My Story

Hi, I'm Joia. I first got interested in health as early as high school as I started to learn to cook and experiment with healthy recipes. I was always strong in STEM and got my B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Though I enjoyed some aspects of engineering, I was not fulfilled at my first job. I was simultaneously struggling with my own health issues - PMS, fatigue, low mood, anxiety, cystic acne and more. I was spending my free time researching natural healing because I did not feel seen or understood by my providers. I had been put on hormonal birth control from my GYN, Spironolactone and topical antibiotics from my dermatologist, an SSRI for mood, and Wellbutrin to counteract some of the SSRI effects. I felt like I was on a hamster wheel of pharmaceuticals, and still didn't feel better. I did not want to be on 4 medications at age 22. I decided to go off of all medications (don't try this at home without help from your providers) and though my mood and energy improved immediately, I had a long way to go in terms of healing.

 

When the pandemic hit, I had more time in my schedule and this passion led me to enroll in the Integrative Women's Health Institute to become a certified Health Coach. I was completely engrossed in the material and knew I had found my purpose. I tore through the program in about 6 months and realized I wanted a more in-depth clinical education so I could serve my clients fully. I found the Maryland University of Integrative Health and their Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition & Integrative Health program, applied and was accepted. In my second trimester, I won a scholarship to attend the American Nutrition Association's yearly conference in Chicago. There, I met a colleague who connected me with an Institute of Functional Medicine trained Naturopathic Doctor who accepted me as a clinical resident in September 2022. While simultaneously finishing the last year of my degree, I learned so much about holistic patient care by working under him at The How Clinic in Encinitas, CA. I graduated in August 2023 and accepted a job as a Clinical Nutrition Specialist at the clinic in September 2023, where I now work alongside my own business, Joia Nutrition LLC.

 

I focus on clients in the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum phases of life, as well as those dealing with hormonal symptoms such as PMS, PCOS, irregular or painful cycles and stubborn weight gain, in addition to GI issues including bloating, IBS and discomfort. I also studied to be a Fertility Awareness Educator and teach the Fertility Awareness method for those wanting to gain body literacy to prevent or achieve conception naturally.