Former Florida Gator star Lauren Embree is unlocking the power of nutrition

We all wish we could have avoided missteps in our youth. Age brings knowledge, and experience provides perspective on how to handle life's obstacles. But what if you had the power to really acquire knowledge and transform a weakness into a strength?

Lauren Embree is doing just that in her second career. As a tennis player, she shined brighter than most, winning the SEC Player of the Year award three times durning a standout career with the Florida Gators. Embree was a part of two national title teams, played several pro seasons, and joined the coaching ranks when her time on court conlcuded.

While she looks back fondly on her playing days, it was her overall health that inspired a movement. Embree felt unwell at times despite being a world-class athlete, and was curious as to why that was. This curiousity was the foundation of the Naples, Fla. native's long journey into the world of wellness and nutrition, where she now runs her own company and works to create healthier and happier people.

Embree’s accomplishments on the tennis court were nothing short of incredible. She was inducted into the Florida Gators Hall of Fame, and won several ITF titles as a pro. Those achievements are even more impressive when you consider that her nutrition was not pristine. Embree got sick right before her pro career took off, and could not pinpoint the core problem. She eventually saw a functional medicine doctor in Los Angeles, in what could only be considered a life-altering experience.

“It opened up my eyes to the power of nutrition and how correlated it is, the foods that you put inside your body to how you feel,” Embree recalled to the Inside-In Podcast. “My immune system was on fire because I was just consuming the wrong kinds of foods. So he changed my whole world into that.

“That’s what landed me here, my own journey with autoimmune and feeling awful and in pain, and not knowing why.”

I want to try to make it as simple as possible for people to use the power of nutrition to feel strong. —Lauren Embree

Attaining good health is a primary goal for many, but the means to get there are often scrutinized and debated. Embree is a certified functional nutritionist with a wealth of knowledge, and she clearly articulates the mistakes she sees being made nutritionally.

People are commonly eating the wrong food, counting the wrong calories and are not consuming nearly enough protein in their diets. Embree Wellness was founded this year with several goals in mind, but chief among them is to simplify wellness advice in a crowded and overwhelming environment.

“I want to try to make it as simple as possible for people to use the power of nutrition to feel strong,” Embree professed. “I feel very strongly about that, that it works. It’s just going to be very unique based on your own lifestyle.”

Embree Wellness is a lifeline to competitive athletes and active members of society, who are struggling to find the right path towards better nutritional health. The 33-year-old is proud that this is her new calling, and she’s thrilled to be able to make a difference in the next wave of tennis players.

“If I had half the knowledge of what I knew now, I think it would have been helpful in a lot of things. But it’s never too late,” Embree stated.

“Now it’s time to give that message to college athletes and young athletes, and just get the education in them young, so that they can carry it on a little earlier than we did.”