We first met Maureen Savage, “Mo” at Steele Elementary school. She is that Wash Park mom that volunteers for every event, no questions asked. Mo has such a welcoming spirit and has the power to make everyone around her feel like family. It’s no wonder she is in the wellness sector, as she is a natural caregiver. Mo graciously sat down with us to give us insight into her world of Cannabis and nutrition consulting.
Let’s start at the beginning with your studying to be a dietitian. When did you know you had a passion for wellness and nutrition? How did you find your way to Denver?
My passion for nutrition probably came from my parents having a robust garden, along with my mom’s practical home cooking presence in my life. Growing up, I was always in a sport and understood the link between feeling good daily, to performance and my long-term health goals. I chose dietetics probably to give myself a personal insight into health, and wanting to share and care for others. After roughly 15 years of clinical, outpatient, and food service management as a dietitian, I met my now-husband and headed to Colorado. I chose to accept his offer and leap West from New Jersey. I was confident of my decision because I knew Colorado would be a great place for me, and fortunately both are working out quite well.
Fast forward 30 years later, and your practice has evolved to be a Cannabis Wellness practice. What does this mean exactly?
After leaving Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia and settling in Colorado, I lead the Clinical Nutrition Team and Patient Services at Swedish Medical Center. This experience allowed me to continue to develop my leadership, clinical, people, and project management skills. Once my family started, this level of commitment changed to contract work. Once Cannabis became legal, I began following historical & current pioneers in the medical space. I began my self-study and eventual Holistic Cannabis Certification in 2020. Once I understood how powerful this plant is for our mind, body, and spirit, I made it the focus of my practice, because it works. There is a strong need to bridge the gap of lost knowledge, along with false fears to be guided to the lowest amount for effective use. A Cannabis Educator or Coach has studied the plant forms and how it works in our body. We act as guides, not prescribers. We work to support targeted use, amounts, concentrations, and formulations to help find healing, not always a high.
For those who are interested in learning more about this type of treatment, what does your process look like when working with a new client?
I start with a free online 15-minute meet-and-greet to answer questions about this plant tool. We can continue with a full assessment of the condition you are looking to treat and your personal needs to match a quality product to trial and track for effectiveness. Often times we will need 1-3 sessions of follow-up to fully support the trial period and review for adjustments and results.
What are the most common misconceptions about Cannabis and specifically Cannabis Well-ness?
First and foremost, you cannot get “high” on tested CBD, or Heart Healthy HEMP seeds, oil or protein products.
This plant has been used from the beginning of time, across all cultures, religions, races, and social or economic status. The biggest tragedy is that people of color were vilified through the prohibition of this plant and much more work needs to be done to bring equality to the legal industry.
Finally, any presence of THC in a product will NOT automatically make you high. There is a tolerance and personal threshold for impairment-like effects. It is important to go low and slow until you know how it effects you.
How do you incorporate your nutrition values into your home for you and your family?
I lead with the nutritional philosophy that all foods fit into a healthy balanced diet. I have reduced but not eliminated animal protein, with a conscious effort to add more plant-based proteins to recipes or menu choices. I do cook at home often, and it is the quickest way to improve your health. I hope people can prioritize home cooking as a health tool. I have counter-available healthy snacks, fruits, nuts, and seeds for a quick grab-go. Having chopped-up veggies ready to eat helps to drop them in recipes or snack bags.
Your skill set goes far beyond just nutrition and diet. What other hats have you worn over the years?
I have a base in hospital clinical nutrition and management, which lead to industrial, food safety, auditing, and menu development contracts. I have volunteered in the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility as a mentor which has opened my eyes to the need to adjust our laws around the judicial systems. I continue to show up for supporting school fundraising for our beloved Steele Elementary and will be at the Wash Park Home Tour on May 11th, the day before Mother’s Day.
I am also re-engaging in the civic process and have been hosting our District Reps for the past 3 years. I also wear the hat of a caretaker, not just for raising 3 kids, but with recent senior contracts. This has lead to another awareness of senior needs for quality, not quantity of life through the aging stages. Knowing the value and benefit of safe, effective use of the natural cannabis plant, I hope to bridge the knowledge-to-use gap and act as a guide for people to find relief with plants over pills.
You grew up in a large family and this no doubt shaped who you are today. What was life like growing up with 13 siblings?
Being part of a very large family, having 9 sisters and 4 brothers brings a wide perspective of personalities and practicalities to make things happen and make ends meet. It was normal to have interruptions and disruptions throughout my day and learned to adjust quickly. We were creative in making things happen from minimal resources, which contributed to my work ethic and flexibility in life. Many friends enjoyed being around a full house with that level of hubbub, and no shortage of homemade cookies, pies, and lasagna. I do believe I can relate to a variety of personality types because I can see a part of my family in each person I meet.
How do you and your family spend your free time?
Colorado classics: camping, hiking, biking, and mostly skiing. We enjoy being a Denverite family by utilizing our Parks & Recreation programming, catching shows at The Levitt Pavilion, Swallow Hill and The Lincoln Roadhouse and of course we will never grow tired of taking advantage of and enjoying Washington Park.
Thank you so much for taking the time to enlighten us, Mo. If you are interested in learning more about the healing and therapeutic benefits of Cannabis, please find Maureen at morecannacare.com