Meet the Experts: Emily Loss

Here at CBDistillery®, we know that taking charge of your health and wellness is a daunting task and it's sometimes overwhelming to know whose recommendations to rely upon.

Transparency is key to our approach in every aspect of our business, which is why we wanted to introduce a series of conversations with CBDistillery® staff as well as other experts in their fields. We hope that these conversations will offer more information about our company and products and help foster trust in our products.

For our latest edition, Content Strategist Adrian Crawford sat down with CBDistillery Senior Brand Manager and Certified Wellness Coach Emily Loss to discuss her inspiration to pursue qualifications in holistic wellness, how she came to be interested in functional health and her favorite ways to incorporate a balanced diet.

Adrian Crawford: First things first. Can you give me an idea of what being a certified wellness coach entails? 

Emily Loss: A certified wellness coach is there to advocate for you and be your mentor/partner in creating a healthier lifestyle. My program will give you a head start to your health and wellness transformation that will save your years of learning on your own. A resource to help you heal in a sustainable way that will help you reach and then, most importantly, maintain optimal health.  

When you work with me, we dig deep into your symptoms, roadmap your health, and take a bio-individual, root cause approach to ensure our work together is tailored to what your unique body needs. 

I want to teach you to nourish your body, without feeling like you must be doing everything "perfect".  

AC: Next up, the origin story. What first sparked your interest in wellness coaching and what has the journey been like along the way? 

EL: What really catapulted me into wellness, listening to your body, and taking care of myself from a more holistic standpoint has been my journey with gut health. I struggled with some gut issues in college, that were a combination of high stress/anxiety, poor nutrition choices, and being a typical college kid, staying out late, etc.  

Having a health scare like this in college really made things real for me, when you don’t feel like yourself you realize that your health is everything. I dove very deeply into healing my body myself through reading all that I could on gut health and healing, the natural way. Being on medications did not sit well with me.  

I know that my struggles are extremely common, and the sense of pride and accomplishment I got when I started to feel better as a result of changing my diet and lifestyle lit a spark inside of me, and made me want to share all that I had taught myself with others. I wanted to let people know that they are not alone, and they can heal with the proper education and dedication to themselves. 

AC: What challenges, in your experience, have the past few years presented for people in terms of creating the best opportunities for themselves in terms of self-care and wellness? 

EL: I think that one of the main challenges that could also be viewed as a positive, is the plethora of information out there now around self-care and wellness. It seems that Instagram is flooded with advice, and people speaking about what they have done to become healthier or more fit versions of themselves, and so it’s hard to sift through and find what actually might work for your bio-individual needs. This is where it’s so valuable invest in yourself and work with a health coach that can put your unique puzzle together, and really make significant and sustainable changes to be the healthiest and happiest version of you. Remember, what works for one person may very well not work for another! 

I also have seen a decline in mental health with many people that I have spoken to. When it comes to Instagram and the highlight reel, it can be… people get down on themselves quickly if they don’t look like a certain fitness influencer, or if they don’t have the money to take all of the fancy and expensive supplements. Comparison is never healthy, and so the challenge that I would give you is to spend less time scrolling, and more time tuning into you and your unique health journey.  

AC: How does your wellness coaching gel with your day job? 

EL: Well, right now I am finishing school and will be graduating in May 2023. I have taken on a few clients that I am helping pro bono right now, but my main focus is getting through school and absorbing as much information as possible. This looks like a lot of early mornings and late nights before and after my day job begins/ends. It doesn’t feel daunting like “school-work” can though, because I genuinely enjoy it, and am so deeply passionate.  

AC: Was there a particular “lightbulb moment” during your training that opened up your understanding of wellness or brought it all into focus? 

EL: Hmmm. I think moreso I had a light bulb moment around how valuable having someone in your corner is when you are navigating your health. I really had to teach myself everything that led me through my healing and spent hours doing so, with a lot of trial and error. I think that I would have been able to heal much faster and with a lot more empowerment if I had someone to ask questions to, and to support and encourage me. 

AC: I know you’re a whiz in the kitchen. What’s your approach to the meals you make and how can folks who might not be brave enough to cook for themselves but want to learn get started? 

EL: Focusing on incorporating more whole, first-generation foods is always the biggest step, and cutting back on processed foods. Food is medicine! 

I always like to make sure that my meals are “balanced”, so that blood sugar stays stable throughout the day. This will help with so many things, but a few of my favs are digestion, hormones and energy levels. Your plate should always contain a protein, healthy fat and a source of fiber. 

A great way to set yourself up for success is to make sure that you have a few different foods prepped, that you can create a lot of different meals from for the week. For me, this looks like having chicken breasts cooked, and some type of slow- cooked meat, three or four different roasted veggies, and then a brown rice, quinoa or legume. From there, you can mix and match these staples, and season each meat/veggie with different spices to have quick nutritious bowls for lunch and dinner! 

AC: Last one. Can you share with us a tip that anyone can try or implement in their daily lives as an easy boost for their wellness routines? 

EL: The one tip that I am extremely hot on right now is adding minerals to your water for ultimate hydration.  

Drinking lots of water is one of the most significant ways to improve your health - but is your water doing EVERYTHING that it possibly can for you? Or could you be even more hydrated, on a deep cellular level? 
 
You might be surprised to learn that water does not contain minerals when it falls from the sky—the minerals actually come from contact with ground soil. But modern agricultural practices have led to widespread soil depletion. These minerals used to be available in our rich soil, but now they’re not, and that is an issue. 
 
Also, with the water filtration that we now need to use to keep our water safe, we are removing the bad stuff but also a lot of the good stuff as well, which is why adding minerals back into your water is so important. 
 
I like to call minerals the spark plugs of the body! They are involved in almost every important process and help with crucial things like calming the nervous system, optimizing digestion, improving moods, sleep health, immune system, libido, hormone balance, energy… the list goes on and on!