Mary Vance, Certified Nutrition Consultant

09/10/2026

For your Friday I have an amazing miracle story that will restore your faith in humanity! And we could all use a feel-good story right now. Stop scrolling and read this 👇

Yesterday, after traveling all day, I was finally back at the San Francisco airport and headed to my car in long term parking via the train. I hopped off, and minutes later on the way to my car, I realized I’d left my computer sleeve on the train. My car fob, kindle, ear buds (and a Twix— more on that in a bit 😂) were also in that bag.

In sheer panic mode I sprinted back to the train but didn’t catch the one I’d just been on. I jumped on the next one and stood there in terror considering what it would mean if I’d just lost that bag, and right then, my phone rang. I picked it up, hoping for a miracle, AND a woman on the other end said, “is this Mary?”
YES
“We have your computer bag!”

Long story short, this couple found my abandoned bag minutes after I’d left it on the train, picked it up, found my kindle inside, located my name from the kindle, googled me, FOUND MY YELP BUSINESS PROFILE with my number, and called me!

Truly unbelievable. Blake met me outside the train on my way back to the terminal. I gave him a huge hug and thanked him profusely.

You can see how the events unfolded via the text thread above. So yes, shoutout to kindle and yelp and more importantly, HUGE shoutout to Blake and his wife whose name I never got for going above and beyond to help a stranger get her important belongings back to her after she wearily left them on an airport train.

And yes, eventually I realized I had a Twix in my bag (my guilty travel pleasure) and had to acknowledge being a nutritionist with a Twix bar 😂 no shame for travel treats.

It’s so easy today to get stuck in how much is wrong in the world. It all affects me, and I’ve been down lately. But this one random act of kindness from this sweet couple who went above and beyond to find me truly amazed me and reminded me that there are good people in the world. And an act of kindness for a stranger goes farther than you might think.

So to Blake and his wife— THANK YOU for going out of your way to help me and may that same kindness find you. ❤️

PS: good reminder to keep your biz card or name + number in your bags when you travel!

28/09/2026

I think we need to talk more about the way health anxiety gets packaged as wellness advice.

There’s a big difference between caring about your health and being afraid of everything.

I watch these reels from influencers teaching us how to prevent disease, and while their intentions may be good, I sometimes wonder if what we’re really seeing is their own deep-seated anxiety packaged as health advice.

At what point does optimizing every detail become so consuming that you stop actually living? If the pursuit of health leaves you anxious about food, afraid of everyday exposures, and constantly researching what you should or shouldn’t be doing, is it really making you healthier?

Your health is so important. But so is enjoying your life.

Social media has created an endless stream of things to worry about: toxins, seed oils, glucose spikes, inflammatory foods, chemicals, pesticides, microplastics, food additives, hormone disruptors. There is always another threat to identify and eliminate. I frequently see people in the comments saying, “So basically being alive and eating anything will kill you.”

And some of the people delivering this information are extremely confident about claims that are exaggerated, taken wildly out of context, or simply not supported by good evidence. Fear gets attention.

The result looks like being extremely health-conscious when health anxiety is actually driving the behavior. Your world gets smaller in the name of making yourself healthier.

That’s where orthorexic thinking can creep in. You don’t have to meet a clinical definition of orthorexia for this mindset to interfere with your life. When taking care of your health becomes a constant source of stress, it’s time to step back.

Your health matters so much. But so does being able to eat without fear, enjoy a cookie without guilt, and get on with your actual life.

Your pursuit of health shouldn’t interfere with your ability to enjoy life. (Eg you don’t need to bring your own coconuts on a flight because you’re afraid of airport water.)

25/09/2026

CLIENT SUCCESS STORY: How a client became a supplement founder

One of the more interesting professional relationships I’ve had over the years started with a client who came to me struggling with SIBO and IBS.

We worked together on his gut health, and that experience ultimately became part of the inspiration for what would become his gut healing product and the company he went on to build: kēpos.

kēpos is a daily prebiotic originally discovered in human milk and developed with support from the University of Chicago. And, importantly for anyone who’s ever gagged their way through a gut health supplement, it actually tastes good.

I now use kēpos myself and with my own clients, particularly those with sensitive digestive systems who don’t tolerate probiotic supplements well. Rather than adding more bacteria, kēpos provides the prebiotic foundation to support the growth of beneficial keystone species in the microbiome.

I’ve seen some really nice results with it both personally and with my clients. Benefits include less bloating, improvement in IBS symptoms, improved food tolerance, healthy iron & ferritin levels, strengthened immune defense.

I’m now an affiliate and cheerleader for kepos and am super psyched to see how the product has taken off and improved gut & overall health for so many people!

If you want to try it, you can get 47% off your first order plus $62 in free gifts through my link: https://trykepos.com/MARYVANCE

You’ll also receive the e-book I developed for the company that is full of useful info on how to use diet alongside kepos to overcome IBS and chronic bloating.

If you’ve struggled with IBS and trouble tolerating foods, kepos is your guy!

[affiliate]

17/09/2026

Saw this guy in the woods yesterday on my hike. He's got a nice coat going to get him through the colder months ahead.
Are you getting out and enjoying the Fall weather where you are?

11/09/2026

Here are some traits that make my coaching process smoother for the both of us and ensure you get the most out of my program.

I interview everyone with whom I work to make sure we’re a good fit. And while that’s primarily for your benefit, I get a lot out of those conversations too.

