John O’Connor is the founder of Gene Food and an Integrative Health Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine.
After his career in the NYC startup world left him stressed, burned out, and physically sick, John turned his focus to understanding as much as he could about health and how his body works. When he looked for the ideal diet, all he encountered was wildly conflicting nutrition advice. John created Gene Food to help people sift through the noise and eat in a way that is suited to their individual needs.
While living in Southern California, John’s approach to health and wellness was shaped by three key mentors.
First, by Mia Barbrick, a healer and acupuncturist based out of Laguna Beach. It was under Mia’s care that John first saw how powerful ancient healing modalities can be when applied to the right patient by the right practitioner at the right time.
Next, Dr. Stephen Brody, a Stanford trained endocrinologist and anti-aging doctor in San Diego. Dr. Brody introduced John to the world of advanced lab testing that is, regrettably, off-limits for most Americans. Through years of detailed lab tests, John learned just how powerful personalized medicine can be.
Last, John completed a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training under Gerhard Gessner, a member of the faculty of the University of San Diego as well as the proprietor of Prana Yoga in La Jolla, CA. Through Gerhard, John learned that Yoga is far more than just the asana practice. The science of Yoga can be applied to all facets of life.
Interviews and podcast appearances
Parade Magazine on Pegan Diets