Meet Jillian
Jillian is a Registered Dietitian and the founder of A Full Plate Nutrition, Inc. After constantly hearing complaints of people putting in the effort to follow a new diet only to either gain the weight back or fail to sustain their health, Jillian created The Full Plate Program to help people finally put an end to the revolving diet cycle. Her approach is realistic, flexible, and puts the unique needs of the individual first and foremost.
When she’s not making a mess in the kitchen, you can find Jillian doing literally anything with her best little bud, Oliver; a white fluffy Maltese who follows her around like a shadow. Oh- and his favorite foods are green apples, kale, and carrots… no kidding. One of Jillian’s favorite things to do is discover new farmer’s markets and healthy food spots. Sometimes things can turn into a real adventure. Her husband came up with the name “The Crazy Kale Adventures” after she may have gotten a little carried away during one of New York City’s biggest snow blizzards. But that’s a story for another time…
HER STORY
Jillian didn’t always have a love for health and nutrition. It wasn’t until she made changes to her own diet and felt better because of it that her interest peaked and passion grew.
As a young girl, Jillian found herself totally addicted to sugar and was stuck in the cycle of over doing it on sweets then over compensating by following a strict “healthy diet” and never finding the balance. Not only that, she experienced persistent low energy, frequent stomach aches, and debilitating PMS. It was a constant diet swing and her efforts never seemed to really stick or quite frankly…work.
It wasn’t until her Mother gifted her the book Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr that she realized the way she was eating could be playing a major role in the way she was feeling. After a few months of shifting her diet to include way more plants and whole-foods, it quickly became clear: food has the power to energize us, reduce the risk for disease, and help us feel better on a daily basis.
She switched things up, learned a new way of cooking, and focused on the quality of her food. Though her steps were small, Jillian continued to adopt more and more healthy habits as she saw and felt an improvement in her health. Ultimately things became like second nature and she found herself in a healthy and happy place that was easy to maintain.
Her personal journey has taught her that true health begins and ends with getting back to nature - choosing foods that nourish, heal, and calm the body (#eattherainbow) rather than foods that cause inflammation, hormonal imbalances, disease, and lead to weight gain (hint, hint: processed foods).
“I take nutrition concepts and teach people how to translate them onto their plate.”
Background & Education
Initially, Jillian had her eyes set on a career in Finance and received a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from Loyola University Maryland. However, ultimately she decided to follow her passion and pursue what she loves - nutrition!
She has earned a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from NYU and completed her dietetic internship of 1200+ supervised practice hours through LIU Post where she is now an adjunct professor working with the rising classes of dietetic interns. She has also obtained a certificate in Culinary Nutrition from The New York Natural Gourmet Institute which taught her how to take nutrition concepts and translate them onto your plate - a FULL plate that is ;-).