Graydon: This is Jordana and we are going to be talking about holistic nutrition, which is truly what I'm obsessed about! There's such a strong relationship between your skin and your diet, so I'm really excited to be having this conversation. And I was thinking before we get into this interview we can do a grounding ritual together. So I have some of our Germs Away Aromablend. With the weather changing and getting colder, its nice to use a bit of this because it has some nice energetic and immune boosting properties. 

Jordana: It smells so good! 

Graydon: Just apply a few drops to your palm and rub them together before closing your eyes and bringing your palms close to your face and taking a deep breath in and place your hands over your heart. 

Jordana: I feel so much calmer. That was so nice! 

Graydon: So tell us a little bit about you!

Jordana: So I'm a nutritionists and I run the account @ihartnutrition on Instagram and website. I started about seven years ago and my practice has always been centered around helping woman have better relationships with food and their body. I specialized in eating disorders for a private clinic for about four years and I always had @ihartnutrition as a hobby, as it was a way for me to share recipes and health and wellness tips. In the past two years it has become more of my full time job and [I have been] collaborating with different brands. I spend way more time on social media now! And I guess why people turn to me is that I offer more of a balanced approach to nutrition. I believe in moderation. I'll have a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine sometimes without feeling guilty. 

Graydon: That's great. Guilt can cause so much stress. 

Jordana: Yes and especially with something like food it's suppose to be nourishing and if somebody is calling a meal part of their 'cheat day' and feels guilty about it, that's stressful. 

Graydon: Now a days it's a lot easier to go to farmer's markets and find superfoods or look online, but I remember back in the day these things weren't as accessible. Junk food like diet coke, red licorice and Swiss Chalet was a common meal we had at home.

Jordana: Yes, I remember even in high school I would buy chocolate bars and chips every single day. I had no idea that what I ate was connected to my skin, my body, my mood. 

Graydon: Well it looks like you did more than survive! You're a glowing example of what you do. I feel that many people in the holistic field get there because they've had to deal with some personal struggles. Did you experience some challenges along the way both personal and career wise? How did you make it look so easy?

Jordana: The reason why I started was because I suffered from acne-prone skin. I always heard food was connected to acne and I remember reading about it and being intrigued. In university I had such low energy and I thought the solution was to start eating all these fat-free products in my diet. For me I associated fat-free with wellness and it actually made me feel worse. I was bloated, inflamed and probably at a heavier weight than I ever was trying to make all these low fat changes. So nutrition became a hobby for me. I actually always thought I would be a lawyer but I remember seeing a nutritionist after university and fell in love with what she was teaching me. So I found out what school she went to and started looking at programs available. I took a year off and became a nutritionist and I said to myself let's see if I can turn this into a career within a year, and if not, it'll just be my hobby. So that's how I got into nutrition - and I learned food was so much more than just food, and nutrition was so much more than nutrition, and weight is more than just weight, and skin is more than just skin! 

Graydon: That's great! 

Jordana: So at this time I was still struggling with acne prone skin and I turned to nutrition and supplements to help with my skin problems. I made some big changes. Five years ago, I developed a rare skin blood disease and I remember waking up and felt like something bit me on my leg. I remember my stomach hurt, my legs were inflamed but the doctor said it was nothing. But I just knew in my heart something was wrong. In two weeks I developed boils all over my body and it was a rare form of vasculitis, a rare inflammation of your blood cells. I was devastated because there was no treatment. I was in and out of hospitals and seeing dermatologists but got no answers. It was spreading and I was in so much pain and felt so self conscious. Especially as someone who has dealt with acne in the past I was just hyper sensitive about this skin condition. So what I ended up doing was completely changing my diet, removing foods that were causing inflammation and within six weeks my skin cleared. I still had scars but through using diet and oils, that also cleared up too. 

Graydon: Wow!

Jordana: So that was the kicker for me to really take care of myself. Self-care is so much more than feeling energized and maintaining weight. Skin, food, what you put on your skin, it's all interconnected. So that also made me really want to share my knowledge with people. That's my summary [laughs].

Graydon: It's unfortunate that so many of us have to undergo a crisis in order for us to think about living a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Jordana: I think that everyone has a journey and struggles with something. A lot of people dismiss what their bodies are telling them and just think headaches, or anxiety are normal. But a lot of people who are suffering from anxiety don't even know they are anxious, they just think they are having a bad day. 

Graydon: There's sometimes definitely a disconnection people have with their bodies, but my parents as an example, and have gone through a lot of health issues. Heart disease is a form of inflammation; gout is a form of inflammation. They take so many pills and they don't really understand if they made different choices 30 years ago or even now that would help. 

