About Alissa
Official Bio
Alissa Glenn is a certified Holistic Health Coach and the founder of Eat Happy, LLC. Combining her loves for delicious food and optimal wellness, she is passionate about enabling others to live their best lives possible through healthy eating and self-empowerment. Alissa received her nutrition training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City, the largest nutrition school in the country, and is accredited from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP).
Before becoming a Health Coach, Alissa received a BA in Economics and English from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, and a MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. She spent several years working as a strategy consultant to Fortune 500 companies and Federal government agencies before starting Eat Happy, LLC.
Why I became a Health Coach
For as long as I can remember, I have loved food. I love the perfect simplicity of a fresh local peach and the exquisiteness of a masterfully prepared French croissant. I also love the way that food brings people together – a leisurely meal shared with family and friends is my absolute favorite way to spend an evening.
But starting in my late-teens I began a long battle to balance my love for food with my need to get my body functioning optimally. Painful IBS started my first week in college – it continued on to be a debilitating condition that medication, fiber supplements, and multiple doctors did not alleviate. Two years later I started getting migraines, then chronic sinus infections and frustrating environmental and food allergies. Somehow, I thought, these problems must be inter-related. Though I was generally healthy by any western medical standard, I frequently felt like the sickest “healthy” person I knew, and I worried that these conditions were indicators of a bigger battle in my body that could ultimately lead to something more dangerous.
It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the Institute for Integrative Nutrition that I finally got some answers, some understanding for what was going on in my body, and the right tools to bring my life and body into balance. As a Health Coach I have the pleasure of supporting my clients along their own journey of healing, self-discovery, and self-empowerment.
My Food Philosophy
First what I am not – I am not a no-fat, low-fat, vegan, Atkins, South Beach, or any other dogma of diet guru. I am also not the food police (you do not need to feel guilty for eating a donut in front of me!). My favorite food is pizza – good Italian, thin-crust pizza. And my favorite dessert is crème-bruleé!
For daily eating I like to eat simple, tasty whole foods that I have found make my body feel great. Vegetables, whole grains, and high-quality proteins cooked in fast and easy methods provide endless options that are also kind to my schedule and budget. Check my blog for current favorite recipes. That said, I do love to indulge. My lovely husband, a good Italian, feeds me delicious homemade pasta on a regular basis, and I love visiting one of Cleveland’s many excellent restaurants for a special occasion.
I am also passionate about locally-grown small-farm produce. I eat locally whenever possible, and find that you don’t have to do much to a fruit or vegetable to make it taste outstanding when it has been picked that morning or the day before. We are lucky in Cleveland to have a strong, dedicated, and growing community of local food producers and advocates. For more information on some of my favorite restaurants and farmers’ markets, check the Resources page.
It has been a long and oftentimes frustrating journey for me to find a way of eating and self-care that works for me. But it’s all been worth it, because I’m now in a position to help others along their own path to wellness. It IS possible to be well, to put away the medications, to wake up with energy, and to live life on your terms. To learn how I can support you, please click here to email or give me a call today at 440-785-0379.
Articles – By and About
Edible Cleveland – Summer 2012
Check out Alissa’s Article about cooking with your kids. The Kid’s Table article includes a list of ten things even a toddler can do in the kitchen.
Inside Business Magazine, July/August 2011
Alissa is featured in the One to Watch section of Inside Business a local business magazine for northeast Ohio. Alissa discusses how she got into nutrition and the challenges of starting a new business.