Meet Kim McCormack: Health and nutrition coach

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

Hi Kim, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Nutrition is very nuanced. We are inundated daily with what “the best” diet is. Ultimately, the best diet should be individualized. What works for you may not work for me. If you talk to someone about nutrition and they are preaching that one diet works for all, walk away. In order to get to your own unique diet, many factors have to come into play; lab work, history, any health issues, lifestyle, mental state, goals….. it is a myriad of things. If you are trying to figure out your best diet, get help from someone who will take all of these factors into consideration.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is FireBright Health. It started out of the pursuit of my own best health. While working as a massage therapist, going to full time college, and training for Ironman Hawaii I received the diagnosis of my first autoimmune disorder, Graves disease. Shortly after that came the second AI, Celiac disease. I refused to have my thyroid radiated (which would have killed it). I instead chose a low dose medication and set off in pursuit of how to deal with this via nutrition and lifestyle. I know first hand what it is like to have the ups and downs of autoimmunity and the quality of life returning after finding the proper nutrition path for me. I also implement lifestyle actions to support the nutritional progress. My desire to help others access their best life came out of my own struggles, and successes. I have first hand experience and can relate to those looking to improve the quality of their daily lives. Those who know that a prescription isn’t the end of the line and that there is much more that can be done to feel better and support ongoing foundational health. This has not been an easy path. With my own health trails, as well as not being a natural business person, this career has been a slow, yet steady build. I am very motivated and excited to help people feel their best and love getting to the deeper cause of their health challenge. By finding the root cause, we can work together to eliminate the symptoms.

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?
For me, time outside is the best! If it was summer, I would take them bike riding in the mountains, maybe up to Brainard Lake, or even for a trip up to Aspen and ride over Independence Pass and up to Maroon Bells. If we did go up to Aspen, I’d stop in at Iron Mountain hot springs for a nice soak and stay with friends in Carbondale. I would make sure to get in a trip to the Boulder farmers market where we’d pick up some super fresh veggies and either some bison or lamb. I’d cook them dinner at home where we could relax and have some good convo. Followed by a nice walk in the foothills around my house in the evening to enjoy the views. I’d love to make sure they saw Rocky Mountain National Park. We could pick any number of sweet hikes. I’d pack us a lunch, maybe with some ingredients I picked up from Black Cat farm stand. It would be fun to show them some of my favorite childhood establishments like The Boulder Bookstore. We could go there, browse a bit, then walk the mall a little bit and finally end up at any number of restaurants (this is pre-covid freedom we’re talking about here!) Ultimately, my favorite place to eat is at home but I would let my friend pick whatever turned them on. Before they left I would make a trip into Denver to the Art museum. That place has the best curator, there are always great exhibits there. And we could stop for lunch at Owl Bear BBQ, super yummy but not cheap!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Joanna Zeiger, who is always supportive and has so many great suggestions on how to get out there and build the business. She is also very motivating and inspiring through her own perseverance and accomplishments.

Website: www.firebrighthealth.com
Instagram: Firebrightkim
Facebook: Fire Bright Health