Meet Jaime Heer of Better Belly Nutrition: Santa Barbara’s Favorite Functional Nutritionist
For Jaime, the journey to becoming a Functional Nutritionist was deeply personal and in her early 20s she battled a range of health challenges. Frustrated by conventional medicine’s inability to address the root causes of her ailments, she questioned the one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare. Her intuition led her to seek integrative alternatives, where she found relief through changes in diet, stress management, and prioritizing gut health.
Driven by her own success, Jaime dedicated herself to learning how to help others experience similar transformations. She pursued a formal education in Functional Nutrition, specializing in digestion and gut healing. Now, as a practitioner, she empowers her clients to understand that they have control over their health. Her work focuses on balancing the body's interconnected systems, which, when out of sync, can trigger a cascade of common health problems. From her wine bar in Santa Barbara to guiding others on their wellness journey, her mission is clear: to help people take charge of their health using the power of nutrition.
Below, Jaime gives us some of her best advice, information, and tips for maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle for our families!
Can you tell us a little more about you and your background, how you got started in nutrition, and anything else you’d like us to know about you or your business?
I grew up in San Diego and earned my Bachelor's Degree in Child Development from SDSU. Before becoming a Functional Nutritionist, I worked as a preschool teacher and later transitioned into the wine industry, eventually owning a wine bar called Armada located in Downtown Santa Barbara. My passion for nutrition actually began in my early 20s when I sought help from conventional doctors regarding health issues that included acne, depression and chronic digestive issues. However I never actually resolved any of these issues until I finally realized that I needed to change my diet and optimize my gut health. Voila… That made all the difference!
I sold my wine bar in 2018 and decided to pursue a career in nutrition so that I could help others experience the same success I had with healing from chronic health issues by taking a holistic, food-as-medicine approach. Today, I specialize in helping my clients overcome chronic digestive issues, skin problems, and weight challenges through targeted nutrition and lifestyle modifications.
What are some key nutrients that children need to support their cognitive function during school hours/Are there specific foods that can help improve concentration and focus in children?
To help your child maintain sustained energy, focus, and attention throughout the school day, start their morning with a breakfast that is focused on quality fats and protein.
Examples include:
Avocado and pasture raised eggs
Grass-fed, full fat plain yogurt. Add chopped nuts, chia & hemp seeds, berries & a dollop of honey for sweetness.
Organic bacon or sausage - I like Applegate brand.
Almond butter + banana
Chia seed pudding
Cottage cheese w/ dark berries
Almond flour pancakes w/ grass-fed butter
Key nutrients essential for supporting your child's energy, focus, and attention include:
Water: Ensure they stay hydrated with filtered water is key! You can also include high water foods like cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges, watermelon to boost hydration.
Protein: Provide a variety of sources such as wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs and poultry, grass-fed/finished meats, beans, and lentils.
Healthy Fats: Include options like wild-caught fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, olives, coconut milk, and grass-fed/finished, full-fat, and raw dairy (if tolerated)
Fiber: Incorporate fiber-rich foods like organic vegetables & fruit, beans, lentils, quinoa, and wild rice.
It’s important to avoid sugary and high-starch breakfasts, as they can lead to blood sugar spikes followed by crashes. These highs and lows can leave kids feeling tired, irritable, and unable to focus. Blood sugar swings also trigger cravings for more sugary and starchy foods, creating a cycle of energy dips, poor attention, and crankiness—which can even contribute to more serious behavioral issues over time.
How can parents ensure their kids get a balanced breakfast, especially on busy school mornings?
Prepping high-protein foods in advance can make those hectic mornings smoother.
Involve your kids in meal prep to share the responsibility and help them become more self-sufficient and interested in what they eat.
Some ideas: hard-boiled eggs, egg prosciutto cups, protein carrot muffins, paleo granola bars, pre-cooked bacon with avocado, chia seed pudding, paleo waffles with almond butter and chia seeds, and paleo granola.
What are some healthy snack ideas that are both nutritious and convenient for kids to take to school?
Hard boiled eggs w/ salsa or guacamole
Avocado w/ everything but the bagel seasoning
Chomps & Epic Bars jerky
Apples and almond butter
Turkey roll ups
Edamame
Celery and almond butter
Sliced veggies or sugar snap peas with hummus or guacamole
Tuna salad w/ cucumber chips or plantain chips
Plain yogurt or cottage cheese with berries and nuts
Homemade trail mix
Paleo Energy balls
How can parents manage sugar intake in their children's diet, given the prevalence of sugary snacks and drinks? Can you give some healthy swap options?
