Today we’d like to introduce you to Geny Moreno Salamat.
Geny, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
What started out as a nutrition coaching business, Health Luminary has become so much more today. The founder and certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P), Geny Moreno Salamat, maintains its core services with a focus on one-to-one coaching with individuals who are looking to improve their health.
Today, Health Luminary has evolved to be at the forefront for promoting a holistic, mind-body approach to health and well-being through its partnerships and collaborations with other Houston-based organizations with the mission to build a much stronger and much more resilient community.
Health Luminary was founded in the spring of 2014, but Geny’s journey into the business all started well before. At age 14, Geny was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition known as vitiligo where the body attacks the very cells (melanocytes) that produce skin pigment (melanin).
She had gone to many medical doctors, but every single one of them stated that vitiligo was incurable. She started her own search for answers to find out what’s wrong with her. This led her to many life-long lessons, meeting enlightened, passionate holistic practitioners along the way who each educated her in alternative and natural options.
Then in January of 2010, she sought the help of an FDN practitioner. This FDN asked Geny why she wanted his help. Her “why” was simple. She wanted to help herself so that she can take care of her own family. She believes that if she’s not healthy herself, then she wouldn’t be able to care for them in a way that is effective and whole.
This was a turning point for Geny and the FDN practitioner, Sean Croxton, who helped Geny that year made an impact in her life so much so that she became a certified FDN practitioner herself five years later. Sean Croxton (www.seancroxton.com) was a catalyst in Geny’s decision.
Fast forward to 2014, Health Luminary was born out of a personal struggle of an individual who knew in her heart that she had more to give, greater than herself. Geny’s mission to educate and coach men and women on how to regain control of their own health, so that they may live their purpose is in the very core of what she does and her business.
As Geny continues to learn and evolve, recently becoming certified in mind-body coaching, so did the expansion of Health Luminary. In the year 2018, after three years of being somewhat in seclusion to heal herself (this included not being active on social media), Geny re-emerged as she regained her confidence in herself. She went through a 30-day Ramadan fasting. This affected and changed Geny from a deep, personal level.
Based on the advice and support of a very good friend named AJ, he told her, “show the world the real you and the world will adjust. Don’t be afraid to use your voice”, she found the courage to come back and face the world. AJ, a model himself, gave her tips on how to be camera-ready and encouraged her not to be afraid of facing the camera lens. With that said, 2018 is really a come-back year for Geny after dealing with her past.
Health Luminary is in partnership with other Houston-based organizations to empower their community with self-care tools and techniques. She believes that this service to the community gives people hope and the courage to take full responsibility for their own health and well-being.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. There were many personal struggles along the way. I had to overcome going through a marital separation which eventually let to divorce after Health Luminary was created. I had to overcome the lack of financial security and limited resources, but even worse, losing my identity, my feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy, lack of confidence, esteem, and feelings of disconnection from my own self, family, and community. I stayed with a friend for four months until I can get on my own two feet.
There were times when I had to choose between my gas or food, so I would choose gas to get to my work. None of my clients knew that I was going through a divorce until one client noticed a change of my name. It affected the operations of doing business particularly in the years 2016 to 2017. But despite all this, I kept going and moving forward like business as usual. I was the type to hide my personal struggle, and no matter how broken I had felt, I showed up my best for my clients and friends.
It was in this struggle, however, that I met my first partnership, one that would significantly change my life, shape my thinking in business and personal development, and the beginning of my work in my community. Seeking to alleviate my stress from my marriage and life, in July 2016, I decided to learn tai chi and qigong from a masterful teacher, Henderson Smith, founder of Living Well Therapies and now the CEO of MeTime 24/7.
This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and business partnership that led to a collaborative work that empowers many Houstonians and our community at large.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Health Luminary story. Tell us more about the business.
I wanted to give back the same gift I received in 2010 by a fellow FDN. Because of him, I regained control of my health and my life. It fueled my sense of purpose. I wanted to teach and coach up others to do the same.
As a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) and certified Mind-Body Coach through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, I help my clients by doing one-on-one private coaching with them either through Skype/Facetime or in person, depending on where they live. I don’t medicate my clients (not my role), but I educate them on how to improve their lifestyle, one that is sustainable and practical, which then improves their health and well-being.
My area of expertise and focus is in improving digestion, brain, and immune health. I use many tools to improve these areas of my clients’ lives. The very first thing I address on all clients is their food. This is required and an absolute necessity in any of my programs. No exceptions.
