Krista J Essler, LAc

Your Practitioner

As a child, how does one comprehend optimal health? While experiencing constantheadaches; fatigue, runny noses, earaches, etc. as a normal state, there is no means of comparison for how you are supposed to feel or think.

At eight years old, I was sent to an allergist and given a skin prick test. The diagnosis was allergies to cats, dogs, pollen, dust and mold. During the next four years, I got a weekly injection tosubdue my symptoms with little relief. By age twelve, I no longer wanted to be medicated. My request was granted, but no other alternative to "just-suffer-with-it" was presented.

Reluctantly accepting this as a permanent state of being, I just suffered with it for years. This included a course of antibiotics every spring for an ear infection, and a course of antibiotics every autumn for strep throat. These infections were excruciatingly painful,
and in my final year of college, I was additionally prescribed Tylenol-3 (with codeine) along with antibiotics. It was then that I read an article about herbal remedies for allergy sufferers. I did some further research and started taking Echinacea. It worked wonderfully! I then decided to get off caffeine (no small achievement for a student in a 5-year engineering program with a thesis looming in the background) and replaced aspirin with willow bark for the headaches.

With my thesis behind me, I headed to New York to start my career in lighting and electrical building systems engineering. It only took a few years in the profession to conclude that the lifestyle didn’t suit my true ambitions.

In addition to designing and testing the electrical systems that keep the financial district of New York in good working order, I also completed a two-year certification in Homeopathy at New York Chiropractic College as the first step in my career change. Delving into this area of study was not only challenging, but also inspirational. Even as the only non-medical student, I quickly moved to the top of my class.

Having found my calling, I moved to Albuquerque, NM to study at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine, then, one of the highest-ranking schools for Eastern Medicine. I was fortunate at this time to meet one of the top instructors for Young Living Essential Oils. We agreed to an exchange of knowledge: I tutored her home-schooled son in preparation for the GED and SATs in Mathematics, she gave me personal instruction in Aromatherapy. In 2001, I graduated with a Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Moving back to NYC I began working as the chief acupuncturist at the Corsello Center, an integrative medical practice incorporating MDs, a psychiatrist, a personal trainer, as well as a nutritionist. I was also working in a dermatological spa in SOHO, where I performed cosmetic acupuncture. My migraines returned with full force while in the stressful and toxic environment of NYC, and I decided to move closer to nature. I began practicing in Boone, NC, a sleepy little college town in the Appalachian Mountains. During this time I began writing articles for local publications. While attending a continuing education seminar on Endocrinology, I learned about testing for food allergies using saliva. I was curious about it, and my test came back positive for soy. "Oh, no big deal," I thought, "I don’t eat that much Chinese food." Armed with my new knowledge, I headed to the grocery store to get chocolate. I literally cried in the aisle after reading every single label - they all contained soy lecithin. I bit the bullet, removed soy from my diet, and my migraines disappeared.

With an acute awareness of the connection between what we eat and how it influences health and emotions, I obtained certification as Nutritional Councilor in 2007. The same connections can be made between food allergens and intolerances which, more often than not, are at the core of many health issues. As I incorporated this treatment into my practice, I found no method that produced consistent test results. Further, there seemed to be not many foods available for people with multiple food allergies and sensitivities. I then created the website 8 Food Allergens Free Delicious which has information about self testing through an elimination diet as well as offering recipes which are free of the 8 common food allergens, sugar, and corn.

In 2013, I moved to a cozy mountain town in Pennsylvania which lies a few miles from my hometown, Pottsville. I am happily closer to family & friends and look forward to sharing my unique blend of skills to help the people of the community in which I was raised attain their individuals goals on their path to wellness. Currently I am receiving extensive training in Functional Diagnostic Medicine and am scheduled to be certified in September of 2018.

Be well!

Krista J Essler, LAc, Dipl Ac, MTCM, Cert Homeo, CFLT, BAE