Jennifer Fugo has had one eye on the health industry ever since she started working in her father's ophthalmic practice, overseeing the staff and connecting with the patients.

She noticed that many people were unaware of how their actions affected their wellbeing and desired the knowledge to help them make healthier choices.

Jennifer’s own sensitivities to gluten, casein, and eggs led her to adopt a gluten-free diet and to investigate the benefits of a holistic lifestyle. It wasn’t long before she discovered that IIN and the Health Coach Training Program might be exactly what she needed to achieve a healthy and balanced way of life.

Since graduating in 2009, Jennifer has created a health coaching practice and online community dedicated to helping people make the transition to a gluten-free diet. Passionate about helping others identify what does and doesn’t work for their bodies, she strives to provide them with the tools they need to live a happy, healthy, and gluten-free life.

Read on to learn how IIN helped Jennifer discover a new way of thinking for herself and for others.

What led you to explore the Health Coach Training Program?

I decided to become a Health Coach because I knew that my natural skill set allowed for me to walk people through simple steps and break down complex issues into bite-size nuggets. Because of my own experience in being overwhelmed in changing my diet to one that was gluten-free, I felt that I could really help others who needed to do the same thing. Even my father was impressed with the program, the teachers, and the amount of information that would be shared. He felt that it was a win/win opportunity.

Which topics or speakers made the biggest impact on you?

Dr. Mark Hyman left a huge mark on my understanding of the web of complex cascades in the body.  He helped me to see that the gut is really connected to so much, and why a problem there can affect much more than anyone could even imagine. Andrea Beaman was the most inspiring teacher who taught me how to lead cooking classes. I've taught several semesters of sold out cooking series in my area and I'm now developing an online course for GF folks who don't know how to cook.  Dr. Barry Sears also helped me to understand the importance of inflammation and how devastating it can be when it's allowed to fester and grow thanks to the SAD.

What projects are you currently working on?

I have a busy health coaching practice & online community called Gluten Free School where folks get the help they need to make the transition to a healthy gluten-free diet. I recently launched a new online training program called "Gluten-Free 101: Your Quickstart Guide to going Gluten-Free NOW!" which is perfect for newbies to the diet. They will get straight answers about what steps to take to clean their life out of gluten without breaking their budget.

What makes you and your practice unique?

My practice is completely non-dogmatic and allows participants and clients to feel very welcome to explore the various topics I present. My programming and offerings are completely unique and have cornered problems that are ignored in the gluten-free world. I love presenting research and ground-breaking information that wakes up my community and offers them the opportunity to make changes now rather than later. My coursework is presented online and brings together gluten-free folks from all over the world... urban and rural. It offers them the opportunity to make friends and feel supported and understood.

What do you love about your work?

I love when my clients start to take what they learn and begin to make changes even further than what I coached them to do. My guiding philosophy is "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." And that's what I do... I teach people to fish. They ultimately learn how to thrive and make intelligent, meaningful changes so that going gluten-free really works for them. They feel better and get their life back.

Connect with Jennifer:

On her website

On Facebook

On Twitter