Jordana: It's extra challenging seeing family members struggling. You might be fine now but give it ten years! 

Graydon: There would be so much less strain on the system if people started eating two more servings of vegetables a day. Tell me, now that you are well and have a thriving business, what gets you up in the morning? 

Jordana: I get excited to go to bed so I can wake up in the morning [laughs]. Drink my coffee, put on my diffuser with some lavender oil, and lately I've realized that having an intention for the morning is very helpful. I'm lucky, I live by myself so when I wake up I get alone time to relax and listen to jazz music, write in my journal. Getting grounded in the morning sets me up for success. Just jumping out of bed and starting your day can be stressful. So even if you have a stressful job, lots of kids and a nagging husband, I tell my clients just take 5 minutes in the morning to relax.

Graydon: I so relate to that. The life of an entrepreneur is not relaxing, I work quite late into the evening. Lately I've turned my mornings into some me-time. Grounding time, just to breathe and make a drink gives me energy before walking into the office. 

Jordana: You'll also be a better version of you when you are able to support yourself. People who run businesses often feel guilty about coming in a bit later in the day but you are always on and working 24/7. So in order for you to be your best self, you need that alone time. 

Graydon: Thank you, I've been holding onto that guilt which is not good for your skin. How do you take care of your skin? 

Jordana: I've always had a weird relationship with skin since I'm so acne prone. I'm very cautious about what I use and really focus on keeping my skin hydrated. I use a ton of products. At night I wash with a cleansing milk and then follow up with a grape water spray. Then I use an all natural toner, just dab some on a cotton pad and spread it over my face. Then I use a vitamin C serum and finally a moisturizer. It's pretty thorough! I often wear make up and remove that with coconut oil. Also I use make up remover wipes which I know not everyone is crazy about but I just like knowing that everything is completely off my face. I also use a jade roller four times a week and just started dry brushing. 

Graydon: Oh good! Dry brushing is a great alternative to a more aggressive exfoliation. We also have a sponge that's great for exfoliating the face. Have you tried double cleansing? 

Jordana: I've tried it before but I haven't stuck with it. Do you think that would be helpful? And then after a shower I'll make sure to moisturizer. I notice especially during the winter my skin gets incredibly dry. So I'm trying to add some moisture back in and want to get more comfortable using oils. 

Graydon: One of my favourite cheat tips is before hoping into the shower, oil your body up like our All Over Elixir or even just sesame oil, sunflower, olive oil. Lots of options. Use a scrub and rub the oil in circular motions and allow it to penetrate. Your skin will be soft afterwards. 

Jordana: I need to try this. 

Graydon: We actually have a pre cleanser, our Keto Cleanse, start off with that and then follow up with a foam cleanser. The Keto Cleanse is also a great eyelash conditioner, gets rid of dirt and grime.

Jordana: Do you also have any tips on conditioning hair? My hair gets so dry. 

Graydon: You look like you have fine hair like me. I'll use an essential oil blend on my roots to wake up my scalp. It's helpful especially when you have fine hair. Just a few drops and then use your fingers to massage your scalp. 

Jordana: Something I neglect is my hair follicles. I got a facial recently, and my facialist mentioned that's great for hair. 

Graydon: I really love yogurt mask. You don't have to have dairy yogurt either. Coconut yogurt can also work. It's quite moisturizing because of the high fat content, it just puts the moisture back into your hair and the lactic acid gets rid of buildup. We also have a great conditioner called the Hair Smoothie.

Jordana: Can you use the Hair Smoothie as a leave in treatment?

Graydon: Yes you can definitely use it as more of a hair mask - just rinse it out afterwards. 

Jordana: I'll try that for sure. 

Graydon: Can you recommend three things that would benefit your hair, skin and nails?

Jordana: I would recommend collagen supplement which benefits your skin and hair. Blend it up in a coffee or smoothie. Marine collagen is very easy to digest and absorb. Number two is coconut. I love coconut and I think adding that into your diet is helpful. 

Graydon: What do you love about coconut oil? Is it because of the fat or the lauric acid? 

Jordana: I feel like we live in a society where everyone is a little fat-phobic, so its really lacking in people's diet. Especially in the winter, it really lubricates your body. And lastly I would recommend avocado oil. Really easy to incorporate into your diet. You can make a chocolate pudding out of it or add it to a salad. 

Graydon: I feel like we should brainstorm and come up with a skin smoothie using those three ingredients 

Jordana: Definitely! I would love that.