ImABadMTHFR.com
Despite its eye-catching play on words, ImABadMTHFR.com delivers an important service for the thousands that suffer almost inexplicably from epigenetically derived conditions. The fields of epigenetics and nutrigenomics bring refreshing clarity and definition to the effects of diet and lifestyle on health. This emerging arena of health is perhaps the most exciting area of personalized medicine.
The greatest deficiency in its implementation lies in the vastness of the information and the shortage of qualified practitioners to digest it all. ImABadMTHFR.com was founded by Drs. Stockton and Sherri Jacobs, ND, CNS with the goal of filling part of that void.
Sherri Jacobs, ND, CNS
Founder, Integrative Wellness Consultant
Nutrition became a passion of mine 20 years ago when a dear family friend was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. As a supportive friend, I began to study, cook and eat a whole foods, macrobiotic diet. We attended seminars, cooking classes and retreats. I knew from the time I opened my first book about nutrition, The Macrobiotic Way, my life would never be the same.
Fast forward a couple years and I found myself struggling through some significant health concerns. I had to drop out of my studies in Psychology and Health at the College of Charleston for a semester while I focused on my health. Wow…it was an entirely different perspective to be the patient. I was shuttled from doctor to doctor; I saw specialist after specialist only to hear, “Your labs are normal. You are fine. Perhaps you need an Anti-depressant.” I felt like a number in a line. No one would listen and no one seemed to want to figure out why my health was failing. To this day, I cringe when my patients come in with similar stories… “They say my labs are normal… that I’m fine.”
Born and raised in Charleston SC, it took me months of research in natural health before I came across something called a Naturopathic Doctor…. a doctor with comprehensive medical training that focused on prevention, wellness, nutrition, and patient-centered care. With a core tenant of Naturopathic Medicine being “Find the root cause of dis-ease”, I was intrigued, to put it mildly. Although I had to travel to see an ND (there weren’t any in South Carolina), I knew I had found a guiding light through my personal health ordeal.
I returned to college and graduated with a BS in Psychology and Health but stayed a couple years to get my pre-med prerequisites. I headed out to the best Naturopathic Medical School in the world, Bastyr University.
Little did I know how much those 5 years would change my life. Not only was I knee deep in textbooks and clinical rotations, I met the love of my life, got married and we had our first child!
My passion for this medicine drives my personal and professional goal of improving access to Naturopathic Doctors in all states, particularly my home state of South Carolina. So, missing my family and goal-driven, I brought my northern-born husband and first daughter home to start a practice in Charleston.
That was 8 years ago and you are now looking at the Vice President (myself) and the President (my husband) of the South Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. We have managed to build a successful local and international nutrition and wellness consulting practice as well as Charleston’s first and most well known Metabolic Cleanse Program. We have 2 beautiful girls and some of the best patients in the world. It has been a long and worthwhile journey. I am grateful for everyone who walks into my office in pursuit of health and respect their courage for pursuing a different way of living. I look forward to the day when everyone in every state has access to the full scope of Naturopathic medicine and optimal health.
Stockton Jacobs, ND, CNS
Founder, Integrative Wellness Consultant
I am a co-founder of HealthE Coaching and BadMTHFR.com with my wife, Sherri. I am a medically-trained Naturopathic Doctor and Certified Nutrition Specialist. What a mouthful… I guess it means I went to school for a long time in the pursuit of exceptional training in natural medicine and integrative wellness-based care… yet another mouthful.
I was fortunate to spend 6 months studying in Europe during college. I would say the experience disrupted my life in a profoundly positive way. I was so changed by it that I felt a bit lost; I was wanting and seeking but for what, I didn’t know. After graduating from Trinity College with a BA in Economics, I did what anyone facing the job prospects of such an exciting degree. I hopped in my Honda and drove around the country in search of something better, hoping for an alternative to my future in an office cubicle. Six months on the road and the recent diagnosis of breast cancer for the mother of a dear friend left me seeking, looking for answers. I felt inspired when I discovered Naturopathic Medicine. It was wonderful.
I immediately pursued a degree in Pre-med, pieced together from several schools, allowing me to travel a bit. My appetite for natural medicine was insatiable. I became an avid self-prescriber but terrible at it. I made my family try all sorts of stuff. Hippocrates said physicians should be masters of massage, so I got licensed. I headed to medical school at Bastyr University in Seattle, the “Harvard of natural medicine”. That was in 2000.
I’ve been in practice for some time now, consulting clients for over 10 years and I find my self humbled. The human frame and spirit are complex, each of us is so unique and so must be the approach to care. I want the best for my clients, so the disease model of care so prevalent in our culture worries me. With my clients, I aim to deliver hope, and results, naturally.
Anyway, I was told once to find something that you love, be sure it helps people and do it with a sense of adventure. That’s how I feel about what I do. I feel blessed to wake up each day and choose to do something that I love.
Aside from my day job, I’m a father of two beautiful and adventurous girls, a lucky husband, a spoiled son and a soccer coach.
