Be Well. Offers 'Multi-Disciplinary Approach' to Nutrition

In today's world, convenience is king.

Supermarkets long ago provided every food item one needed under one roof, replacing multiple trips to the butcher, the baker and the candle stick maker, among others. Convenience stores provide customers a place to get in, get what they need and get out quickly. And as super stores like Walmart and Target have increased their product options to include things like groceries, so too have places like 7-Eleven added more items than just Big Gulps and Taquitos.

In the realm of health care, the "one-stop shop" trend is emerging as well, here in Morristown.

Be Well., opened Oct. 1 on Washington Street, began its life in 2010 on Madison Avenue specializing mostly in nutrition planning as the NJ Center for Nutrition and Dietetics. But, as co-founder Marisa Sweeney noted, there's more to ones health than just what she and co-founder Theresa Bace O'Reilly offer as registered dieticians.

"We offer a multidisciplinary approach in setting people on the right path to meet their health and wellness goals in the most effective way possible," said Sweeney, who met her eventual business partner while studying nutrition and food science at Montclair State University. In her field, "I have seen many people have difficulty losing weight, managing a disease, or achieving better eating habits because of unaddressed emotional connections to food, unmanaged stress and unhappiness, or other more deep rooted issues. For any successful lifestyle change to occur, each problem and obstacle in your way must be addressed and overcome individually."

To that end, Be Well. includes the psychology services of Erika January, a licensed psychologist in New Jersey and New York and a graduate of Haverford College, Columbia University and Fordham University’s counseling psychology PhD program; and Isha Saini, a registered Yoga instructor.

For Sweeney, nutrition was not her first choice entering college, but the one that left a permanent impression. "I took a nutrition class as an elective and really loved it so I decided to take more classes in that area," the former biology major said. "Eventually I changed my major to Nutrition and Food Science." 

When the NJ Center for Nutrition and Dietetics sought expansion earlier this year, "we wanted to stay in Morristown because we were already established with the medical community here but wanted to be in a place that is much more friendly and inviting to the general public," Sweeney said. "Being that we also offer a lot more services now, we wanted to be more in touch with people of Morristown directly, rather than through their doctors."

Looking ahead to 2013, Be Well. is in the process of adding a licensed acupuncturist to their menu of services. An official grand opening celebration also is planned for Jan. 7.

For more information about Be Well., visit their website.