MEET KOKO
Hey there! I’m Koko Lieppman-Collado, MS, CHN, Founder of Namaste Holistic Health. I am a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Functional Medicine Health Coach with a Masters degree in Health Communication. For the past ten years, I have immersed myself in health research, studies, theories, and trends. But more than that, I have used my personal health journey over the past 15 years as the training ground for what I bring to my clients.
I have been in your shoes.
I know what it's like to be scared, confused, and frustrated from the endless information you hear and read. I know what it's like to be sick and tired of temporary relief. A competitive athlete, I appeared healthy to the outside world, but my body was completely out of balance. In an effort to find answers for my digestive disorder, migraines, fatigue, urticaria, food allergies, and hormonal imbalances, I bounced from one specialist to the next. Instead of addressing the root cause of my health issues, I was given prescription after prescription and I still felt miserable. I didn’t want to live my life this way, so I decided to become my own health advocate.
After studying and practicing the healing art and science of nutrition through graduate school, I gradually began to heal my body from the inside out. Within a few months of cleansing and eliminating foods that were causing inflammation in my body, my gut started to work properly, my migraines diminished, my skin began to clear up, and my energy was back. I got in the kitchen and cooked my way towards health. I engaged in all of the activities that brought me joy and happiness.
I took back the reigns of my health.
By simply slowing down, I became in tune with my body and the messages it was trying to send me. I learned that gluten and dairy were trigger foods for me, so I learned how to navigate a world without bread, cheese, and yogurt. Instead of running 5-6 miles a day or training for triathlons, I turned to a more grounding yoga and meditation practice. I began watching my thoughts, feelings and emotions and in that process, I learned how to manage stress more effectively. As my health improved, I was able to put my energy into living an authentic life and finding what made me truly happy. What makes me shine is being the support for others that I wish I had when I was going through my own healing journey. My passion is to educate, inspire and empower you on your path to holistic healing!
MY TRAINING
While embarking on my journey to healing, I received my master's degree in Health Communication. My background allows me to translate the complex language of science and health into easy-to-understand health education materials and campaigns. Prior to Namaste Holistic Health, I was a Health Communication Director for a large healthcare organization in CA, NV, and AZ; a Health Communication Strategist for a nonprofit, designing nutrition education materials and childhood obesity prevention campaigns for low-income elementary schools in California; and a health journalist and copywriter for a medical research company in Los Angeles. In 2013, I graduated from Institute of Integrative Nutrition as a Integrative Nutrition Coach. In 2013, I widened my path of self-healing and discovery by completing a 200-Hour YogaWorks Teacher Training in Bali, along with a mini yogis® certification, a foundational yoga training of kid-specific yoga and mindfulness practices. In 2015, I became a Certified Holistic Nutritionist through American College of Healthcare Sciences, as well as completed my certification in Functional Medicine Health Coaching in 2016. I'm currently studying to become a Functional Nutrition Practitioner underneath internationally acclaimed Functional Nutritionist, Andrea Nakayama. I am wholeheartedly committed to lifelong learning and will always be a student in the world of holistic health, nutrition, happiness, yoga, and spirituality.