Quick Announcement: If you have been sitting on your LM idea – unsure where to start – let me help. I am running a 4 week webinar series with ASLM to help you launch your idea into the world.
I’ve taken years and thousands of dollars of learnings…and turned them into a simple 4 week process you can follow.
It’s FREE for ASLM members and $200 for non-members (but you can put it towards your membership).
We start Tuesday 26th August. Register here. See you soon 🙂
This week’s article is a special one, because it’s not written by me.
Jenny Blagdon is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met.
She is a Lifestyle Medicine practitioner who has turned her pain into purpose through her program Nourished.
I started off as her LM business coach. The potential of her, and her program, was blatantly obvious to me so I wanted to help.
Then, I became a friend and true fan.
I asked her to share her story and she kindly obliged.
I hope it inspires you.
Over to you Jenny!
I didn’t set out to create a program. When I began sharing what would become the Nourished Lifestyle Medicine program, I had no grand vision—just a story of personal transformation, and a growing desire to help others find their way to wellness too.
After years of living with autoimmune disease, I was very unwell. About seven years ago, I began to turn things around through the principles of lifestyle medicine. Over time, and with a lot of learning, experimentation and support, I got well—really well—for the first time in a long time (a story for another time).
Along the way, I immersed myself in the science and literature behind lifestyle medicine. Eventually, I sat the certification exam—not because I wanted to become a practitioner, but because I was so steeped in the material I wanted to see how much I’d actually learned.
As my health improved, people started noticing. Friends—and then friends of friends—began asking what I’d done and how I’d done it. I found myself spending hours talking on the phone, online, and in person, sharing what I knew. It was time-consuming, yes, but also meaningful. I began to wonder: what if I brought people together to share this knowledge more collectively?
So one Saturday morning, I invited a group to my home. Around 20 people gathered under our back verandah. My partner Wayne (now known for his amazing plant-based cooking) prepared morning tea, and I shared what I had learned about lifestyle medicine—particularly about the microbiome, which fascinates me. I made it clear I wasn’t a doctor or dietitian ( I am by profession a social worker and most of my experience has been in community development), just someone sharing what had worked, and encouraged people to work closely with their own health professionals.
Something sparked that morning. People were deeply engaged—with the information, but also with each other. At the end of the session, 16 people signed up for an 8-week program.
I had to quickly build that program from scratch. I over-created, then pared it down to the essentials: practical tools, interactive activities, food tastings and cooking demos, even lessons on how to grow and harvest food from our garden. We offered two workshops a week to accommodate everyone, and Wayne continued to feed us all.
That first Nourished program taught me a lot—not just about lifestyle medicine, but about connection, curiosity, and community. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Nearly everyone completed the program, and a phrase we’ve heard ever since first came up:
“Everyone should know this.”
After those early sessions, we paused—exhausted and unsure of next steps. But messages kept coming in. Participants were making lasting changes, and their stories were powerful. When we were invited to deliver a one-day workshop in New Zealand, we realised the impact even a short session could have. That opened the door to further community offerings—one-day, half-day, and even a two-hour public library seminar. Each time, we were met with enthusiasm, and the same question:
“When is the next one?”
Though I was encouraged to take Nourished online, I resisted. After being unwell for so long, I’d promised myself only to do work that brings me joy—and I don’t enjoy online teaching. So, I waited. Then late in 2023, I applied for a part-time role as a lifestyle medicine educator in regional Victoria. I didn’t get the job—but I was offered something better: the chance to deliver three Nourished 8-week programs, supported by three PHNs.
It was a transformative experience. Wayne and I loved the work, the participants, the allied health professionals, and the beautiful regional communities we visited. Lives were changed—including ours.
That’s when it became clear: we wanted to keep going.
Around that time, I began working with Dr G, an exceptional mentor. With his encouragement, I began shaping Nourished into a business. But as I explored a more commercial model, something felt off. I got sick with a persistent virus and knew I needed to stop and reflect.
