“Your genes are not your destiny”

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”—William Jennings Bryan

Fate and destiny are often discussed in terms of having a predetermined path. It wraps up the notion that regardless of action, you hit milestones because you’re “meant” to. Dialogue surrounding this can be peaceful, but when it comes to your health, it can be scary too.

Kimberly Stoeger, MS, is changing that conversation and providing hope for the future.

The owner of Nutritional Healing, LLC in Appleton, she has been on a professional mission to change health care in the community since the business began in 2010. But the dream began earlier. She herself was a young patient with a diagnosis, but without hope of truly achieving better health.

“People are diagnosed and prescribed a lot of pills and we think it’s normal,” Kim says. “I didn’t see anyone getting healthier. When that happened to me, I thought, ‘Is this my destiny?’”

She is distinctly clear in her answer: Your genes are not your destiny.

“Whatever your mom and dad gave you for your genetic potential is not your end. You don’t have to be diabetic because they were diabetic. You don’t have to be obese because that runs in your family. You have the power to change and turn those genes on and off like a light switch. And that’s the power I want to give back to people.”
She and her team at Nutritional Healing use exact science and develop customized nutrition and lifestyle programs to transform clients’ paths to health.

“After 2020, I think we all realize that if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything,” Kim says. “Nutrition and measuring immune strength became important for everyone. And that’s always what we’ve done here.”

Getting to the root cause

Nutritional Healing’s goal as a functional medicine clinic is to not only relieve unpleasant symptoms of issues like chronic disease, mood disorders, gut health and food sensitivities, but to find out why they’re happening in the first place.

Kim and her team prioritize communication and education. Each complimentary consultation is one hour, while an introductory session when a client signs on is a full two hours. Giving the gift of time to understand their clients is vital in creating a program specifically for the individual—whether the goal is having more energy and less pain or learning how to eat in a way that doesn’t make them sick.

“You genetically express different symptoms depending on who you are,” Kim explains. “Some people have weight gain, some people have skin conditions, some people can have neurological symptoms like anxiety and depression, some people can have sleep disorders, mood disorders, asthma, acne—the list goes on and on.
“Functional medicine is getting to the root cause of what’s going on with that person—which is going to be different for the next person even if they have the same disease or goals.”

Nutritional Healing uses specific testing to remove guesswork and determine the components of each person’s unique body, including:

• Cardio-metabolic lab work
• Food sensitivity testing
• Gut health testing
• Body composition testing
• Enzyme testing
• Genetic testing
• Hormone testing
• Vitamin and mineral testing

After defining which tests a client will benefit from, Nutritional Healing utilizes blood draws, stool tests and urinalysis to find results. Lab work is done at local Kaldas Center, while all other testing happens in-house.
The team analyzes test results and write programs individualized for each person. They answer both the “what” and the “why.”

“We take it to the next level and show you why you’re high or low in something. Why are these hormones off, why are you sensitive to these things? People may be asymptomatic but it’s holding them back elsewhere,” Kim says. “We’ve really uncovered some stuff for people who don’t realize how sick they are.

“We show them why and what we’re going to do about it. We show them how we’re going to fix it, and we teach them how to eat.”

Heart disease, high cholesterol, blood sugar, hormonal imbalances, blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid concerns and autoimmune diseases are just a few of the concerns addressed.

“We see a lot of gut dysfunction: nausea, heart burn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), constipation, diarrhea, pain in the stomach, you name it, it’s the whole spectrum of what could go wrong,” Kim says. “There are even various gut conditions that make you crave sugar and alcohol more, which feeds and fuels it.

“It’s challenging for people because you can’t see what’s wrong. People don’t believe them. But it’s not all in your head! I love to see the turn around. You can see big mood changes. Confidence comes back, clients are more outgoing.”

Getting to the root cause of clients’ health is a priority at Nutritional Healing, but it’s not just what Kim and her team do, it’s how that makes a difference. Addressing concerns and healing is serious but being in the office doesn’t have to be. In fact, laughing and creating connections is an integral part of the puzzle.

“One of my core values is to treat people like friends and family, and to have my team do the same,” Kim says. “We really get to know them… then teach them nutrition and how to eat for them specifically to meet their goals. It’s a lot more than just food: it’s movement, it’s stress and emotion. It’s a little bit of everything. We help it all. It is life changing to change your lifestyle.”

Knowledge about food is power!

