About

Jane Crawford M.S., LAc., CFMP

I was drawn to the field of nutrition because of my unceasing passion for growing plants, plus a deep-rooted belief in the power of food as a primary medicine. From a very young age, I was “stalking the wild asparagus” with Euell Gibbons and growing grass in Mom’s roasting pans.  I was also drawn to Chinese Medicine because of my interest in nature-based medicines, and a desire to discover the root causes of disease. 

In 1989 I apprenticed in the Organic Farming and Gardening program at University of California at Santa Cruz. I quickly learned that I am also deeply committed to the principles of organic farming. I can easily say that I have never used a toxic chemical to grow food. I will always promote consuming organic food whenever possible.

Besides my private practice in Boulder, Colorado, and until early March 2020, I worked for nearly 22 years as the Lead Acupuncturist and Nutrition Therapist in the Longmont United Hospital’s Integrative Medicine department. I spent many years treating the large senior population that lives in the area.  Over many thousands of visits, I treated almost every imaginable type of pain, a myriad of gastrointestinal issues, and attended to many oncology patients. As a nutritionist, I had the good fortune of teaching community classes around such topics as intermittent fasting, the microbiome, plant- based diets, and endocrine disrupters. I also taught cooking classes and gave innumerable talks to various groups in the community.

My Primary Beliefs About Medicine and Healing

  • Your health is the foundation for actually living your life. It takes thought, time and work to maintain health, especially as we age.
  • All disease starts at the Qi, or energetic level: you feel something is off, but you can’t “see it” yet. Chinese medicine is at its best when your symptoms are vague, labs show nothing, and you just feel like your body is out of balance. It probably is. It just hasn’t “entrenched,” or gone to deeper levels yet.
  • Deep healing usually takes time, and it goes at your pace, not your practitioner’s. It can take a month or a few years.
  • You know yourself best. You are your best laboratory. You are not a statistic. 
  • Balance is always the bottom line. As a late Tibetan Rinpoche once cautioned us: “Not too tight, not too loose.”
  • Start low and go slow (applies to dosages of supplements, food and lifestyle changes).
  • Synergy has a role: we are more than the sum of our parts. Doing three things to improve your life will have better results than just one or two.
  • People gravitate toward the medicine that resonates for them, be it traditional Western, Ayurvedic, Chinese, Tibetan, Native American, or any other. It is important to feel comfortable and trusting of your chosen medicine’s theory. And all medicines have their strengths and weaknesses. That’s why we combine and integrate them.

Education

  • Certificate in Functional Medicine – Functional Medicine University. 2018
  • M.S. Human Nutrition –  University of Bridgeport. Bridgeport, CT. 2006
  • Nutrition Therapy Certificate  – Nutrition Therapy Institute of Colorado – Denver, CO. 2001
  • Diplomate of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.  Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Denver, CO. 1996. 
  • NCCAOM Board Certified Acupuncturist – National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. 1996
  • Certified Massage Therapist- Boulder School of Massage Therapy, Boulder, CO 1990
  • Certificate in Ecological Horticulture – University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 1989.
  • B.A. Psychology – University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. 1982

Please contact me for a consultation