Meet Jackie Fouchia | Holistic Health Coach

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

Hi Jackie, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When I first started the business, I was working 60 hours a week between that and my other job at Orangetheory Fitness. At the beginning, I didn’t mind because I loved what I did so much, it didn’t feel like work. But eventually, I got burnt out and run down (I was also planning my wedding during this time), and my physical health started to decline from all the cortisol. I knew I needed to make a switch but was nervous to leave the comfort zone of the groove I was in. But in 2023, 3 years after starting the business, we went on a month long trip to Italy, where I was immersed in siesta culture, breathtaking landscapes and incredible cuisine, and was reminded that there’s so much more to life than just work. I was reminded of all the beauty and adventure out there, and that I needed to be working so that I could live, not living to work. Since then, I have changed my business model a bit and hold better boundaries on evenings and weekends, prioritize vacations and adventures and even give myself 1 day off per quarter as a “self care day”.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Oh She Healthy is a product of my personal journey and growth. It wasn’t easy getting where I am today. I didn’t always have a healthy relationship with food and my body, and struggled with eating disorders when I was younger. I spent a lot of time and energy in recovery learning a lot about myself and my body image. Freshly recovered, I was hungry for more wisdom, so I finished my degree at Naropa University, a buddhist inspired school, where I graduated with a degree in psychology of health and healing, and then went on to get my yoga teacher (1,000 hrs), health coach and personal trainer certifications.

My background at Naropa helped form a functional relationship with food and my recovery from eating disorders helped form a nourishing relationship with my body. This is what I believe sets me apart from others. So many other programs are focused on calories, and macros, and restricting and weightloss and what you “can’t” or “aren’t allowed” to have. My approaches focuses on what you get to eat- supportive, whole foods from the earth that nourish your body.

If you focus on restricting, you’ll always feel deprived and will never be able to be consistent enough with anything to see real change because your cup will constantly feel empty and you’ll always be searching to fill it. But through my program, I teach you the functional role foods play in our bodies so you know why you want to eat certain foods and why you want to avoid others. That way, you’re empowered and have the tools to make decisions that fuel you to look and feel your best, with me holding you accountable every step of the way. If you focus on nourishing, weight loss will come naturally and last longer than other unsustainable diet approaches. Oh She Healthy strives to change the diet culture mindset and educate others on how to find a sustainable intake that will keep them feeling and looking their best for years to come.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s a lot of cool places to check out in Rino and down Larimer. Mission Ballroom is also our favorite venue in Denver, but we love Dillon Amphitheater the most. Meow Wolf is definitely worth checking out as well as Cherry Creek or Dillon Resevoir. We mostly love to do all things mountain, especially camping in the summer. And we’d definitely spend some time in Boulder, where I spent my first 6 years here in Colorado, and do some hiking, spend time on Pearl street or tube down the river.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I need to give a shout out to my first ever client, Taylor Mans. She is the reason my business exists today. I had been posting health tips and food photos on Instagram for a while, with captions that said to “slide into my dms if you want nutrition help”. For months no one responded, but then one day Taylor said she wanted to meet and talk about my approach to nutrition. We set up a zoom meeting and I had no idea what I was going to say, how long it was going to be, or if she was even going to pay me. It was this initial meeting that launched the entire programming and lay out I now use for every client I meet with. At the end of the call, she said what do I owe you, and I said I wasn’t sure, to which she responded, “Girl, know your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for it.” I’ll never forget that quote. And after we hung up, I found $50 in my Venmo, and that’s how I set my initial hourly rate.

Other mentionable shoutouts: my husband, Jason, for believing in me and supporting me through the hard times. The entire Orangetheory Fitness community and the entire community at Naropa University. Also, Dr. Mark Hyman for his continued dedication to sharing information on healthy living and food as medicine.

Website: https://www.ohshehealthy.com

Instagram: oh_she.healthy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-fouchia

Other: Tiktok: @ohshehealthy

Image Credits
Instagram: Alexsegallphoto