The Meaning Behind Nourished 4 Life’s name
Nourished 4 Life was founded by Rebekah Hilfiger after having her daughter. Rebekah had been a Dietitian for a number of years with experience in various areas of nutrition. When she encountered a difficult pregnancy fraught with food aversions & nausea she became determined to create the resources & offer the help for other moms she wished she had.
The concept behind the name Nourished 4 Life is that the foods and nourishment (or lack therefore of) women eat impact not just her health, but the health of her baby, her grandchildren, and generations to come. The “4” represents the four stages of childbearing; preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding/infantfeeding. We live in a society that glorifies dieting and restricting food intake to achieve a certain body type or that one’s character & morality depend on eating a certain way. However this comes at the cost of true health. Rebekah believes that nourishing our bodies with real food is the best form of self care and self love. Eating a healthy diet is more about balance than “eating this, not that”. When women walk into motherhood (pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding & beyond) well nourished, they are better equipped to withstand the challenges of a changing body & hormones, healing after childbirth, disrupted sleep and the other stressors that comes with this major life transition. Mothers go to great lengths to love and care for their children, let me help you feel your best, so you can be your best!
My Story
I am originally from Rochester, NY. My interest in nutrition developed at a young age after struggling with eating disorders in middle and high school. I was enamored with the important role food and nutrition play in our bodies and health. So I decided to study Nutrition and Dietetics at Messiah College. My favorite nutrition class in college was Nutrition Through the Lifecycle, as I had always had an interest in pregnancy & childbirth. I wanted to combine these two passions, but life took me another direction and it fell to the wayside for some time. In fall of 2018 I experienced a miscarriage and felt so alienated by my body. I thought I was healthy, but there were lots of signs that my cycle & hormone health were suffering. So I started to lean in and learn how to better take care of my fertility & reproductive health. Fast forward one year, my husband and I moved from upstate NY to Houston, TX and discovered shortly after our move that we were expecting! The excitement was clouded by six months of nausea & severe food aversions though. In the midst of my pregnancy I felt that there was not enough help and resources for women like myself; women that don’t have hyperemesis gravidarum, but still experience poor quality of life due to severe nausea & food aversions.
After my daughter was born, despite preparing myself well, postpartum & breastfeeding were still very challenging. I experienced first hand the lack of support and resources in our society for postpartum moms. So I started pursuing further education in the areas of pregnancy & postpartum nutrition. How can I replenish my body after such a challenging pregnancy? Is it possible to prevent the extent of nausea & food aversions I experienced in future pregnancies? How can we better prepare & support women for postpartum & breastfeeding? These questions and more led me to start Nourished 4 Life! I am also in the process of becoming a Doula & Lactation Consultant. So I can better help prepare & support moms during the vulnerable time of postpartum. Thank you for joining me & trusting me with your nutrition needs of yourself, your family & your future generations to come!