Wellness Blog
Health Inspired
Our health and wellness blog is a great way to stay informed and be inspired when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Blog posts are added regularly.
The Power of Love
February is heart month and in searching for the right angle I decided to spotlight a surgeon in Berks County. My whole occupational life flashed before my eyes as a knife slipped out of my one hand and cut deeply into the base of my opposite pointer finger. I had...
Healthy Relationship to Self
Healthy Relationships There is no such thing as an "easy" relationship. Each one has their unique highs, lows, and everything in between. The fact of the matter is relationships need your constant attention in order to stay strong. As Valentine’s Day approaches...
Top 3 Ways to Improve Heart Health
So, you’ve heard that exercise can help improve your heart health and reduce the risk of many other diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and the list goes on. A 2012 research paper has shown that physical inactivity was a...
Allowing the Heart to Adapt to Activity
We all know the heart is a muscle. Most people know that in order to make a muscle stronger, we must use it and challenge it so the muscle can adapt. I could bore you with numbers indicating ideal heart rate during exercise or how often to increase your heart rate....
Heart Health & Mental Wellness
Heart Health Last year, during heart health month, I chose to share with you all information on Cardiac Psychology. This was filled with a lot of medical background on the link between depression and anxiety in individuals who experience A-Fib or who have had a...
Healing the Broken Pieces and Reclaiming Wholeness
Multifaceted Beings When getting to know another person, if we explore with curiosity we often discover that we are multifaceted beings. No two people are exactly alike. We all have our own ways of doing things. For example, different daily routines, different...
Integration and Functional Medicine
Functional Nutrition In the Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition Model, integration is of paramount importance to the success of helping the client achieve wellness. Functional Medicine takes into account the pillars of health: Physical health, Mental health,...
Working Together
One Stop Shop It’s the ideal situation that makes our lives easier. Wouldn't you like to get everything you need at one place - yes please! It’s a popular concept but why doesn't this seem to apply to health care? At Ampersand we believe in just that, one place for...
Support Team of Professionals Advocating for YOUR Wellness
Understanding Clients and Their Body Needs As a personal trainer, my duty and responsibility to my clients is to empower them to achieve their physical fitness goals and beyond. I accomplish this by getting to know my clients: their wants, their needs, their goals,...
Wellness in Harmony
Music Therapy and Integrative Health I have been passionate about integrative wellness since before I knew what “integrative wellness” meant. Three years ago, I was lucky enough to develop a music therapy program in a hospital setting. As I was exploring my own...
Integrative Wellness from a Personal Trainers Perspective
In 2016 I worked as a personal trainer at a gym. I was hopeful in growing my business and the gym’s business. Trying to climb the corporate ladder, I thought I might have an influence over a bigger pool of people. My previous experience has led me to value an...
Integration as a Healing Tool: Trauma Touch Therapy
This months blog topic is integration. While this word holds many meanings, I am choosing to discuss it as a healing tool used in TTT. Integration is one of the most important pieces of our work because it pivots to change and transformation. A traumatic event is...
“I met Jesse in 2014 when he was teaching speed and agility at Body Zone to my girls when they were 9 and 13. He was so in tune with their form and making sure they were doing the drills properly. When he left and started personal training it was a no brainer that we would follow him wherever he went. For the past 5 years my girls have been with him and he has truly become part of our family. My husband and I are so blessed to have him in our lives. We know that when our girls are performing at their best, that he has had a major role in that. Jesse supports our girls at soccer games and track and cross country meets. I even use him to stretch my girls for cross country at Wyomissing High School. We appreciate all Jesse has done with our girls and will continue to follow him in his next adventure.”
"Jesse Hershey is so knowledgeable about how our bodies work. He is a pleasure to work with and my sessions are so effective."
"Whitney was more than helpful in helping me prepare for my first half and full Ironman. She first pointed out issues to address that would allow me to properly absorb nutrients, and then helped me to make those specific changes to my diet. As a result I had more energy for training and gained more lean muscle mass than I ever have in the past. I was successful in both events (including placing 5th in my AG in my first half Iron and 18th in my first full). The help she has continued to provide allows me to be much more aware of how my body responds to what I consume, allowing me to fuel in the best ways that I can. Overall I can’t say enough about what working with her has helped me to do both performance-wise and on an everyday nutrition level."
