Hi! My Name is Jess
The best title I have? Life changer.
Protein-loving, vegetable-obsessed, wife, mom, Registered Dietitian, marathoner, wanderlusting adventurer. I have a lot of titles. And I love them all.
You see my goal in life is to inspire, encourage, challenge and educate you to push yourself to reach YOUR goals, live your best life and rediscover the joy within yourself.
My passion for nutrition began my senior year in high school. As a sports nut, I was eager to learn more about food and its effect on the body. More specifically my body. I wanted to learn how food (the “right” foods that is) could help my sports performance. So my senior years I completely changed my eating habits.
Gone were the days of cookies, junk food and other processed foods. Instead, I started preparing salads, fruits and lean proteins to take to track meets. I even started doing the grocery shopping and making meals for my parents! That track season, I flew past many of my self-imposed goals and even competed in the state track meet! (PS - I just missed beating the school record for the mile by 1 second!)
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That is when I decided to become a dietitian. I knew it was my calling to share how good food can change your life. After graduating from Iowa State University in 2007 with a degree in Dietetics, I began working with the West Des Moines School District. Through a couple of career changes, I gained more connection with my clients as a dietitian for Mercy Hospital, Koch Facial Plastic Surgery and lastly, The Spa at West Glen.
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My mission is simple:
Achieving a healthy lifestyle can be fun, tasty, simple and affordable. Using evidence-based nutrition information, healthy, family-friendly recipes and inspiration to live each day to the fullest, let me guide you on your own “expedition” to whole health.
Hi! My Name is Tara
Hi, my name is Tara Mikus and I am the Corporate Wellness Coordinator and Personal Trainer for EW as well as the Social Media and Marketing Manager. I was born in Berkeley, CA but grew up in Lincoln, NE (GO HUSKERS!). I grew up playing all sports and ended up falling in love with soccer. This is where my passion for nutrition and exercise stemmed from. I needed to know how to correctly fuel my body and train so I could reach my full potential.
Fast forward to college, I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received my Bachelor’s degree in Education and Human Sciences where I majored in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science and minored in Business. I was able to really dive deep into pursuing this passion through my classes, sorority life, clubs, and even intramurals and it ignited a fire in me for health and wellness.
I moved to Des Moines, in 2021 with my now husband! We have a golden retriever named Marlin who is our pride and joy. I love everything wellness and helping people meet their full potential and hit their goals!
Hi! My Name is Sarah
Hello! My name is Sarah Jerome, a Dietitian who is so excited to be part of the Expedition Wellness team! I work both with clients and in the kitchen helping prepare our delicious weekly meals.
In a visit together, you can expect me to meet you where you’re at on your wellness journey; wherever that may be. I’ll help you make a realistic plan to help reach your overall goals so you can feel your best and be proud of your accomplishments! I believe that good nutrition, physical activity, consistency, and giving ourselves a good dose of grace are all vital in keeping our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing happy.
Outside work, I enjoy my family, exploring new trails, pickleball, Spanish podcasts, dancing, volunteering, and cozying in to read a good book; hot cup of coffee in hand.
I would love to meet you and work together!
Hi! My Name is Colleen
Hello everyone! My name is Colleen Rilling and I am so excited to be joining the Expedition Wellness team as a Registered Dietitian.
I grew up in small town Iowa and completed my bachelor’s & master’s in dietetics and my dietetic internship all at Iowa State University.
A few fun facts about me:
-I love being outside & working out
-Summertime is my favorite season-hello sunshine!
-Ice cream is my favorite dessert
-During my down time I love going for walks with my husband & dog, Meeko!
Hi! My Name is Jennifer
I was born and raised for half of my life in San Bernardino. California. My Mom decided to move us to Iowa when I was 14 years old so we can be closer to her family. I have lived in two different states in Mexico, 4 years in Durango MX and 1 ½ in Guanajuato, MX. I really loved it there, it is so beautiful, and the life is so slow paced compared to here in the States. I am married to my best friend and have 4 beautiful children who literally drive me crazy most days.
My love for running and playing sports all started my sophomore year of High School when my new friends talked me into joining the basketball team. Although I wasn’t the best at this sport, I loved how it made me more social and helped me make more friends who then convinced me to go out for track. Track is where I fell in love with running and the adrenaline rush I would get right before a race.
I have always had a passion for trying to maintain an active healthy life but have never been the best at it. It was literally just recently I contacted one of my best friends from high school (A.K.A Jessica Schroeder) to start getting some help on eating healthier so I can achieve my goal of losing some weight and to start toning my body a little. I started on this journey in mid- March of this year (right before the corona virus took over) and have lost over 20 lbs now. Not only did eating healthy help me lose weight it also helped me become more confident in myself and has given me more energy to accomplish more
things in my day-day life.
I have found my passion not only for exercise but I have found my passion for healthy eating and am now very passionate to share my experience and knowledge to others who a struggling with managing their weight and eating healthy.
Hi! My Name is Becca
Hi, my name is Becca Van Roekel and I was born and raised in central Iowa. I am a Registered Dietitian at Expedition Wellness. I attended Northwest Missouri State University for my Bachelors in Food and Nutrition: Dietetics and completed my dietetic internship and Master in Clinical Nutrition Program from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
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My background has been in long term care and clinical nutrition with encompassing many areas. My husband and I live in West Des Moines with our two dogs. We are always on the go whether that be riding horses, hiking, running, gardening, walking our dogs, cooking meals and spending time with family, but I wouldn't have it any other way! My love for nutrition began with learning about the physiology of our body and how the foods we eat play such an important aspect on how we fuel our bodies. I began experimenting in the kitchen as my mom called it with incorporating nutrient dense foods into my family's favorite recipes.
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I have continued this love for nutrition and enjoy getting to work with individuals by guiding and educating them toward their individualized nutrition goals. I believe there is no one size fits all and that everyone has their own journey and goals on how to fuel their body but also enjoy the foods that we are eating! I am looking forward to getting to work with my clients to guide them toward their individualized nutritional goals.
Hi! My Name is Evan
I’ve been In the fitness industry for half a decade now, and I’ve found that my calling is to help everyone understand that health and fitness is a tool that can and should be used to improve your quality of life. Whether you want to be the best athlete, employee, business owner, or parent, fitness plays a crucial role in achieving at your highest. I’ve work with the general public as well as professional athletes, and I’ve found that everyone needs some help in finding out how to use fitness at the highest level.
Hi! My Name is Candice
I am excited to share my passion for health and wellness with you! Using my 25 years of experience as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and health educator; I am ready to guide you on your personalized wellness journey. I will meet you where you are at, while challenging you to grow to new fitness levels. My holistic approach of enhancing the mind, body, spirit, will have you feeling great from the inside out! When I am not at the gym I can be found with my husband and four active sons, in the garden or reading a book.
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach
Silver Sneakers Certified:
Classic, Chair Yoga, Parkinson’s
FiTour Advanced Boot Camp Instructor
Parkinson’s Training for Fitness Professionals-Certified
American Heart Association-Certified Instructor
