Photo Credit: Yaroslav Shuraev | Pexels
Nutrition and health are two interconnected areas of every person’s life. Nutrition in particular is critical to the health and development of people across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that better nutrition is related to strong immune systems, longevity and a lower risk of non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Innovations in nutrition and health come from experts across various fields, each bringing unique expertise to drive progress. Whether it’s food scientists at Washington State University developing healthier pancakes or entrepreneurs like Dr. Christina Rahm, a patented scientist dedicated to creating healthier environments and lifestyles, these advancements shape how we understand and approach wellness. Many of these trailblazers are women, making significant contributions that redefine nutrition and health for future generations.
With both National Nutrition and Women’s History Month here, there’s no better time to take a moment to highlight some of the leading women in health and nutrition. From a wellness concierge who specializes in personalized holistic healthcare to the founder of a special diet-focused bakery, these trailblazers are shaping the industry with their innovation and commitment to improving lives.
Helen Taylor
Photo credit: Helen Taylor
Helen Taylor, MSc, fCMgr, known as The Wellness Concierge, began her professional career in the 1990s as a systems engineer and eventually went on to study functional medicine—a major career shift that was inspired by a negative traditional medical experience her partner had endured and her own fascination with science and biology. She wondered if there were better ways to treat illnesses and that thought led to her now over 20-year profession as a premier wellness concierge.
Offering personalized holistic healthcare that helps transform lifestyles and improve long-term outcomes, Taylor uses her decades of experience and tailored techniques to guide her clients through various health-related concerns. Utilizing in-depth analysis of biomarkers and holistic assessments to address underlying health issues, Taylor creates personalized health management plans to address root causes rather than just treating symptoms—an approach that sets her apart from others in the health space.
Dr. Christina Rahm
Photo Credit: Dr. Christina Rahm
Dr. Christina Rahm is a patented scientist, humanitarian, author, and global entrepreneur who manages 22 companies across 89 countries, including serving as CEO of DRC Ventures and Chief Science Formulator at The ROOT Brands. Dr. Rahm holds a Master’s in Science as well as several doctorate and post-graduate degrees that have stemmed from her extensive global education. With a focus on innovation and the pursuit of health and happiness for the global community, Dr. Rahm pursues helping people worldwide with all areas of her work—from philanthropic endeavors to her formulation work for numerous companies and labs.
Currently, Dr. Rahm has 18 patent-pending technologies and four patents approved—including a patented alcohol metabolism accelerating composition and a nanotech skin coating that is awaiting approval. Her work in health and nutrition, from filing patents to conducting global research, is driven by her commitment to excellence and helping the world around her find empowerment, productivity and healthy lives.
Sarah Bowmar
Photo Credit: Sarah Bowmar
Health, nutrition, and fitness are three primary driving factors for Sarah Bowmar. After graduating in 2011 with an MBA in marketing, Bowmar began competing in fitness competitions—which helped spark her further dive into health and nutrition. Now a certified nutrition specialist, personal trainer and entrepreneur, Bowmar has been actively connecting with women around the world over the last decade through her own fitness and health journey, sharing tips and advice on how to live healthily through her social media platforms.
But her work doesn’t stop there. With her husband, Josh, Bowmar is co-owner of their three businesses that center around fitness and nutrition, including Bowmar Nutrition—a company they founded together in 2018 after spotting a need for clean nutritional products on the market. Her passion for health and fitness further prompted her to become an AFPA certified prenatal and postpartum trainer in 2020 so she could provide more targeted fitness advice to women.
Melody Hu
Photo Credit: Melody Hu | Sweet Diplomacy
Melody Hu’s journey into the culinary space was unexpected. Growing up in Taiwan and California, she pursued her graduate studies and career in France. She’d go on to work around the world in the luxury marketing business for a decade, before making her way back to the United States. Her love for food eventually led to her launching Sweet Diplomacy in 2017, an inclusive, special diet-friendly store that offers fusion baked goods that anyone can enjoy. Sweet Diplomacy had modest beginnings, with Hu baking American cupcakes and French madeleines that she sold at local pop-ups and coffee shops.
The global pandemic impacted Sweet Diplomacy’s first brick-and-mortar store in 2020, prompting Hu to embrace a nationwide shipping approach to continue meeting customer demand. In the years since then, Hu has been able to reopen a brick-and-mortar store, commercial kitchen and warehouse while continuing to innovate her baked goods to meet all manner of dietary restrictions with her simple philosophy of “delicious knows no borders.”
These women are part of a variety of developments and innovations being made to help improve quality of life, access to nutrition and spread awareness of how to better approach one’s own health. As we celebrate both National Nutrition and Women’s History Month, let’s salute these women, the ones who’ve inspired them and all the other leading ladies that tirelessly contribute to better health and nutrition for us all.