“I have worked with Jesse for two years and am amazed at my improved strength and overall feeling of wellness and enhanced energy. He inspires me to do more but also encourages rest and recuperation. My golf game has improved as my overall strength and endurance have
increased. I consider Jesse a friend, and am grateful to have found such a knowledgeable and compassionate trainer.”
"As we all know...COVID put a damper on a lot of people's physical / mental health, and both Ariel and I fell right into that category. After we got engaged in April, we made a pact that we were going to get back in shape and be our best selves for the wedding. I heard about Ampersand through a family friend and immediately signed us up for a preliminary meeting with Whitney, where she did a deep dive into who we are as an individual and where we would like to see growth. From there, she built a separate plan for both of us to follow and then scheduled regular check-ins to see how we are doing. Whitney is beyond passionate about her occupation and does an amazing job coaching you through the journey. We couldn't recommend Whitney and the rest of the Ampersand team more!!"
“I met Whitney about four years ago. I had GI issues that were not resolving after seeing a gastroenterologist for about 2 years. I was diagnosed with irritable bowel with constipation. My doctor had prescribed two different medications which were ineffective. There was little nutritional counseling at this practice and I was instructed to avoid broccoli and beans and possibly take an enzyme if I wanted to eat these foods. My symptoms persisted and I was uncomfortable daily. I felt that some of my issues were from food because it seemed to correlate with eating. I just couldn’t figure it out.
A colleague recommended Whitney to me. He said his wife had worked with her and she was feeling much better.
I had a consult with Whitney. She was extremely thorough. We broke down my food intake and then made a plan. She suggested an elimination diet. At first I wasn’t sure I could do it! After 2 weeks I was feeling so much better! At 6 weeks my issues were more improved. I had intolerances that were unknown to me. Once we figured out what was best for my gut, my symptoms went away. I had been on Prilosec for 20 years for reflux and did not need it anymore. I was having regular bowel movements and GI pain and bloating were gone. I learned what was good for me and have felt well ever since. It took work and commitment on my part but with Whitney’s help I felt so much better! It is a daily commitment to eat what is right for me but the reward of a pain free, healthy gut is worth it! I could not have not done this on my own. Whitney’s counseling helped me immensely. I am so grateful I met her and know her!”
“I started to have gastric issues in March of 2020. After a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and a lot of useless tests I was diagnosed with a mild inflammation of the stomach lining. The doctors did not provide a solution. Luckily for me, Whitney George was recommended to me as a nutritionist. With her expertise, knowledge, compassion, and devotion she got me back from 95 lbs. to my normal weight of 108lbs. It has been the biggest challenge of my life. Whitney and I meet on Zoom, she is in PA and I am in NC. She provided me with a wonderful website called Cronometer. There I can enter daily what I eat and do. Cronometer breaks down my food letting me know if I need more or less of something. Based on her recommendations with supplements I got rid of some bacteria the medical systems only treat with antibiotics. Whitney has been holding my hand since May 24th, when I first met her on Zoom. When I panic, she is right there for me via phone or email, late at night or even on the weekend. I am extremely lucky to have her as I have no idea where I would today without her help.
Thank you, Whitney, for being such a caring human being.”
“I have been working with Laural Miller for a few years now. First as a life coach, where she helped immensely in my healing from marriage and continued healing from childhood trauma. She is now my trauma touch practitioner, and has created such a safe space for me to bring even more healing.
If you are local to Berks County and are looking for trauma informed healing, reach out to Ampersand and get in touch with Laural. God truly has gifted her in many ways.”
"The level of experience spread among the practitioners of this building is incredible. I'm able to get my physical therapy, personal training, massage, cupping, nutrition, and my career and goal orientation planning in one place. The best thing about this is that this place is truly the model of integrative health where every practitioner speaks with every other practitioner to give you the best chance for success in ever evolving goals.
I assure you you can't go wrong working with any or all of these individuals! Truly a gift to Berks county and surrounding areas."
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