A discovery call gives me a chance to hear your concerns and goals, understand what you’ve already tried, and get a sense of what you’re looking for.

It also gives you a chance to get a feel for how I work.

I’m not the right practitioner for everyone, and not everyone is my ideal client. And I don’t want you committing to a program that isn’t a good fit any more than you do.

The clients with whom I tend to do my best work are the ones who are willing to go deep, question their assumptions, communicate when something isn’t working, and stay engaged in this process.

I’m not interested in handing you a protocol and sending you on your way. I want to understand what’s happening (and equally important is that YOU do), design you a completely customized protocol, see how your body responds, and adjust as we progress. This is an educational process, so I teach you a lot of really cool stuff.

This is also a collaborative process. I’m nosy and in this case, it’s for the best.

If that sounds like the kind of relationship you’re looking for, we’ll probably work well together. I also enjoy long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. DM me for more info on my coaching programs.

Would you like to see the red flags I watch for in potential clients next? 🚩

26/08/2026

When I started my practice 20+ years ago, I thought I had it (mostly) figured out. Ah, hubris.
My practice was thriving. My clients were happy. I believed deeply in the power of nutrition. Still do.

But I was also much more convinced that if we could just find the perfect diet, eliminate the right foods, and follow the plan closely enough, we could prevent or fix almost anything.
But the years and experience have humbled me.

Being stricter doesn't necessarily make you healthier. Obsessing over every ingredient can create more stress than benefit. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is stop trying to control every variable and actually enjoy your life.

I've also seen what happens when people become so afraid of food that their diets shrink to a handful of "safe" foods. I help my clients get off that ride. My goal is to help people expand their options, understand their bodies, and build a way of eating that supports their health without taking over their lives.

And perhaps most importantly, I've learned that nutrition has limits. It can profoundly influence health, but it can't control everything. Genetics & environment matter. Aging happens. And sometimes s**t happens despite doing everything "right."

Twenty years in, I still believe nutrition is powerful. I just don't believe it needs to be perfect anymore.

24/08/2026

Wondering if a probiotic supplement could help you improve digestion? Or do you need support after a round of antibiotics? I created an in-depth guide here on how to choose the right probiotic for your needs. Check it out and drop your questions below ➡️

Which probiotic is right for you? Learn how to choose probiotics based on your symptoms, health goals, strains, formulation.

05/08/2026

As a nutritionist and fellow perimenopausal lady who wants to age well and rock mid-life, I think we often make health more complicated than it needs to be.

It’s easy to get caught up in the latest supplement, bio-hack, or wellness trend, but I’ve found that the biggest improvements in how I feel come from the small habits I do consistently every single day.

That’s exactly what I tell my clients: You don’t need a cabinet full of expensive supplements or the latest fancy treatment. You need a solid foundation of habits that support your body all day every day.

These are my five daily non-negotiables. They’re not flashy, and they’re certainly not the only things I do (I excluded meal routine in this post and will do a separate post on that), but they’re the habits that have had the biggest impact on my energy, sleep, and overall health.

I’d love to know: What’s a daily habit that’s made a meaningful difference in your health?

29/07/2026

I was raised by a Christian Science mother. If you’re unfamiliar with that religion, one of the core beliefs is that illness reflects a failure of your thought or faith. You avoid illness through prayer (mind over matter), and if you got sick, somehow it was your fault. In that case, the answer wasn’t medicine, it was to pray harder, change your thinking.

As a kid, I absorbed a simple but powerful message: If you’re sick, you’ve done something wrong.

Though I left organized religion behind 40+ years ago, some of the tenets still unfortunately impact me. And I’ve realized I’m still seeing this particular message—if you get sick it’s your fault— in parts of the wellness world. Maybe not intentionally, but quietly.

If you eat perfectly, heal your gut, avoid toxins, optimize your sleep, balance your hormones, manage stress, then you’ll stay healthy. And if you don’t? It’s easy to start believing you’ve somehow failed.

Nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management… they have profound impacts on health. 40% of cancers are preventable. I have dedicated my career to helping people improve these aspects of their health because those things absolutely matter for disease prevention.

But influence isn’t the same as control. And sometimes, despite doing everything “right,” people still get sick. That’s not a failure; it’s genetics, luck, aging.

Our lifestyles do influence disease risk. But I want wellness to empower us, not burden us with the impossible belief that perfect habits guarantee perfect health. We can do many things to improve our health without expecting those choices to guarantee an outcome.

22/07/2026

My clients find me after they’ve spent months, or even years, trying to piece together symptoms, lab results, conflicting advice, and panicked 3am google searches.

By the time they get to me they’re exhausted, frustrated, and wondering if they’ll ever be able to enjoy food and just feel like themselves again. They need someone who can look at the big picture, recognize the patterns, and help them understand what’s actually driving the problem. And someone who can piece it all together and explain clearly what’s going on and exactly what we’re going to do about it.

The grateful and hopeful messages I get from my “graduates” remind me of the most valuable part of my job: not handing someone a protocol, but helping them see what it’s like on the other side and giving them a clear path forward. A plan that finally works.

If you’ve been following along here for a while and have been thinking about reaching out, I’d love to help. I’m currently accepting a limited number of new private clients and have also opened up one-time Clarity Sessions for those looking for guidance without a longer commitment.

DM me or tap this link to schedule a complimentary chat about how my programs work: https://calendly.com/maryvancenc/15min?month=2025-01