Meet Jennifer Roelands, MD | Integrative Medicine Trained OB/GYN/Speaker/SHEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Roelands, MD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my business because I recognized a gap in healthcare. Healthcare has become sick care. 80% of chronic disease is preventable with proper nutrition and lifestyle techniques. Doctors focus on giving medications for symptoms or diagnosing disease but not on prevention or reversal of that disease. “A pill for every ill.” There are patients that people who still don’t feel well despite taking medications, and they want to heal and feel better. They need the tools.

I have experienced this as a patient who suffered from infertility and was told my labs were normal. I continued to feel isolated and alone because my doctor said there was no reason for my infertility. After advocating for myself, I discovered I had PCOS and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. But despite taking medications, I still felt terrible. So I dove head first into the complementary medicine world and learned how what we eat, how much we sleep, how we manage stress, exercise, etc can contribute to our illness. I was then able to get pregnant and heal my body.

I have used this knowledge to revolutionize women’s health with a whole-body approach. My mission is to provide comprehensive women’s health by offering a range of options such as herbs, supplements, nutrition, and mind-body methods for managing her unique women’s health needs across her lifetime. I want women to be heard and know how to heal their bodies.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Well Woman MD is unique because we allow time for the patient to be heard and work hard to uncover the root cause of their chronic illness so the patient can heal their body. We do not practice the conventional medicine approach of a “pill for every ill.” Conventional medicine focuses on naming your condition, but Integrative Medicine is different. The body is an integrated system with unique history, chemistry, and genetics. We see the body as a WHOLE. We treat the underlying cause, not the symptoms. Patients want to reverse or prevent disease, and we know they can. We believe the patient can heal when given the right tools and they understand their unique biology.

Going against mainstream medicine has not been easy. I was in a successful private practice job and making a good living. And then, I started helping a long-time patient of mine Mary. She was struggling with infertility at the same time I was. She had seen the REI specialist, who told her to just lose weight and come back but was not told how to do so. She was devastated. I worked endlessly to understand how nutrition helps PCOS patients with fertility and how to advise Mary. In this process, I learned the importance of food is medicine and how the body can heal and wants to heal. Mary was able to conceive spontaneously, and that pushed me even more to expand my knowledge outside of conventional medicine.

But over and over again, I was helping patients like Mary, which motivated me to practice medicine in this way. I had to leave my job because my philosophy of medicine did not align with mainstream medicine.

I opened Well Woman MD as a telehealth practice and have not looked back. That determination to succeed and believe in me was spawned from being the first person on both sides of my family to go to college. I was raised in a traditional Italian culture where I was expected to get married and have children but I defied that expectation and became a doctor.

My goal is to build an integrative medicine team of practitioners to provide a lot of tools to address any women’s health issues. We currently are a team of a nutritionist, acupuncturist, chef, yoga/breathwork instructor, and an MD.

I want people to know if you are feeling frustrated because you do not feel “normal” even though you are told your labs are normal, you are not alone. There are providers like myself who will listen and help you uncover the root cause of your symptoms to heal.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite places in Orange County are anywhere near the water. Being near the ocean is a must because I moved recently from MO. My weekend itinerary would include: 1. Hike in Crystal Cove
2. Followed by a wonderful lunch at Summer House in Corona Del Mar
3. End the evening in a park where you can see the fireworks from Disneyland.

Another day would include:
1. Biking along the beach boardwalk. Checking out the volleyball courts and people-watching.
2. Having lunch at True Kitchen
3. Just strolling through the beautiful streets of Newport Beach and seeing the cool houses is interesting. The beach life.

Last day would be strolling along Laguna Beach and going in and out of the art galleries on a warm sunny day. Then eating lunch at Rasta Tacos in downtown Laguna. I find that town magical. There is something so special, unique, and soothing about that town. I enjoy the hiking, people, art, food, and the overall vibe there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my husband and kids who continue to support me on my journey to be the best doctor, mom and wife.

Website: https://www.wellwomanmd.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellwomanmd/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-roelands-md-74813b59/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjenniferroelands

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC16IWACsU9FPpkYlLENEjg

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wellwomanmd