Read ingredient labels and look for “added sugars”. Keep in mind that every 4 grams of added sugar equals a teaspoon of sugar.
Check serving sizes! A lot of times they will make the serving size smaller than what you would actually eat in order to fool you into thinking it has less sugar than it actually does.
Avoid juice! If having juice, dilute ¼ juice to the rest of the water.
Purchase unsweetened yogurt and add your own 1 tsp of honey or fruit so you can control sweetness.
Give fruit as a dessert.
Candy & ice cream can be swapped for fresh fruit & coconut milk popsicles, frozen blueberries & greek yogurt or chia seed pudding.
Are there any particular foods or supplements that can help boost the immune system as kids head back to school?
Daily probiotic
Enjoying whole foods and limiting processed or high sugar foods is the best way to make sure your kids are getting the nutrients they need to support their immune system.
Ensure they get a good night’s rest w/ good sleep hygiene:
Turn off screens and overhead lights 1 hour before bedtime.
Warm bath, listen to calming music or reading before bed.
Chamomile or peppermint tea as part of their calming routine with 1-2 drops of Herm Farm Kids Fast Asleep.
Keep their room cool and dark. Organic cotton sheets and pajamas for good body temperature regulation.
How important is hydration for children during the school day, and what tips do you have to encourage them to drink enough water?
Staying well-hydrated is the #1 priority for maintaining good health. Water is essential for every cellular process in the body and dehydration can be a root cause of many common childhood issues, including fatigue, irritability, headaches, attention problems, constipation, and eczema.
Here are tips to help kids stay hydrated:
Colorful water bottles that they pick out and let them add stickers to it
Use a Hidrate Spark water bottle that lights up to remind them it’s time to drink.
Calculate many cups or bottles of water they need to drink per day (½ body weight in ounces per day) and make it a game to reach their goal each day.
If your child is complaining or exhibiting symptoms of fatigue, headache, constipation, etc… encourage them to drink more water and explain how water is essential to feeling good so they can play and have fun.
How can parents plan and prepare school lunches that are both appealing to children and nutritionally balanced? Are there any products or services you'd recommend to help?
Encourage your kids to "eat the rainbow"! Make it a game to see how many different colors they can pack in their lunchbox (with real, whole foods, not artificially colored ones).
Expose them to a variety of colorful, whole foods regularly. It might take 13 tries before they’re willing to taste something, so don’t give up!
Avoid thinking that kids need simplified or "kid-specific" foods—feed them what you eat so the whole family can enjoy the same healthy meals together.
Leftovers from dinner make for great lunches!
Get your children involved in preparing and cooking their meals. The more they help, the more invested they’ll be in eating it.
Let them help you plant a garden or explore a farmers' market. Exposing them to vibrant, fresh foods and encouraging them to try a bite of something new can be a fun adventure.
Have them choose a new recipe each week to cook together—Paleorunningmomma.com has excellent family-friendly options!
Here are brands with lots of great products that I recommend for healthy eating:
Chomps
Epic Bars
Simple Mills
Lark Ellen Farms
Seven Sundays
Artisan Tropic Plantain Chips
Siete
RAW Farm
CocoJune Yogurt
Are there any common dietary mistakes parents make when it comes to their children’s school nutrition?
Relying too much on convenience foods: While quick options may seem easier, it’s important to remember that food can be a catalyst for health or disease. As parents, we have the responsibility to set our children up for a healthy, happy life—and that starts with good nutrition.
Not providing enough protein and healthy fats: Protein and fat are essential for energy, focus, and building healthy cells. Without them, kids may struggle with concentration and energy dips, depression, anxiety, getting sick often, and other issues like eczema or allergies.
Thinking kids can "burn off" a diet that high in sugary or starchy foods: Too much sugar can lead to blood sugar crashes, sugar cravings, behavioral issues, weight gain, and poor dietary habits, setting them up for potential future health issues.
Overlooking junk ingredients: Artificial colors, flavorings, unhealthy oils, "natural flavors," and added sugars make up the majority of ultra-processed foods. Reading labels is key—if it sounds like it was made in a lab, it’s not good for them!
Overdoing juice or fruit: While whole fruits are fine in moderation, they still contain sugar, which can lead to blood sugar crashes and cravings. Balance fruit intake with other whole foods to provide a more rounded diet.
What advice do you have for maintaining a healthy eating routine during the school year that can also adapt to after-school activities?
