We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tara Torres. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tara below.
Tara, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding my purpose has taken a lot of self-reflection and exploration over the years. I’ve held a variety of jobs in the medical field and had the opportunity to work in different areas of specialty. I suffered the better part of my teens and early 20’s with gastrointestinal issues and was ultimately diagnosed with celiac disease which is an autoimmune disorder. I struggled to feel well despite the recommendation to simply go gluten-free. It took years of studying and learning about nutrition and lifestyle changes to understand what exactly my body needed to heal. Now that I know what it feels like to feel better, I never want to go back! I know what it’s like to struggle to feel well and find my purpose through nutrition counseling in helping others learn exactly what their body needs so they too can heal and lead a life of longevity.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a clinical nutritionist, my goal is to provide innovative nutrition and lifestyle approaches that advance how we care for our bodies and optimize health. I specialize in autoimmune, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and other metabolic health conditions. With an M.S. in Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine, I use scientific, evidence-based nutrition medicine that addresses the underlying root cause of disease. Functional medicine is an individualized, patient-centered approach to medicine. Functional medicine addresses the root cause of someone’s disease and treats from a holistic point of view. This includes using lifestyle modifications, nutrition, and supplements as needed, as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Functional medicine and nutrition work great alongside traditional medicine. So whether you’re trying lose weight or struggling with some other condition such as diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver, diverticulosis, reflux, etc. nutrition and lifestyle interventions often improve the effectiveness of many medications or even reduce the need for some.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Passion: Ultimately my passion to heal through a food as medicine approach is what has kept me interested in nutritional medicine. What we choose to eat and expose ourselves too through our environment is so impactful for better or worse. Understanding how food, toxins, stress, exercise, sleep, etc. affects our health has been incredibly eye opening and made a significant impact on not just my own health, but my clients as well.
Self-Discipline: I’ve done majority of my post high-school education online which takes an incredible amount of self-discipline. Going to school online is appealing to me because of the flexibility it offers while maintaining a full-time job, parenting, and all the other things life throws at us. However, the deadlines are still there and you need to have the self-discipline and organization to complete the assigned tasks, readings, lectures, and more on time.
Drive: My drive comes from an area of necessity as a mom of two kids. My children are what motivate me to continue my education and pursue entrepreneurship. Working for myself was never something I envisioned, but came at a time in my kids lives and my education where I needed more flexibility. I love that I get to work my own hours and pursue school while still being there for my kids. I’m able to drop them off and pick them up from school, take them to practice and games, and be there for them when they’re sick. Working for myself also allows me to have the creative control I desire to grow a thriving business that will have a healthy impact on the community around us.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for other medical, health and wellness professionals to collaborate with! I’ve had the opportunity to speak at Universities such as the University of Texas Medical Branch, on television with Houston Life, serve on local wellness committees, podcasts, and interview with gyms, and private practices such as gastroenterology, oncology, chiropractic, endocrinology, primary care, and more. I enjoy using social media as a platform to share what I’m passionate about and connect with others who are too. If you are a medical doctor, chiropractor, personal trainer, chef, or other nutrition professional, lets connect!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://skytherapeutic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taratorresnutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skytherapeutics
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/taratorresnutrition
