Paula Denoncourt
Paula DenoncourtCHHC, AADP
Certified Holistic Health Counselor Raw Food Educator & Coach

My Story

My journey first began when I discovered I had food allergies. This happened gradually. I noticed a few times I had to drink a lot of water to be able to swallow my food. Eventually, this escalated into anaphylactic shock. I figured out that I was allergic to something. I went to Doctors for help, both my primary care physician and an allergy Dr. I also went to a Nutritionist as well. I found that these people really didn’t know much about multiple food allergies or how to alleviate them except to avoid the food. I knew I had to be an advocate for myself. I began reading and studying everything about Health and Nutrition. I soon realized I wanted to help other people with other illnesses. This is where my true journey began.

I took an on-line Nutrition course and decided I wanted to learn more so I enrolled at Worcester State College for a B. S. Degree in Health. By coincidence, I had to write an English paper on obesity which is how I found Alex Jamieson Spurlock (from the movie “Supersize Me”) Alex is a Holistic Health Counselor who was a major influence in my life. She taught me so many things about eating whole food and the healing effects on the body. I learned how to prepare so many different kinds of foods like quinoa, millet, amaranth, and sea veggies like kombu. I learned to look deep at myself and find what was missing in my life. I not only used her influence in my own life but have shared much of this knowledge with my clients as well as many others around me.

My next biggest influence is Debbie Kuenzel who is a Chiropractor specializing in Advanced Nutrition Response Testing. This is based on muscle testing otherwise known as kinesiology. Debbie has shown me what foods don’t agree with my body so I know what to avoid.

My next teacher that has influenced me is Betsy Bragg. Betsy teaches a class based on Hippocrates “Let Food be Thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food.” I learned the proper way to combine foods so it is healing to the body. Her class brought a wealth of knowledge about raw foods and the healing benefits to the body. I didn’t even know what wheatgrass was before this class. We had many guest speakers who are experts in raw food such as specialty chefs and healers. We also learned new recipes and how to grow things like sprouts.

My last influence, of course, is The New York School of Integrative Nutrition. Joshua Rosenthal is founder and teacher of the school. Joshua is so upbeat and energetic. You can’t help but feel a positive energy. He has made so many changes in the world such as “Go Green Harlem” and incorporating healthy food into schools. I had the best guest speakers like Bernie Seigal, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Barry Sears, Dr. Andrew Weil and Marion Nestle to name a few.

I have learned so much about different dietary theories and how it should be bio-individual. No one diet works for everyone. I learned this the hard way. You need to listen to your body and find what works for you. I have had so many mentors in this journey, this is only to name a few. It has taken me several years to figure out how to control food allergies. I now know how to control it. I have also learned about other illnesses and ways to alleviate some of those symptoms as well. Our bodies can heal itself if we give it the right tools. I look forward to working with you and helping you with your journey to wellness.