I grew up in Guadalajara, Jal. Mexico. Yes, amazing weather all year round, street markets with fresh produce every day. Ripe papayas, on point avocados, heirloom corn varieties, and all the other wonderful things you can imagine. But with all the good things, also comes the bad. High crime rate, social inequality, environmental pollution and overall, a very stressful pace of life.
When I moved to Canada, after completing my bachelor’s in communications, I came to Regina and pursued a diploma in 3D animation and game design followed by a certificate in public relations. Workwise I worked in a couple non-profit organizations and then moved to the financial world. But there was always something missing, and through life experiences and soul searching if you will, I began rediscovering what I wanted to be when I grew up.
It all began with aromatherapy certifications, then a couple nutrition diplomas and other certifications, that eventually landed me in the path of Herbal Medicine. I appreciate intense and structured learning, hence the program I picked would take me four years of full-time study, along with 500 hours of supervised clinical training to complete. This would allow me to join the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIHM), which is the oldest formal association for highly trained Medical Herbalists.
After an intense decade of work and being a student, my body asked me to take a break. I needed to recharge so I took a much-needed "sabbatical". During this time, my own health took a tumble as well. And when consulting with a group of peers the suggestion was for me to lose weight, though my main issue was gynecological in nature. This was one of my first times experiencing weight stigma. And although there have been others, I want to acknowledge that as a small-fat person I still hold a lot of body privilege.
About Julianna
Education history:
Dip. Herbal Medicine (Heartwood professional program, UK)
Dip. Natural Nutrition (Canadian school of natural nutrition)
Dip. Orthomolecular Nutrition (The RenaiSanté Institute)
Dip. Clinical Aromatherapist (Franklin Institute of Wellness, Weast Coast Institute)
Cert. Women's Herbal Educator (HMW Dr. Aviva Romm)
Cert. Gut Restoration Nutritional Advisor TM (Health Science Academy)
Cert. Fertility Nutritional Advisor TM (Health Science Academy)
Cert. Family Herbalist (Vintage Remedies)
Cert. Aromatic Medicine (NY Institute of Aromatherapy)
Cert. Natural Skin Care Formulation (Vintage Remedies and School of Natural Skin Care)
Non-herb related education:
Bachelor of Science in Communications
Dip. 3D Animation and Game Design
Cert. Public Relations
As part of my continuing education requirements and personal development goals, I continue to learn more about nutrition, plant medicine, and other subjects of interest.
Random facts about me:
I have dealt with anxiety most of my life
95% of my clothing is black
I have 6 large tattoos (2 unfinished)
I have three Pomeranian mix dogs
Tend to spend too much time watching or listening to crime stories. The criminal/human mind fascinates me!
Some of my favorite foods are tacos, barbacoa, pozole, chocolate and tres leches cake
I always wanted to be a singer, and my dream was to pursue a music degree. But family pressure made me give that up
Enjoy playing board games - always open to sugestions
I like to grow a garden every year, but I am far from having a green thumb
From here on, it was all like a domino effect... I discovered radical self-love, and intuitive eating. I confronted the fact that my relationship with food and my own body was broken. It had been for a long time but didn’t quite face it until then. This also brought to light how I was promoting “diluted” diet culture and weight-stigma messages mascaraed as health promoting.
I am still working on healing my relationship with food and my body, knowing this will be a long-term journey. But I am making a conscious decision to avoid diet culture related language and content in my practice and daily life. Thus, my practitioner role continues to evolve with my personal experience and growth. And so, I redefined myself as ‘Your anti-diet Herbalista’.
So, what do I mean by "anti-diet Herbalista"? It means that my approach includes gentle nutrition and health promoting behaviours. Not fad or restrictive diets, nor fear mongering to eliminate foods with no need - I mean if you are allergic to nuts, you shouldn’t eat them! But if you are not, there is no reason to eliminate them based on a single component of their chemical composition.
It also means that when we work together, we look at ways to improve and build upon your preferences, while also being mindful of your cultural traditions. Because despite what diet culture has led us to believe, our cultural foods matter and are nourishing. Part of my own journey too has been to rediscover those foods, flavours and pleasures that diet culture had taken away from me, because they were "wrong".