Mind over Platter

Photo: Fred Lopez

Lori Esarey knows firsthand what it is like to battle disease. As a registered nurse, she worked alongside patients suffering from acute and chronic illnesses. Plus, her family had a history of diabetes, heart problems, and other ailments.

When Lori was pregnant, she struggled with high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

“I took medication, but it wasn’t until I changed my eating habits that I noticed positive results,” she says. “I realized that fueling my body with healthy food is extremely important in achieving optimal health.”

If nutrition helped her overcome disease, Lori realized it could help prevent disease in others. As a result, she left nursing and in 2007 opened Total Nutrition and Therapeutics (TNT), a nutritional and health company in Lady Lake that helps clients shed unwanted pounds and adopt healthy lifestyles.

“As a nurse, I was treating the sickest of the sick and realized that pills were only masking symptoms,” says Lori, who is board-certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging and Health Practitioners. “I was no longer interested in working in that model of medicine. I wanted to be in a model of medicine where I could prevent disease and save lives.”

To say Lori is passionate about her career is an understatement. Through one-on-one nutritional counseling and education, Lori’s clients achieve increased self-esteem, improved energy levels, and a more positive outlook on life.

“There are days that I cry with happiness. Some of the clients who come to me cannot take showers or cannot walk without using a cane. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing them take their lives back and realize they can remain healthy and feel good about themselves. I’ve seen marriages restored, I’ve seen health restored, and I’ve seen physical function restored.”

Her enthusiasm extends well beyond the office. She takes clients shopping at the grocery store, teaches them how to plan meals in advance, and even shows them how to cook using healthy ingredients.

Convincing people to change their lifestyles and habits can sometimes prove difficult. But for Lori, seeing people make successful transformations far outweighs the challenges of the job.

“It’s a very emotional job, and my clients teach me just as many lessons as I teach them. Many of my female clients are the nutritional gatekeepers in their homes, so they pass on what they learn to their husbands and children. There’s no greater joy than seeing people achieve things they never thought were possible.”