Keep a variety of fresh, colorful whole foods on hand and easy to grab for your kids. Some great options include cut-up carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers, hummus, cut melon, tangerines, apples, hard-boiled eggs, gluten-free crackers, grass-fed cheese slices, nitrate free salami, olives, homemade trail mix, plain Greek yogurt with berries, brown rice cakes with avocado, ham roll-ups, cottage cheese or plain yogurt with fresh fruit, apple slices with almond butter, energy balls, edamame, and "ants on a log."
Avoid keeping junk foods in the house. Kids will often reach for those because they don't yet understand the impact of their choices—if it's not an option, they’ll go for the healthier alternatives!
Can you discuss the impact of processed foods on children's health and how to minimize their consumption?
Processed foods are typically made from ingredients that have been refined and stripped of their natural nutrients and fiber. In addition to being nutrient-poor, these foods are often loaded with chemicals, artificial additives, and preservatives that the body does not recognize as food. As a result, the immune system has to work harder to break down and detoxify these foreign substances. Moreover, many processed foods are engineered to be hyperpalatable, meaning they are designed to taste so good that they trigger cravings and lead to overeating without providing a sense of fullness or satisfaction. This lack of nutrients means that processed foods often replace whole, nutritious foods that are essential for your child's health and development. Here are key points to how processed foods impact health from a foundational perspective:
Imbalanced Gut Microbiome:
disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut, leading to poor nutrient absorption, food sensitivities, and digestive issues such as bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation.
Inflammation of the Immune System:
contributing to food sensitivities, allergies, asthma, eczema, headaches, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic conditions.
Poor Dietary Habits:
unhealthy eating patterns, where whole, nutritious foods are replaced by calorie-dense but nutrient-poor options.
Unhealthy Weight Changes:
The high-calorie, low-nutrient nature of processed foods can contribute to unhealthy weight gain or loss, increasing the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and malnutrition in children.
Sugar Addiction:
Many processed foods contain added sugars, which can lead to a cycle of sugar addiction, causing frequent cravings and contributing to metabolic issues like insulin resistance.
Cognitive Problems:
The lack of essential nutrients in processed foods can impair cognitive function, contributing to conditions like ADD, ADHD, and learning disabilities. The artificial additives and preservatives may also negatively impact brain health and development.
Processed foods not only deprive children of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive, but they also contribute to a range of health problems that can affect their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense foods is essential for supporting your child's overall health and development.
What advice do you have for parents who want to involve their children in meal planning and preparation?
Involving your children in meal planning and preparation is an essential step in raising healthy eaters! Here are some fun ways to get them engaged:
Grow a backyard vegetable garden: Let them experience the joy of nurturing their own food.
Take them to the farmers market: Explore fresh produce and talk about seasonal foods together.
Visit a local farm: Help them connect with where their food comes from.
Choose recipes together: Have your children pick out at least one recipe each week from an online source or cookbook.
Get hands-on in the kitchen: Encourage them to help you prep and cook the meals.
Let them take the lead: If they’re old enough, challenge them to prepare a family meal all by themselves!
These activities not only teach valuable skills but also foster a love for healthy food!
Is there anything else you’d like to include? We would love to know!!
Along with a healthy diet, good digestion is essential for optimal health. Your body needs to effectively break down food to absorb its nutrients. Unfortunately, poor digestion is common in today’s fast-paced world, where mealtimes often take a backseat to multitasking and hurried eating. This can lead to a host of issues, including digestive upset, malnutrition, chronic inflammation, and various other health problems. Encourage your family to embrace the concept of “Rest to Digest” during meals to enhance their digestive process and promote overall wellness! Here’s how:
Step 1: Hit the Pause Button
Before eating, pretend you're hitting a giant "pause" button on your body, like on a video game. Take a moment to stop and breathe deeply. This helps your body switch from “go-go-go” mode to “chill” mode.
Step 2: Take Deep Dragon Breaths
Imagine you're a friendly dragon! Take three slow, deep breaths, just like a dragon breathing out fire, but instead of fire, you're breathing out stress! This gets your body ready to focus on eating and digesting your food.
Step 3: Chew Like a Slow Sloth
Sloths move slowly, and so should you when you chew. Take small bites and chew each one really well, like a sloth savoring its food. This makes your tummy’s job of breaking down food much easier!
Step 4: Feel the Magic of Relaxation
As you eat, pretend you're in a peaceful place—maybe a cozy garden or your favorite fort. When you're relaxed, your belly can do its best work of turning food into energy to help you grow and stay strong.
Step 5: Finish Like a Champion
When you’re done eating, take one last deep dragon breath. This helps your belly know that it's time to finish digesting and get all the awesome nutrients from your food.