Nutritional guidance has evolved since the days of the food plate and food pyramid, and “eating healthy” varies significantly from one person to the next. Each body has unique requirements and sensitivities.

“Balanced eating is different for everyone—even when it comes to healthy food. When we’re talking about it from a sensitivity aspect, something like a Brussels sprout or carrot might not like you, it might not serve your body.

“When you come to see us, it’s not all about fruits and veggies,” Kim is sure to point out. “We’re realistic Wisconsin nutritionists here! You have to eat every food group, they’re all out there for a reason. But you need to know for your body how much of what so you make progress.”

Education about what works for you involves learning how to navigate restaurant menus, menu planning, utilizing customized grocery lists—”if it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist!”—and consistent check-ins with a nutrition counselor. Every appointment includes body composition testing and updates surrounding personal goals and growth.

Nutritional Healing’s social media presence furthers education, provides empowerment and offers support.
“We like to keep in touch, people can check in with us. We post examples of, ‘This is what I’m eating,’ it’s teaching how to choose better alternatives at restaurants. We also like to support those other small businesses.”

Programs at Nutritional Healing typically last 3 months, 6 months or a year. Once you’ve “graduated,” a lower price point membership program is available for clients who want to check in with a nutritional counselor once a month and attend classes and workshops at no cost (see sidebar!).

Kim explains that while standard health care is reactive, what Nutritional Healing does is proactive.

“It is sick care. I refer to it like that because that’s where you go when you’re sick. I say we’re complementing the health care industry because we need them. We need them for emergencies, trauma, infections, viruses, surgeries, etc.

“What we do here is not what you’ve been through at the doctor. It’s not what you’ve done with a fad diet. You’re never too far gone. We’re going to get to the root of it. We can help you.”

Classes, cooking workshops and corporate wellness

Nutritional Healing and award-winning chef, Shelly Platten, offer in-house cooking classes each month.
“We refer to (Shelly) as pure ‘edu-tainment’ because not only do our attendees learn a ton about nutrition and cooking, they can’t help but walk away laughing and smiling,” Kim says.

Classes teach the importance of seasonal eating, utilizing local farms and fresh, currently in-season food while mixing it up in the kitchen. Guests learn how to make a range of dishes with a variety of ingredients.

For upcoming workshops and classes, visit nutritionalhealingllc.com/community.

“We also do corporate wellness. It can be small businesses or large companies, we’ve done it all,” Kim says. “It really depends on goals. We want to get away from the ‘wellness initiatives’ of water challenges or walking a certain number of steps. No one is getting better with those.”

Nutritional Healing conducts group presentations, “Nutrition 101,” and can include body measurements and more for business teams.

Meet the life-changing team at Nutritional Healing!

“Everyone on the team is well-versed in everything,” Kim explains. “So we pair by personality. If a client needs tough love or needs more empathy, we can decide who they should work with.”

Kimberly Stoeger, MS, Owner & Clinical Nutritionist
Kerry Evers, Nutritionist & New Business Development Manager
Brooke Ziglinski, Office Manager & Wellness Account Executive
Lisa Hofacker, Nutrition Counselor & Program Coordinator
Erin Vandomelen, Nutrition Counselor & NH Ambassador
Lindsay Goldthorpe, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Kari Paul, Cookbook Author & Client Relations Specialist
Chef Shelly Platten

The team often hears stories of success that run the gamut of health and well-being: “I didn’t have the surgery,” “I got off this medication,” “I’m not diabetic anymore,” “I don’t have a colostomy bag,” “I have more confidence,” “I got rid of that toxic relationship!”

“It’s humbling,” Kim says. “They did the work; we gave them the tools. They thank us, but they did it! It’s like being a parent—we watch them succeed and grow.”

639 W Ridgeview Dr,
Appleton, WI 54911
nutritionalhealingllc.com
920-358-5764
Connect with Nutritional Healing on Facebook and Instagram: @NutritionalHealingLLC.

Plus join “Healthy at Home – Nutritional Healing” to share recipes and support others on their health journeys!

“We are here for the person who, day after day, is asking why they can’t lose weight, why they have diabetes, why they have heart disease. We meet people where they are. We’re here for them.” —Kimberly Stoeger

“We’re always here for you but you’re not a lifetime member. We want you to fly out of the nest. You got this! The way we teach you to eat you’ll be able to do for the rest of your life.”—Kimberly Stoeger