
