This month, we’re thrilled to spotlight NutraPhoria Alumni and Certified Holistic Nutritionist Jackie Bourdon, founder of Purely Nourished Kitchen. Jackie’s journey into holistic wellness began long before her formal training, shaped by years of navigating autoimmune challenges and her family’s multigenerational celiac story. Blending her background in teaching with advanced holistic nutrition, culinary training, and meditation, she brings a unique, deeply practical approach to gluten-free living – one that focuses not just on what to eat, but how to make nourishing routines simple, sustainable, and realistic for everyday life. Today, Jackie empowers individuals and families to feel confident, supported, and at ease in their gluten-free lifestyle, showing how lived experience paired with holistic wisdom can create meaningful, lasting change. Her work is a beautiful reminder that wellness becomes truly transformative when it feels doable, supportive, and rooted in everyday joy.
Can you share a bit about your background, specialization, and what first inspired you to pursue holistic nutrition?
My journey into holistic nutrition honestly started long before I ever went to school for it. After years of dealing with stress, fatigue, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in my family, and then eventually my own celiac diagnosis, I began to notice how much our daily habits, the food we eat, and the way we care for our nervous system actually affect how we feel. It was a slow “ah-ha” over time.
Before I studied holistic nutrition, I spent years teaching, and that really shaped how I support people now. I love making things simple and easy to understand. I went on to complete my Advanced Holistic Nutrition Diploma, trained as a meditation teacher, and took courses in culinary nutrition and mindset coaching. Putting all of that together helped me understand wellness in a deeper way; not just the why, but the how to bring nourishing food and simple systems into real everyday life.
Our family’s gluten-free story is also a huge part of why I do what I do. My son was diagnosed with celiac at four, along with dairy and soy intolerances. A few years later, I was diagnosed with celiac myself, and my youngest who is autistic and very sensitive to tastes and textures also thrives on a gluten-free diet. So we’ve been living this life for 19 years, and I know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel in the beginning.
Today, I bring together holistic wellness and culinary nutrition to help people following a gluten-free diet feel nourished, confident, and supported in their kitchens and in their day-to-day life. My whole focus is making gluten-free living feel simple and sustainable. Because once the food and the systems make sense, everything else becomes so much easier.
What’s your unique approach to holistic nutrition, and how does it shape the way you support your clients?
My approach to holistic nutrition is unique because I mix the big-picture wellness side with the practical, everyday tools of culinary nutrition. In my mind, it’s not helpful to just tell someone what to eat; rather most people need help figuring out how to actually make it work in their real life. That’s where those two worlds come together for me.
Holistic nutrition helps me understand what someone is really dealing with like their stress, sleep, nervous system, digestion, routines, environment… all the things that shape how they feel day to day. And then the culinary side lets me take that understanding and turn it into something practical: simple meals, kitchen systems, freezer prep, sensory-friendly ideas, and nourishing food that’s easy to make especially in a gluten-free home.
When you blend the two, everything becomes so much easier for the client. Instead of leaving with general advice, they walk away inspired with real steps they can actually use: what to keep in their pantry, how to organize their kitchen so cooking feels easier, what to batch-cook on a busy week, how to make gluten-free food taste good, and even how to support their nervous system with everyday routines.
For my clients, that mix means less overwhelm and more confidence. They learn how to nourish their bodies and set up a kitchen that supports them. They feel more relaxed, more prepared, and much more at home in their gluten-free lifestyle because they finally have both the “why” and the “how.” It makes wellness feel like something that fits into their life, not another thing on their to-do list.
Since becoming a holistic nutrition professional, what’s one habit or daily ritual you’ve implemented that has had the biggest impact on your well-being?
Honestly, the biggest thing that’s changed my life is having a simple morning routine. Nothing fancy but just a little time to slow down and get myself grounded before the day starts. It’s kind of become the anchor for how I show up for myself, my family, and my clients.Most mornings I step outside for some fresh air with my dogs, do a quick meditation, write in my journal, and just give myself a moment to breathe and set the tone for the day. It’s completely changed how I feel. Instead of starting the day rushed or scattered, I feel clear and settled and that makes a huge difference in everything that comes after.
How do you stay inspired and continue growing in the ever-evolving world of holistic wellness?
I’ve always been the kind of person who loves learning anything to do with wellness, especially culinary nutrition, holistic health, mindfulness, and how nature affects our nervous system. I’m always reading something, taking a course, or digging into a new idea because it helps me understand not just what supports our health, but how to actually make it work in everyday life.
And honestly, I get so inspired watching how small shifts can change someone’s whole world. When people start sleeping better, feeling calmer, adding more whole foods, or building simple routines that actually fit their life, you can see it in their energy. It reminds me why I love this work and keeps me wanting to learn more so I can show up better for people.
Living this lifestyle myself also keeps everything real for me. It’s never about being perfect. It’s about making small, supportive choices that help you feel better in your day-to-day life. That’s the part that inspires me the most.
If you could give one piece of advice to current students or recent graduates, what would it be?
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to stay connected to what truly lights you up. It’s easy to get pulled in different directions in the wellness space, but your real strength comes from remembering why you started. Follow the things that feel meaningful to you, your story and your experiences are what make your work genuine and impactful.
What’s next for you? Any exciting projects, goals, or new directions for your wellness practice?
Honestly, along with my wellness coaching, a lot of my energy right now is going into growing Purely Nourished Kitchen in a really practical, real-life kind of way. I want gluten-free living to feel easier for people, not something that constantly takes up mental space. I’ve been creating things like freezer prep ideas, whole-food guides, and simple kitchen routines because those are the tools that actually make a difference when life gets busy. It’s one thing to tell someone what to eat… but it’s a whole different thing to help them set up their kitchen so it’s doable on a Tuesday night when everyone’s hungry and tired. That mix of holistic and culinary nutrition is really where everything clicks for people.
I’m also pouring more energy into gluten-free sourdough, which has become a real passion of mine. I love showing people that gluten-free bread can be nourishing, flavourful, and far less intimidating once you understand the basics. I’m creating step-by-step support, helpful resources, and simple teaching so people can feel confident baking.
Everything I’m building right now is designed to make gluten-free living feel easier and more supportive whether someone is stocking their freezer, organizing their pantry, or baking their first loaf of sourdough. My goal is always to take away the stress and help people feel confident and supported in their everyday routines.
I’ll be releasing my first Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking Course very soon (watch for the link on my Instagram in December), along with new resources designed to help your gluten-free kitchen flow with ease.
Jackie Bourdon, Certified Holistic Nutritionist
- Website: www.purelynourishedlife.com
- Instagram: Purely Nourished Kitchen
- Facebook: Purely Nourished Kitchen