That pause led to an important realisation: my passion lies in public health and community development, more than business. What matters most to me is connecting people, with knowledge and to each other.
Since then, everything has flowed more naturally. We’ve:
□ Run a koha-funded workshop in New Zealand
□ Delivered a 4-week council-funded program
□ Begun designing a family version of Nourished in collaboration with a local community centre
We’re currently developing partnerships with:
□ A local council
□ A local community centre
□ A university to help us evaluate the program
□ ASLM to support and train lifestyle medicine practitioners and community volunteers, enabling us to scale Nourished to Queensland and beyond
□ Potential donors
We’re also exploring, with the help of Anji Lloyd a LM practitioner colleague, how to adapt the content and resources for new audiences, including children, teens, and parents of young children.
And interestingly—given my earlier reflections—we’re now exploring a hybrid model: continuing to offer Nourished as both a public health initiative and a commercial offering. Trusted guidance from those with far more experience than us suggests this dual approach may be key to ensuring long-term sustainability.
To date, over 250 people have experienced a Nourished program—aged from 12 to 91. More than 15 past participants and community members have offered their time and skills to help us grow the work further.
We’re still not sure exactly how Nourished will evolve from here (I suspect grant writing is in my near future!) but we’re clear on what matters: this work brings joy, it feels meaningful, and it creates real impact. We’re immensely grateful for everyone who’s joined us on this journey so far.
If I had one piece of advice, it would be what Dr G often reminds me:
“Just start.”
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You learn by doing.
And, find a mentor. Or two. I wouldn’t be here without mine.
If you’d like to stay connected, support us in any way, or find out how to get involved, please reach out: no***************@***il.com
From some recent participants:
“Nourished has been a total game changer for me. It helped me hit reset on my health, cut through the overwhelming stress, and focus on what really matters—with practical tools, inspiring guidance, and transformative changes.
I came away with a revived enthusiasm for my wellbeing and a brain bursting with ideas. Now I’m reading food labels, moving more, laughing more, and experimenting with new recipes. These small changes, combined, have had a big effect.
Good things shouldn’t be kept secret. Nourished deserves to be shouted from the rooftops.”
Recently, a group from that cohort hosted the first of what they hope will be regular plant-strong potluck lunches. As Wayne and I shared in the food and conversation, I found myself thinking:
“This is what it’s all about.”
There was an ease, a sense of humour, and a deep shared humanity in the conversation and this has been true of all our Nourished workshops. It’s the honest, grounding dialogue that has gone missing in much of our modern culture—yet is so urgently needed. We’ve laughed, we’ve learned, and yes, we’ve cried together. To me, this is the true heart of Nourished: creating safe, welcoming spaces where people feel supported enough to reflect on their lives, explore their choices, and begin to imagine a new path forward.
Wow! Jenny, you are undoubtedly, a legendary human being 🙂
Much love to you, Jenny, and of course, myself.
Dr G
*****
Connect with Jenny!
Email her at no***************@***il.com
Check out her website as well here
LM Starter with ASLM: Build and launch your LM offering in 4 weeks
I have teamed up with ASLM (thanks legends!).
Over 4 weeks, you will get all the support you need to launch your LM offering.
Let’s get on with it. Let’s do it together.
It’s really not that complicated if you know what to focus on.
Register here: LM Starter – Build And Launch Your Lifestyle Medicine Offering In 4 Weeks
(Free for ASLM members, $200 for Non-ASLM members but if they decide to become a member, this will contribute towards that)
Ready For Business coaching?
Contact me below with the headline ‘COACH’ if you would like help turning your passion for LM into a living.
No Idea Where to Start? Start with a newsletter
A newsletter is the one of the best ways to deliver digitised value straight into someone’s inbox. (This is exactly what I am doing now!)
If you want my tutorial on setting up a newsletter in under 1 hour, CONTACT ME BELOW with a headline “Newsletter”.
