Meet Alicia Cote | Functional Medicine Nutritionist, MSHNFM

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alicia Cote and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alicia, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am a first-generation Mexican- American born and raised by a single mother in South Texas. From a young age, both my grandparents and mother embodied hard work and dedication and expressed to me how important it was to make something of myself. My mother was an elementary teacher by trade, but after she was naturalized, she went into Real Estate. Well into my childhood, my mother received the devastating news that she had kidney cancer and thus began the long road of finding alternatives to surgery and chemotherapy. My mother had to travel to Mexico several times a year to receive alternative treatment including nutritional consultation, laboratory tests, and acupuncture. In the 90’s, these options weren’t readily available as they are now, and if they were, they’d cost a fortune. Since at the time I was my mother’s shadow, I really got exposed to all these beautiful alternative options many people may not be aware of. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to do something with helping people heal themselves.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business name is Blissfully Nourished Health & Wellness and I provide functional medicine nutrition approaches to most chronic ailments. Functional Medicine is a type of alternative medicine that focuses on identifying the root of the problem vs masking symptoms. As a Functional Medicine Nutritionist, I dedicate countless hours combing through someone’s medical history. I look through laboratory results, request new ones if needed, questionnaires, and even touch up on mental health components. I listen, pay attention, hold space for all my clients, and form a health plan based on their health concerns and goals. I am excited for every client that comes to see me because I get to be part of their healthcare team. I don’t do the work, they do, but I do provide a lot of different tools that can really have a dramatic effect in someone’s life. This is how all of my interactions are with my clients and I am proud of it.

I hold a Master’s degree in Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States and a Bachelor’s degree in Science in Human Biology from Cleveland University-Kansas City. What sets me apart from other nutritionists is that I am trained in Functional Medicine and my services are affordable. I know what it’s like to have a need for this type of service and not be able to afford it, which is why during grad school, I knew I had to come up with something affordable and accessible.

Coming back to Texas was a huge blessing in regard to starting my own practice. Texas has been and continues to be very welcoming to small businesses as well as Hispanic-owned small businesses. What was difficult is getting to the know culture around the area. Texas is such a big state, I have had to get accustomed to the way things are in the DFW area compared to South Texas but overall it has been a positive experience and allowed me to be successful in my endeavors.

What I have learned along the way is that health is multifaceted. What works for me may not work for the next person. Health is not based on the number you see on the weight scale. There is health, outside of weight loss. I am not your usual or typical nutritionist, I am a Latina nutritionist that loves her culture’s food but sometimes I just don’t get that love back so I have to listen to my body and make changes, slow and steady, because I am a work in progress, and that’s okay.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love all family-friendly attractions because I am a true kid at heart and I’ve got a big family. I love going to the zoo with my children or the arboretum and botanical garden. I love to go to science museums and for the gamer at heart like myself, National Videogame Museum is also a neat place to check out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to say, I would not be here if it weren’t for my mother. My mother not only taught me to believe in myself, she also taught me to live to the fullest and never give up. She came to the United States not knowing how to speak English but taught herself how to, got herself a real estate job and a cosmetology degree in order to raise 2 children on her own. There was not a single thing she couldn’t sell, she was just great at it, a true businesswoman, and I always had front-row seats to her endeavors. Every time I got knocked down, she was there cheering me on to not give up. Her greatest advice was to stay consistent, anything that is worth it, will take time, and never let go of God’s hand.

My children continue to be a constant support and inspiration. Now they get to see their own mother, never give up and be successful at what she sets her mind to.

Website: www.blissfullynourishedhealth.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlissfullyNourishedHealthWellnessLLC