Nutritional + Herbal Consultation
Transform your nutritional and natural health regimen for optimum well-being attuned to the wisdom of your body and the science of natural plant medicine. Professional nutritionist and clinical herbalist Jill Ruttenberg leads you through important diet and lifestyle changes customized to your body’s unique health needs. No two bodies are alike, and with Jill’s expertise and decades of experience, she helps you find the right combination of herbs, nutritional advice, and supplements that work best for you.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) model and Jill’s holistic approach to well-being look at the whole person, not just the physical symptoms – treating the individual, not the dis-ease. Using techniques like Pulse and Tongue Diagnosis, kinesiology and the science of Chinese medicine, your consultation with Jill explores the ins and outs of your health and lifestyle, including your emotional and mental state, eating habits, sleep patterns, your support system, and family life. This process leads to the creation of a healing program designed especially for you – a personalized treatment for whatever patterns of disharmony exist in your body.
Nutritional advice and herbal medicines are the most powerful investments you can make for your health and holistic wellbeing. At AmaTierra, we support your healing process and help you ease into the dietary and lifestyle changes you need to live life at your absolute best.
Herbs and supplements
Herbs and supplements work with the body’s energy and systems in a very organic way
Individual Attention
Clients are given individual attention to all aspects of their health and well-being
What to expect from the herbs
Your nutritional + herbal consultation is an in-depth session that will produce a protocol for body treatments, energy healing and dietary adjustments for the duration of your stay at AmaTierra, to be continued on your own when you leave. You may end up with a liquid herbal tincture, a Chinese herbal medicine powder to mix with water, suggestions for acupuncture, massage, and energy work, and/or recommendations for supplements you can buy back home. Jill’s custom herbal medicines and proprietary formulas feature ingredients from AmaTierra’s organic garden and medicinal plants of the rainforest.
Herbs and supplements work with the body’s energy and systems and are quite different from prescription drugs. Individual responses to herbs and treatment vary. While some people may feel the herbs working right away, for chronic conditions it can sometimes take weeks or even months before one notices a true difference. Patience and a positive attitude go a long way toward true healing. Doing one’s best to continue treatment and to take the herbs regularly increases the effectiveness of any program.
Treatment
The most valuable thing to be gained in the herbal/nutritional consultation is a program designed specifically for you.
You may end up with a liquid herb tincture, a Chinese herbal powder to mix with water, or recommendations for supplements you can buy back home.
Many of the herbal treatments Jill prepares feature ingredients from the hotel’s organic gardens and from the rainforest. Her knowledge of herbal medicine allows her to create safe, effective herbal formulas right in her office.
The nutritional/herbal consultation will also lead to a protocol of body treatments while you are here at AmaTierra, and to continue when you leave. For this reason, it is a good idea to reserve this consultation early in your stay. As Jill is well-versed in many modalities, she may recommend a certain type of massage, mind-body therapy or acupuncture.
Complete Nutritional + Herbal Consultation with Jill: $125
Shorter Consult exploring food sensitivities and diet: $75
Please make appointments at least one day in advance at the front desk or call +(506)2419-0110.
* Denotes services offered only by specialists, and are subject to their availability.
“This retreat experience exceeded my expectations!”
“Dear Jill, I can not sufficiently express to you HOW MUCH BETTER I AM BESIDES BEING HAPPIER! My IBS is virtually a thing of the past! I found the Chinese herbs you prescribed ( believe it or not) on Amazon! Same exact brands and was in my hands in 2 days. My undying gratitude to you and your magical wisdom and knowledge” DKS, New York, january 2016
“My name is Wendy and I live in Costa Rica. In October 2018 a little nodule appeared in my belly button that started bleeding for no apparent reason, causing a lot of pain in my abdomen. I went to 5 different Drs. (Dermatologist, Gastroenterologist, General Doctors, Surgeons) and none of them knew what it was or why it was bleeding. One of them decided that we should remove the nodule and send it for a biopsy. Turned out the tissue was endometrium. The nodule grew back after a month, and instead of being one, I now had three. With triple the pain and bleeding, I decided to visit a gynecologist. They prescribed a medication that contained progestogen, which shrunk the endometrial tissue and reduced associated pains. However, it had terrible side effects like excessive weight gain (39 Lb. in 1 year), headaches, hot flashes and mood swings). After 1 year of taking the medication, I decided to look for something natural, there had to be something that could help me. I went to a consultation with Jill at AmaTierra, and she prescribed an herb that I would drink with my morning tea. After one month of taking the herbs, my nodules shrank to half their size and the pain and itching associated with the nodule practically disappeared. I’m also working with Jill on my weight loss process, and I have done a Detox program after I stopped taking the prescription drug, to clean my body of toxins and have started listening to my body on what kinds of foods are good for it. I am continuing with the herbs until I no longer see my nodules and will continue following Jill’s guidance on what foods are best for my body, to regain my health and vitality. I couldn’t be more grateful for the support and guidance Jill has given me, it definitely changed my life. –Wendy V, December 2021.
HERBAL TREATMENTS
Herbal treatments feature ingredients from the hotel’s organic gardens
AmaTierra's organic gardens
Our herbalist combines tropical herbs with Chinese and Western medicinal plants
See what's growing
Tours are given regularly of our medicinal gardens
Jill Ruttenberg, Co-Owner + AmaTierra Wellness Director
Jill Ruttenberg is a professional nutritionist, certified practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and clinical herbalist registered with the American Herbalist Guild. She is also an experienced massage therapist, energy healer and Hatha yoga instructor. The Wellness Center at AmaTierra is Jill’s living dream, the fruition of decades of training, practice and experience in natural medicine and the healing arts.
Jill has been a student and practitioner of holistic health practices for over 30 years, studying first under prominent holistic expert Joel Penner, OMD, and then receiving her Master Herbalist Certification from East-West School of Herbology in Santa Cruz, California in 2000. She completed further clinical practice with Dr. Michael Tierra, OMD to eventually gain professional status from the American Herbalist Guild (AHG), of which she is a professional member and former council member. Jill’s most recent learning adventure led her to China in 2016 to fulfill her dream of completing an advanced certification program led by doctors of Chinese medicine in China’s Long Hua Hospital and Shanghai U. of TCM.
Jill is a colleague of Dr. Andrew Weil, and participated in weekly patient conferences at the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical Center before creating the Wellness Center at AmaTierra. She created AmaTierra Integrative Herbs to share her proprietary herbal tinctures with our guests and the global natural health community.
At AmaTierra, Jill uses nutritional counseling, Traditional Chinese Medicine assessment methods and herbal formulas, as well as western and rainforest herbal tinctures and supplements to help people manage health issues through natural and dietary means.
“Wellness and Tranquility”
“AmaTierra is a fabulous wellness and yoga retreat! The tranquility of the Costa Rican mountains along with the earthy scents of the rainforest is as close to peaceful existence as one can experience. The personalized herbal and nutritional consultation with yoga, wellness and health is available for you to enjoy and integrate. Meals are home cooked, fresh and natural and did I say a pleasure for your palate? Jill and Bob Ruttenberg are the owners and hosts who do everything to make your stay a marvelous experience.”
– AMATIERRA RETREAT GUEST, JULY 2016