Join us for our upcoming FemCity Coffee Connection featuring Laura Smith, Founder of Essential Nutrition & Wellness, LLC. Laura will share insights on the causes of body inflammation and natural solutions to support overall wellness.
In today’s world, our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins, stressors, and environmental factors that contribute to inflammation and health challenges. Laura will break down the many hidden causes of inflammation and offer practical, natural strategies to help reduce its impact—so you can feel your best every day.
Enjoy a morning of inspiration, connection, and community—plus delicious coffee, sponsored by Shanna Reynolds, owner of TLC – Team Lactation Care of Southwest Virginia.
📅 Date: February 25, 2025 📍 Location: Smith Mountain Lake Coffee House 16430 Booker T. Washington Hwy, Moneta, VA 24121 ☕ Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Please register to attend by 2/21/25
About Our Speaker, Laura Smith, RD, LD
Founder, Essential Nutrition and Wellness
Laura Smith is a registered, licensed dietitian and nutritionist with over 30 years of experience specializing in holistic and functional medicine. Her passion for helping others began early in her career and has led her on a path of deep exploration into the intricate connection between nutrition, health, and overall well-being.
Laura’s professional journey started at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois, where she spent four years counseling patients in a variety of specialties, including oncology, orthopedics, cardiology, diabetes management, psychiatry, and intensive care. She then advanced to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, dedicating ten years to working with critically ill patients in the Neonatal ICU, Neuro/Spine and Medical ICU, oncology, cardiology, and other specialized areas.
Her professional expertise took on personal significance when she and her family faced their own health challenges, including food sensitivities, sensory issues, allergies, and toxicities. This experience ignited her passion for a root-cause, integrative approach to healing.
As the founder of Essential Nutrition and Wellness in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, Laura focuses on addressing complex health challenges through a holistic lens. She integrates advanced technologies and targeted nutritional support to uncover underlying imbalances and help clients achieve optimal wellness. Her mission is to educate and empower individuals to understand the core principles of nutrition and inflammation—allowing the body to function and thrive as God naturally intended.
About Our Coffee Sponsor, Shanna Reynolds
Shanna is proud to announce that as of 2022, she is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)!
She began her career in 2011 as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for WIC and continued her education, becoming a Certified Lactation Counselor in 2012 through the Healthy Children’s Project. She has also trained with Star Lactation to specialize in assessing ties, oral function, and habilitation.
Shanna’s work includes: ✅ Teaching breastfeeding education classes ✅ Providing hospital visits with laboring mothers and newly delivered babies ✅ Conducting home visits for personalized support ✅ Facilitating support groups to empower families
Beyond her clinical and educational expertise, Shanna is also a mother of three children (ages 14-17, including twins!), all of whom were breastfed.
“I’m very passionate about empowering families to make informed decisions about feeding their babies. I love working with families and providing focused care to help them reach their individual goals!” – Shanna Reynolds
