Francesca Orlando

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition

About

Food and health are lifelong passions of mine. I grew up in Italy, the country that gave birth to the Slow Food movement. I was raised appreciating the gifts of the land; I was taught to savor every bite, to make every single meal a sensory experience. “When I moved to the United States in 2006, I started eating the standard American diet (the acronym of which is SAD, the irony…) and my health fell apart.” – Francesca Orlando Fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, disturbing rapid weight loss suddenly kicked in. I started my quest towards health, and I probably knocked at the wrong door. The number of specialists I contacted couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.

Thousand of dollars and many trips to the emergency room later, I was finally labeled as an IBS sufferer. I was told that, unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done for me. However I refused to accept that I had to live in pain, that there was no treatment to end my sufferings. Nobody ever asked me about my diet or about the changes I had made since I moved from Italy… I decided to study, research, and join nutrition foundations. And, little by little, I started helping the people around me make better nutritional choices.

Everywhere I looked, the changes were amazing. And friends and family were encouraging me to make a major career change. I was unsatisfied with mainstream nutrition. It seems that nobody knows what real food is anymore. What happened to the traditional diets that had nourished humanity for thousands of years? I wanted to study nutrition and evolution, ancestral diets, and modern nutrition science. That’s when I found the Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, the Weston A. Price Foundation, and the Nutritional Therapy Association*.

Through these organizations I found education, support, and a community of like-minded people. I have studied in depth anatomy and physiology, and the interaction between living organisms and the food that they consume. I graduated as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 2009, and I’ve been helping people get better ever since. In 2011 I studied under Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, and became a Certified GAPS Practitioner. Nutrition is both an ancient and an evolving science. I further my studies taking classes at college level, as well as attending seminars and conferences all over the country.

I urge you to take charge of your life, and never take for granted the impact, positive or negative, that food can have on your health. Whether you are struggling with weight issues, suffering from digestive problems, living in a state of sub-optimal health but you’ve been told there’s nothing wrong with you, or if disease is already afflicting you and compromising the quality of your life, please know that there is hope. I am here to help you rethink nutrition and discover a world of pleasurable eating, fun cooking and experimenting. I will provide you with knowledge, useful resources, yummy recipes, and all the help you will need at every step of the way. You can unlearn what you’ve been taught [and if you are here, probably didn’t make you feel very good], and see that there’s another way. “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates 460 B.C.

Retreats Featuring Francesca

Testimonials

  • Angie C.

    "Francesca has changed my life! I first went to see her 3 years ago to address post-pregnancy weight and sugar handling issues. I knew the food pyramid was not the way to live and I needed help. Francesca really listened, genuinely cared about helping me and conducted an in-depth screening. She is extremely knowledgeable and simply taught me how to nourish my body and the growing bodies of my 2 young children with real, whole foods. Most recently, I had been having gallbladder attacks for over a year. These attacks were painful, occurred almost daily and my PCP suggested that removing the gallbladder was the only treatment available. Francesca was the first person I thought to call and once again she educated me, provided guidance and recommended supplements that have helped reversed my symptoms! Thank you Francesca for providing an invaluable service to our community!"

  • Chiara B.

    "I worked with Francesca for months with her Babies & Bumps program. It was a wonderful experience and we are currently working on my post natal nutrition. Francesca has been an invaluable resource as I navigated fertility issues first, and then the ailments of pregnancy. She has been such wonderful guide, and she is now helping me with post partum nutrition and milk supply. I already know that she will be by my side when I start weaning my baby. She is extremely knowledgeable, comforting, and she has great coaching skills. I definitely recommend women to trust her with their prenatal and post natal care!"

  • Jessica W.

    "Francesca is wonderful, she knows more about nutrition than anyone I’ve ever met! 4 years ago I decided to be a vegetarian, and I ate a lot of soy products. At the same time I started experiencing excessive anxiety, stomach issues, and I was sick all the time. After doing a consultation with Francesca I learned I should stop eating soy because I likely had a sensitivity to it, and she gave me a whole new way of eating. Since then I have felt great, and my anxiety disappeared! What I love most about Francesca’s program is that it makes sense and you never feel like you are on a diet – no counting calories or overly restrictive rules, just healthier choices. I am so grateful for everything I have learned! Thanks Francesca!"