Karen Maass Nielsen, MEd
I have owned and operated SenseAble Supplement’s sister company ChemBalance since 2000 but my journey into how smell and taste relate to nutrient selection began over 25 years ago. This exploration has turned into my life’s work.
Before this work I had earned a Masters Degree in Education in Guidance and Counseling (MEd) as well as bachelor’s degree in Education. My past experience includes teaching junior high and high school and managing a career center at the public library where I counseled clients in career and college planning. I also worked in library reference and research services.
For over 15 years, I’ve been teaching clients how to use smell and taste to make smarter nutritional choices. This work has given me the opportunity to blend my background in education, counseling, research and health.
I first experienced using smell and taste with supplements in 1983 when I purchased a ‘Health Kit’ created by John Kitkoski who just so happened to live in my hometown of Spokane, Washington. I was in my late twenties and was concerned about my lack of energy, depression, anxiety, skin rashes and sore finger joints – I thought I was much too young to have all of these problems.
I learned to use my senses of taste and smell to determine which supplements I needed and to direct my dietary choices. I quit skipping meals. I used my taste preferences to choose what foods to eat. I started trying new foods
In time I grew stronger both emotionally and physically. My skin improved, my voice had more timber, my milk allergy went away. I was no longer extremely sensitive to soaps and detergents. My crooked, swollen fingers started to straighten out. These improvements took months but rather than getting worse as I got older, I felt I was getting healthier.
I pursued my normal life – college, marriage, career, etc. but using smell and taste had so impacted my perspective on life and health I found I used the concepts in some way every day and always shared the approach with family and friends. In 1994 John invited me to train so I could start working with clients. From 1996-2000 I worked for John’s company counseling clients and writing flyers, booklets, web content and the company newsletter.
In the year 2000, I started my own business, ChemBalance, and became an independent counselor/coach to help clients make smarter supplement and food choices using smell and taste. My work has been primarily with families who have children with developmental problems.
In 2001 my mentor and friend, John Kitkoski died. After his death, Timothy Cunninghamm, a friend who had also worked with John in the late 70′s and early 80′s shared with me how scientific research was now exploring the relationship between nutrition and our senses of smell and taste. Tim had been researching the science of smell and taste for nearly 30 years. In 2007 Tim and I decided to combine our unique experience and create SenseAble Supplements to provide the education, support and products to successfully use smell and taste to select supplements and direct dietary choices.
When I first started supplement smell and taste testing, I didn’t know it would be a life changing experience. After 25 years I still use smell and taste to select supplements and guide my diet. I get sick now and again but I’ve never had an extreme illness or disease. My cholesterol numbers are good, my bone density is that of someone much younger than I and I get good reports from my dentist, hair dresser and dermatologist about the health of my teeth, hair and skin.
The gift of this approach is the realization that my own body could guide me to building optimal health.