Photo by Neidy Gutierrez / SOC Images.
Marcia Brown needed answers.
And when it came to her health, she wasn’t getting much of that; “What’s causing it? What do I need to do? What are my options?” The 15 to 20 minute doctor appointments weren’t giving her the time she needed.
So, in 2021 Brown started Nutriswell, her health and wellness practice, to give people the time they deserve and answer their questions. Now, four years later, Brown is celebrating the official launch of the practice as well as her doctoral graduation; with that, she aims to leverage her scientific knowledge of nutrition and behavioral coaching for the benefit of individuals and the overall community who are seeking a healthier life.
“I am advocating for social determinants of health to help decrease the health disparities in the underserved communities. I think so much more can be done. For example, my PhD research focused on the needs, challenges and desires of menopausal women. And I recognize that there is such a huge need and a gap in the underserved community,” Brown told Slice of Culture.
“And in order to bridge that gap, we need to provide services and food and education to help.”
Brown’s rooftop launch and celebration will kick off on Saturday, June 14 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the 15th floor of the Dream Hotel, located at 210 West 55th Street in New York. For media inquiries or to request access to the event, you can contact: [email protected].
The Root Of Nutriswell + ‘Eat What Your Ancestors Eat’
When Brown began having health challenges, she did what everyone should do: see a doctor.
But the steps that came afterward weren’t as simple; instead of “adequate” explanations and receiving other options, Brown was advised to just take pills.
“I’m a more holistic person, I’m not interested in pills,” Brown explained. “[And] I didn’t get the opportunity to speak with them about other options… so I was inspired to start Nutriswell to offer people the time that they need to address their overall health.”
In addition to limited time with doctors and shortage of appointments, BIPOC individuals are also disproportionately uninsured, leading to limited access to general healthcare services.
Out of necessity for herself and others like her, Nutriswell was started on Jan. 11, 2021. The practice—whose name is a combination of nutrition and wellbeing—has helped several clients—a term she uses loosely—and has also “donated over 1,700 community-based hours to people who need [help] and are not able to afford nutrition related services.”
When Brown, who is Nutriswell’s chief nutrition officer, was coming up with her business, she said she took her Jamaican and Scottish heritage into consideration. Not only does she incorporate a bit of playfulness in her business—inspired by her Caribbean culture—but also in how she conducts her services.
“What a lot of people don’t understand is that genetically we have the genes from both parents, and… those genes present themself in our eating habits,” Brown smiled.
“And so a lot of times people ask me, ‘What do I eat?’ Well, eat what your ancestors eat because you have the enzymes that you’re programmed to from your parents to be able to digest those foods properly. And so with me, I always look at people’s ancestry, just to give me a sense of what it is they should be eating and I advise people to eat what your ancestors eat.”
Nutriswell, which is physically based out of Guttenberg, offers coaching on:
- Nutrition education
- Diabetes support
- Metabolic health
- Cardiovascular disease
- Menopause mastery
She focuses on mind-body therapy, a “powerful” connection between the mental and physical to enhance overall improvement. She also sells her own probiotics and gratitude journals.
The Nutritional Need In Hudson County
But more than the individual, Brown emphasized that she wants to help communities.
And though she isn’t originally from Hudson County—she’s a longtime New Yorker—she told Slice of Culture that after living in Guttenberg for 10 years, she wouldn’t want to go back.
“The women that I interviewed for my research are all from Hudson County and New Jersey. And so I recognize that there is a need in Hudson County,” Brown said.
In a 2022 Department of Health report, Hudson County was one of the highest New Jersey counties with food insecurity with 13 percent or roughly 92,760 people. Food insecurity also disproportionately affects racial minorities with 19 percent of Black and Latino residents and 18.2 percent of children living in food insecure homes. The major public health concern has often been associated with obesity and unhealthy dietary patterns.
There’s a number of nutritional programs seen on television or online that claim to combat this, but Brown said most of the time, they’re “not actually educated on nutrition.” Brown recently graduated with a PhD in nutritional science and mind-body therapies.
So that’s where Nutriswell steps in; with Brown at the forefront, who is also a proud advocate for women of all ages.
“One avenue” for future plans includes implementing her master of nutritional and menopausal health in a school in West New York, which was a talk she had with New Jersey Senator and Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack. Another is rolling out an app that addresses women’s concerns across all lifespans from birth to post menopause, which she pinned as “revolutionary” for women’s health improvement.
“There are about 75 million women in perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause right now and they’re suffering because they’re not getting adequate care from healthcare providers…,” Brown emphasized.
“Policies are not in place to help them in the workplace. And recognizing that there is such a drastic need, I think this can be incorporated into social determinants of health.”
Looking ahead, Brown said people should look out for a business “that is going to change the world” with creative, innovative solutions meshed with passion and compassion.
“Don’t let your health condition define who you are. There is always an opportunity for improvement and I won’t share my personal story, but I have overcome health challenges. And you can too,” she said.
