Melissa Sherwood

04.11.2018

Interview with Melissa Sherwood

What inspires me?

First and foremost, I am inspired by God to use the gifts and resources I have been placed within me to make a major change in the lives of people of all ages. I am inspired daily, by the children I meet; their strength and resilience to get through any given situation. I am inspired by my clients, who are going through health-related issues and are fighting and pushing through and I find inspiration in others, who selflessly put themselves out there every day to ensure that children and families are reaching optimum health.

What is the most unique experience you have had as a result of your job?

Every time I go out to work, I consider it a unique experience. I get to do what I love every day. I am blessed to meet so many people, who entrust me with helping them to get healthier. I love to hear people’s stories, their history, where they come from and what they are going through currently.

What got you interested in nutrition?

My Grandma Fran, who lived to be 97 years old is the key to my interest in nutrition as a young child. My grandmother owned a 27acre farm, had a great working knowledge of how food – what we eat or don’t eat – impacts our overall health. She was so far ahead of her time constantly promoting sustainability and eating healthy.

As I had children of my own, I began to implement the things my Grandma Fran had taught me. I began to see how many parents and families had no idea how to eat healthy and to cook nutritious meals. I also continued to see the divide within the community worldwide, socio-economically and realized that children below the poverty level have many more challenges in gaining access to and eating healthy foods, proper nutrition and overall good health.

How much does humor factor into your keynotes and other speaking engagements?

Humor is so very important in my keynotes and speaking engagement. You must realize we are talking about some very heavy topics, (childhood trauma, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, eating disorders etc.) It’s incumbent upon me to provide a bit of levity to the subject matter so that it does not become to overwhelming. Laughter is good for the soul and is healing to the mind and body.

How do you prepare for speaking engagements?

Every speaking engagement is different. A different group of participants, new venues, so for me I prepare each presentation individually. That being said, I have a core group of data, statistics, medical information and literature that I use consistently, but I make each speaking engagement unique for my target audience.

Describe yourself in 3 words?

• Passionate – I have a deep rooted, resonating desire to ensure that children, families, corporations are living their best life possible. It goes much deeper than just talking about nutrition. I have a passion for people and a longing to help as many people as I can while I am blessed to be on this earth.
• Unrelenting – The technical definition of unrelenting is “not yielding in strength, severity, or determination”. I personally would like to think that I am all of that and more. I refuse to believe that we cannot teach people to be healthier. I know for a fact that the health care and government could do much better by people and it is my strong belief that we as a society can and should be doing better for ourselves and our children.
• Compassionate – God blessed me with a compassionate heart for people. I tirelessly fight for the underdog, for those less fortunate and for those who don’t feel that they themselves have a voice. Love is at the center of every speaking engagement, at every nutrition appointment, throughout every cooking class, summer camp or cooking demo.