Graduate Spotlight

Deirdre Milliron, Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition
“If it has a label, I look for its whole-food alternative”

Deirdre Milliron has two favorite places to create: in a fragrant, colorful herb and flower garden, and discovering wonderful tastes and textures in the kitchen. Her early mealtime memories are infused with the common-sensical kitchen table wisdom of “slow-food” holistic nutrition activist Adelle Davis.

“Mom home-schooled us, so to say, in the simple art of choosing to eat well at every meal,” says Deirdre. “She taught us to embrace Davis’ sense of gratitude and awareness, to align our mind, body and spirit energies with the healing power of eating mindfully. To this day, even just rereading her (Davis’) books is like comfort food — it gives me a warm, fuzzy memory of actually glimpsing, even as a young child, the gentle and yet intense energy of nature’s bounty.”

Decades later, amidst a successful and fast-paced career in public relations, it was a health retreat in her native Australia that “called Deirdre back” to her early fascination with the healing magic of nature.

“Our retreat group was able to witness how the simple power of herbal medicine was dramatically restoring vitality and life-force to seven people whose lives were debilitated by cancer. Day by day they improved visibly and I was so astonished that I changed my life and returned to my ‘organic roots’ by studying the healing power of herbs. After becoming a master herbalist, I wanted to learn more and more. I’m thankful that an exhaustive search of holistic nutrition degree programs led me to CCNH.”

Deirdre completed our undergraduate and masters programs, and is now writing her doctoral dissertation. Alongside her continued herbal studies and advanced holistic nutrition, the Clayton curriculum also offered exciting new methods to help raise one’s individual vibration — through coursework in aromatherapy, feng shui and homeopathy — as a stepping-stone toward helping to raise the collective energetic vibration of others as well.

“Lifelong learning and teaching others about natural health is my passion. Every time I complete another Clayton College course I say, ‘Now that was my favorite one’ … at least until the next one comes along,” she adds with a laugh.

“Naturally, everyone in our household benefits. Our three pets eat grass-fed organic meat and dairy products. My husband, who travels in his job and works long hours, knows how to choose ‘power foods’ to sustain mental clarity and physical energy.”

Deirdre teaches an eight-part corporate wellness program that includes facilitator guidance plus workbooks for individual participants. Her train-the-trainer approach is helping corporations demonstrate their growing interest in nutritional wellness and create healthier workplaces.

Her Atlanta-based natural health consulting company is aptly called “Living Planet Wellness” and this high-energy herbalist recently signed her first book contract! The manuscript’s working title is Foods that Help Win the Battle Against Fibromyalgia; its publication date is set for May 2008.

When applicable, CCNH shares the interview subject’s designated web link for further learning and independent research. We do not officially endorse or embrace all ideas or opinions expressed therein.

This article was based on an interview with the graduate.

Archived Graduate Spotlights