Hidden Gems: Meet Darci Steiner of Darci J. Steiner, Author, Speaker, and Nutritionist

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darci Steiner.

Hi Darci, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A fall down the stairs in 2000, during my ‘stay-at-home mom years,’ marked the beginning of a two-year ordeal that confined me to bed. The back injury from the fall led to a nerve-pain disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). On the McGill Pain Scale, CRPS is ranked as the most painful chronic pain syndrome known. It ranks higher in pain than amputation and cancer. The nerve pain disorder began in my feet, rendering me unable to walk. Dozens of doctors had no clue as to my diagnosis (CRPS was not widely known, even to doctors twenty-five years ago, or even today!). It took me several years to get a diagnosis, but one compassionate doctor suggested pool therapy.

Initially, I was hesitant about pool therapy, unsure of how it could help and how I could even get there. But my husband, Mark, who was working from home at the time, played a crucial role in my recovery. He not only provided the physical support I needed to get to the pool, but also the emotional support that was vital for my healing journey. With his help, and the assistance of our neighbors, I was able to make it to the warm water pool twice a week. It was in the water that I learned to walk again, 4.5 years after my fall.

During my time in bed, I sat up for 5-10 minutes at a time and began a home study master’s degree program in holistic nutrition. My life depended on it. I had lost so much weight and became so malnourished that doctors feared for my life. But no doctor could help me, so my therapist told me it was up to me to do something. The master’s program allotted four years to earn my degree, which I thought was doable. It took me six years, which they approved because I was my own case study making great strides in my own health! When I graduated in 2007, most of my pain was gone! There is no cure for CRPS, but there are rare remissions, and God granted me a nine year remission! I opened my private practice nutrition company (then Attainable Nutrition, now Radiant Holistic Nutrition) in 2008 and have successfully counseled many people with all kinds of conditions. I understand what it’s like to need healing and the desperation people feel to get better. Because of my story, people trust me. My compassion runs deep.

Water therapy and nutritious foods saved my life. I would never have become a nutritionist if not for my condition, but I’m so glad to be working with others to help them find hope and healing, too. In 2018, I reinjured my foot and have been dealing with CRPS again. The condition is complex, but once again, I am in the therapy pool and am a lifelong learner of new remedies. I still counsel people nutritionally online, which I love, and have added another element to my healing—writing. Because my walking is limited, I sit a lot. Between clients, I write books because writing is an analgesic for my pain and a delight for my soul.

I published my first two books in 2021, “Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Discovering Gifts in Suffering” and “Study Guide for Beauty Beyond the Thorns.” It includes my story of healing but is primarily about the gifts God showed me in my suffering. For instance, the direction of my life changed, and I have gained three new career paths. The ‘Gift of Direction’ paved the way for new opportunities: nutritionist, author, and inspirational speaker. Another example is the ‘Gift of Gratitude,’ which I discovered when I could walk to the bathroom instead of using a commode. Those precious few steps are something to be grateful for! I’ve gone through the book and study guide with my Bible study and watched twelve women heal from various pains: newly widowed, newly divorced, chronic pain, etc. It was a delight to watch week by week each woman heal in their own unique ways.

As a keynote speaker, I have had the privilege of sharing my story and insights at church events and health expos. I have also spoken as a holistic nutritionist at various events, sharing my knowledge and experiences with a wide range of audiences.

Over the past three years, I have been working on a larger project, another book with a working title of “The Greatest Hits of the Bible: Experiencing God Through the Psalms.” It is a 52-week musical Bible study that opens the curtain to the backstories of the Psalms so that readers can experience up close what David was undergoing during that Psalm. Who was he with? Where was he? How did he handle his situation? By answering these questions, readers will learn how to seek God’s heart and relate with him more intimately, like David, the man after God’s own heart. They will experience God in a way they never have before!

Even though I struggle with severe pain every day, I have found vitality. Even when we struggle, we can, through perseverance, find resilience to fulfill our purpose.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Darci J. Steiner, Author, Speaker, and Nutritionist?
I’m a blend of author, speaker, and nutritionist. That alone is unique. All three professions fit together in my life story and that is what sets me apart. My brand is mind, body, spirit and my professions speak into each of these characteristics.

As a holistic nutritionist I explore mind, body, and spirit with my clients. It’s a three-pronged approach, that when one of them is missing, it unbalances the whole. Each of these areas can be helped with amino acid therapy, which is my specialty. Because I almost died from malnutrition, I learned the value of protein and each of the amino acids. I have every client fill out a symptom form which tells me very specifically which amino acids that individual is deficient in. I love, love, love amino acids! They are natural, and work for sleep issues, mental acuity, mood, muscle strength, pain, neurotransmitter function, and so much more!

My books address the spiritual side of health, which can’t be ignored. And the mind I address with amino acid therapy, supplements, and primarily, having a healthy diet with healthy fats for good brain function.

I do a lot of podcasts and am primarily known for overcoming hardship and finding resiliency during difficult times. I have a newsletter called ‘The Upside’ that people can subscribe to on my website, https://darcijsteiner.com. The newsletter contains spiritual encouragement from a Christian perspective, as well as nutrition tips. My books are featured on my website as well as public speaking information and my nutrition counseling practice.

“Beauty Beyond the Thorns” and “Study Guide for Beauty Beyond the Thorns” are available on Amazon and other .coms (Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target, etc). My audiobook is available on Audible, Spotify, and many other audiobook platforms.

If you are looking for a speaker at an upcoming event you can email me at darci@darcijsteiner.com to see if I’m a good fit. Follow me on almost all socials @darcijsteiner (Instagram is @darcijsteiner.writer). The best way to regularly keep in touch is to subscribe to ‘The Upside’ Newsletter on my website.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband Mark is reMARKable! He makes everything I do possible. It’s not easy being a caregiver, having to take on extra responsibilities and being the sole driver in the home. He reads through my manuscripts commenting on the good and what needs clarifying. He helps me at my book table during speaking events, and takes me to all my pool therapy visits.

My counselor of 25 years, Christina Veselak, has not only counseled me, but taught me about amino acids. She is the one that told me I had to figure something out to save my life because doctors weren’t helping me. Christina sat by my bedside weekly hardly charging me for our visits. She’s amazing!

I used to teach sports nutrition at Legend High School. Celtics NBA champ and gold medal winner Derrick White was on the basketball team I worked with as a whole when he was in high school. I also worked with the baseball team at Legend, and one of my former sports nutrition students, Bobby Dalbac, plays for the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball. Watching them go from their high school teams to playing in major league sports has been a kick!

New York Times Best-selling Author Bob Goff took a chance on reading my debut manuscript, Beauty Beyond the Thorns, and kindly endorsed the book. I met him a few years later, and he told me, “Keep putting your beautiful words out there.” He doesn’t endorse many books and gets hundreds of requests every week. From afar, I look up to him as a mentor as I watch him extend kindness in every direction. He inspires me to help others on their journey as he helped me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.darcijsteiner.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/darcijsteiner.writer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darcijsteiner
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darcijsteiner/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarciJSteiner
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8I8Pweui5tUt1DVvpeqEIA
• Other: https://www.goodreads.com/darcijsteiner

Image Credits
Glenn Asakawa for my headshot and photo of my husband and I.