Meet Emily Brown | MS, Integrative + Functional Nutrition Practitioner, CEO Genetic Garden

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Genetic Garden came to be when I was at CSULB getting my master’s in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition when my mom received her 23andMe results. Her interpretation of the results, without any genetic or biochemistry knowledge would have been harmful for her health longterm. Specifically, she does not carry the ACTN gene, which gives our muscles an extra “power protein”. Think sprinters and bodybuilders. So, the results stated: you are meant for endurance exercises like walking, rather than weight training. Yes, everyone should incorporate endurance style workouts, however, we need to exploit our weakness in order to have longevity. So, being a woman who was post-menopause, 2 factors that lead to bone density issues, it was EXTRA important for her to also include resistance training with weights in order to offset those lifestyle factors that lead to weak bones. I knew I needed to help people translate these test results into meaningful daily actions. That’s where Genetic Garden originated.

Then, I was finding the scope of my clientele was limited because I only had a masters. So, I went back to school to become a Practitioner of Integrative and Functional Medicine. This has allowed me to work with hormones, toxins, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental/food sensitivities through functional testing. That means, we can figure out each persons’ weaknesses or predispositions, take out the guess work, and get specific with healing.

I began the Holistic Hormone Academy last year to great success. It’s a small female-only 6-week group class that aims to optimize women’s health for those with fertility in their future, trying to conceive, or mom’s looking to refocus their attention on their bodies. The group also provides an intimate support system that has been extremely powerful in an otherwise confusing or isolating time.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Genetic Garden takes a client-centric, heart-centered approach. Each client is as unique as their genetic or hormonal makeup. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology and I have found that to be extremely valuable when creating each client’s customized wellness roadmap. What is your WHY for working with me? A person’s motivations are integral to their success. If that motivation is extrinsic: weight, appearance, others’ expectations vs intrinsic: energy, strength, mood stability, then it’s a recipe for failure. We always begin with a conversation to figure out where the person is (health, history, struggles) and where they want to be- their goal. It’s essential to the process that the goal is an intrinsic value and that’s something that I help each client realize. My goal for my 1:1 client work is to give people the resources and tools to take their health into their own hands. At-home testing gives you the ability to gain insights about your health at any time. This is how we can get ahead of chronic illnesses, to be better at preventative healthcare, to stay out of hospitals, and most importantly, take ownership of our health.  I am here to translate the results of those testings into daily action to help realize the goals of each individual.

I am most excited about my Holistic Hormone Academy because it focuses on an area of healthcare that is overwhelmingly overlooked: women. Most healthcare, testing, results, stats are heavily centered around men, which is why women are so misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and often disregarded. The academy provides a safe space for women to go from lonely and ignored to supported and heard. It’s a 6-week program that begins making changes in week 1, with the ultimate goal of optimizing women’s health. They receive weekly tasks, resources, shopping lists, meal plan templates, weekly exercises + detox recipes, all based on their functional test results. It’s highly customizable and catered to each woman’s needs. 

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am lucky to live in Newport Beach, CA so we’ll enjoy the weather out and about! First, I’d cook us a nourishing hormone-balancing breakfast, thinking egg + veggie frittata with coffee and coconut creamer. Then, we’d hop on bikes with my dog Maisy in the back basket and cruise the boardwalk as long as it goes. We’d bike into Lido Village to casually walk the shops, grab a matcha at Hearst, and walk until we wanted a lunch bowl at Zinque. These brown rice bowls come with anything from smoked salmon to chicken + arugula and pair nicely with a french red wine. We’d head to the beach to relax until it was time for dinner. My go-to, The Dock. It’s an adorable, family-owned, seasonal restaurant nestled right on the water in the Bay.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It was a long journey with unyielding support from my mom, Robin! She pushed me to continue my education as far as I could, a trait she inherited from her dad, David, a forever student and my north star in life and love.  My favorite books that inspired me along the way: The Telomere Effect by Elizabeth Blackburn PhD and Elissa Epel PhD, Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan M.D., and The Genomic Kitchen by Amanda Archibald RD

Website: https://www.genetic-garden.com/

Instagram: genetic_garden

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-brown-genetic-garden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geneticgardenco/

Other: Holistic Hormone Academy landing page: https://www.genetic-garden.com/holistic-hormone-academy

Image Credits
Jazley Faith, Camryn Clair