Jackie Shank, MS, RD, LD/N

Jackie Shank is a nutrition expert with over 20 years of experience in the field of nutrition and health. She has seen over two thousand patients for nutrition counseling, and has helped hundreds lose weight. Currently, she maintains a private practice at Healing Waters Clinic and Herb Shop, a wholistic health center in St. Augustine, Florida. Here, surrounded by alternative healers, hundreds of herbs, and a hefty dose of creative energy, Jackie offers nutrition therapy for weight loss and chronic diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, chronic fatigue, and allergies. She also offers wellness counseling to clients who are free from chronic disease and want to stay that way. Her philosophy is simple: She believes in using excellent food to heal, and to help attain and preserve vibrant health.

Education and Credentials

A solid, science-based education
Florida State University in Tallahassee was the site of Jackie's formal education, where she received both BS and MS degrees in nutrition. While in graduate school she studied under Dr. Phyllis Acosta, a world renowned expert in the nutritional management of human metabolic disorders. Jackie's original research for her thesis involved assessing the adequacy of two critical antioxidants, selenium and vitamin E, in children. The results of her research were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and were presented at an international science convention.

Advanced training
Jackie is a licensed nutritionist (LD/N) through the State of Florida Department of Health and holds the credential of Registered Dietitian (RD) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association. She has advanced training in several areas of nutrition, including diabetes management and functional medicine. Also, Jackie has studied under Ellyn Satter, one of the nation's foremost experts in disordered eating, and is a certified graduate of Satter's Treating the Dieting Casualty program.

Experience

The early years
Jackie began her career employed as a public health nutritionist, where she taught pregnant women how to nourish their bodies with good food, and educated them about the nutritional needs of their growing infants and children. She also worked as a dietitian supervisor in an 1100-bed hospital and as a district nutritionist (State of Florida) where she surveyed state facilities for compliance with health codes.

A new business-renewed passion
In 1990 Jackie formed Southeast Nutrition Consultants, Incorporated, a health and nutrition consulting firm. In this capacity Jackie secures projects involving menu development, food labeling, and nutrient analyses, and consults for numerous medical groups as well.

Advocating for the rights of developmentally challenged individuals
Under the auspices of her consulting firm, Jackie has developed an expertise in the area of developmental disabilities. She is a certified provider of dietary/nutrition services under Florida's Medicaid Waiver Program and is northeast Florida's leader in providing nutrition therapy to qualified children and adults, including those with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, and other developmental challenges.

Spreading the word about good nutrition
Freelance writing is an area where Jackie fulfills one of her true passions-translating research into practical information for consumers. She's had articles published in Men's Fitness, New Body, Living Well Today, The Dietary Manager Magazine, The Tampa Tribune, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Clarion-Ledger, and the San Antonio Express-News.

Innovation

A new and different-weight loss program
In 1998, Jackie developed the Whole Health Diet, a wholistic weight management program that focuses not just on good nutrition and dietary habits, but includes restoring inner balance and harmony as well. For example, clients learn how to tame cravings and quell emotional overeating. They learn to master the "right-brain" eating style of naturally thin people. And they discover the skinny power of excellent, natural food for weight loss and good health.

A self-healing triumph
Jackie's interest in complementary health and natural healing was born years ago, after curing herself from chronic sinus infections using natural methods. Traditional allopathic medicine offered little relief to the pain and congestion of recurring sinus problems, so Jackie turned to a cleaner, healthier way of eating, along with facial accupressure, aromatherapy, and Chinese herbs. She hasn't suffered from a sinus infection in over five years.

Herbs and natural healing
This self-healing victory led to more intense study of traditional healing paradigms including Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbs. Jackie is currently enrolled in the East West School of Herbology under the direction of two well-known herbalists and authors-Michael Tierra and Lesley Tierra. Jackie is apprenticing under the guidance of Laurence Layne, Herbalist and owner of Healing Waters Clinic and Herb Shop in St. Augustine, Florida. Here, Jackie gains clinical experience in using herbs to heal and to maintain good health.