Next, to improve the first step, I use functional testing to identify food intolerances, any imbalances in hormones, gut dysbiosis, and energy production. These tests don’t identify disease but rather show weaknesses in the body that require attention. These tests help me, and my clients get to the root cause of their DIS–ease. The other part of the work, which I would say is probably even more important, is working with clients manage their stress and emotions when life becomes tough. Because I’ve gone through many painful events in my life, I’ve learned to become stronger and much more resilient.
To be resilient today in a world that continues to be chaotic is a very important skill to have. I teach my clients to be resilient by helping them connect their mind with their body. This is what sets me apart or what sets Health Luminary apart from others. We’re unique in a sense that I go beyond the food and testing, but I go as far as getting to the root cause of my clients’ stress that may stem from unresolved past issues or trauma.
I use a mind-body approach such as tai chi and qigong, expressive and concentrative meditation, breath work, imagery and other techniques to help them manage their own mental and emotional being and also helping them respond with care and mindfulness to whatever life throws at them.
Mainly, I spend time talking with them, taking them on a grocery store tour, and cooking for them once to build a strong connection with them but also within themselves. I’m so proud of this work because there is always that invisible, mutual exchange happening between me and my clients. My clients who often end up becoming my friends after working with them have taught me compassion, kindness, and most importantly patience and faith. They’re helping to heal me while I help to heal them. This makes me happy and proud.
Health Luminary is also an online presence that provides educational content on health-related topics such as healthy eating, digestive health, brain health, autoimmunity, and overall health and well-being. I create videos around these topics. I also like to do interviews with other healers and establishments that provide a similar service like that of HL. My most recent video interview was with a friend and functional medicine doctor, Dr. Cheng Ruan, MD, founder of the Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine in Houston. Our topic of discussion was all about the benefits of hemp oil.
There’s also the partnerships and collaborative work that I’m very much a part of in helping to build a much more resilient community in Houston and hopefully beyond. I mentioned MeTime24/7. Much of my work here centers around facing the camera and doing Tai Chi and Qigong and other forms of meditation. I’m also the Chief Data Officer of MeTime24/7 (being that my past work was in aerospace engineering). MeTime delivers immersive, state of the art, instructional videos of Tai Chi and Qigong and other mind-body techniques.
Myself and business partner and friend, Henderson Smith (MeTime CEO and main instructor) also hold resiliency classes using mind-body medicine techniques in our Houston community. We have done 8-week workshops within the City of Houston department and now Houston Women’s Center. Another important collaboration is with the up and coming Amexem online platform.
Amexem gives you the keys to unlock the secrets and science of our ancestors in order to prosper in modern times. I’m a keynote speaker and contributor for Amexem discussing on two topics: Health: A Gift from the Great God; and Boundless: Exploring The Possibilities of Man.
The community around health and wellness in Houston is a very special one to me, and I am excited to see it continue to grow with friends at the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center. They partner with other non-profits to improve the well-being of the community and providing a remedy to life’s hectic pace by reducing stress.
And last but not least, Health Luminary is also a proud affiliate of Prime My Body, health, wellness, and lifestyle company that embraces the movement to raise awareness on the importance of living a clean and healthy lifestyle; what you put in and on your body matters.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not so sure anymore if I believe in luck. Everything happens for a reason. Every lesson from my life’s painful circumstances and happy moments happened to me, so I learned a lot about who I am.
I own every choice and action I’ve taken up to now. It’s true that some decisions I made in the past were not the best or ideal, but I consciously made them. So, I take full ownership of all the things I’ve done and have control over. I cannot associate this with either good or bad luck.
Maybe a bad luck was when I lost the only car I was hanging onto with my dear life to Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. I joined my friends to a location where I thought wouldn’t flood and have less impact. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The street flooded and my car and a friend’s car got flooded in.
Even this situation may perhaps look like a bad luck, but as it turned out, it became a blessing in disguise. My old car needed to be replaced anyway. And it was also the last piece of possession I owned when I was married. That chapter of my life needed to be closed, and losing my car was perhaps a reminder that it’s time to fully let go.
Pricing:
- 90-minute consultation fee: $250 (will count towards any packages below)
- Jump-Start Individual Package: $595 (lab tests and supplements not included)
- 90-Day Comprehensive Package: $2595 (lab tests and supplements not included)
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.healthluminary.com
- Phone: 832-630-8793
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genymorenofdncoach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthluminary/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthluminary/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQzp1XVGHkJA9s8M9PS9BIA
Image Credit:
Henderson Smith, Jesse Young, JaQuay Young, Gilberto Diaz
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
