Lauren Mandarino

Teaches at Nourished

My Roots:  My relationship with food hasn’t always been great. For the majority of my life, I ate the wrong things—not on purpose, I just didn’t know better. Coincidentally, I never felt well either. Years passed in “survival” mode and off to college I went, still consuming the standard American diet laden with sugar and chemicals, fast and processed foods and other college "staples." Coupled with stress and lack of sleep, I not only graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Journalism, I graduated with digestive problems as well.
After college, I discovered I could take back my health. While working for a food packaging design agency, I became aware of consumers’ demand for healthier food options. This awareness caused a spark and I decided to change my lifestyle—to eat to live. Shifting my purchasing decisions to real food, I started feeling better and became eager to know more. Specifically, more about essential oils and natural alternatives to personal and home care products. This led to me to the Aroma Apothecary Healing Arts Academy, where I completed course certification in clinical aromatherapy. It’s this path, along with my passion for communicating, that evoked me to pursue a career to educate and help others—the journey I’m on today.
 
My Table:  I’m no Julia Child—although I cook with her staple ingredient: quality butter. I base meals on simplicity: homemade guacamole and vinaigrettes, wild-caught halibut, grass-fed beef, organic fruits and vegetables, pasture-raised eggs, olive oil, Celtic sea salt and fresh herbs.
 
My Home:  My must-haves include my food processor, water and air purifiers, glass water bottles, essential oil diffuser, my citrus squeezer, raw Manuka honey (my sore throat cure), natural cleaning products, probiotics and organic herbal tea.