meet the coachesmaria martens
Nutrition coachmaria martens
Casual fitness buff, certified Nutrition Therapy practitioner, and social worker helping busy professionals and nutrition beginners build sustainable eating habits and create balance between their health goals and everyday life.
Experience: +6 yrs
Helping you build sustainable habits that align with your life, identity and relationship with food.
I’m originally from Oakland, CA, a place that shaped my values and deep appreciation for community, culture and food. I grew up in a culturally diverse household with Black, Argentine, and Italian roots, where food was deeply connected to family, tradition, and gathering around the table.
I’m a wife to a wonderful husband who keeps me on my toes and who shares my love for fitness and movement. I’m also a bonus mom to three young adult daughters, a wannabe plant mom, and a devoted matcha and Earl Grey tea enthusiast. I love reading rom-coms, hate washing dishes, and enjoy spending time in the kitchen cooking and trying new foods. Traveling is another big love of mine, especially exploring new cities through their food and discovering the flavors and food culture that make each place unique.
Food has always been an important part of my life, even though my relationship with it hasn’t always been simple.
I’ve had multiple food allergies since I was a kid, which meant learning early on how to navigate saying no to certain foods while still finding ways to enjoy eating.
Later, being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis added another layer to that journey and required me to lean even more into understanding how food impacts my body. Through those experiences, I’ve learned that health isn’t about perfection — it’s about adapting, listening to your body, and finding what works through the ups and downs of life.
Today, I still love food deeply. I enjoy cooking, learning about the stories and cultures behind different cuisines, and exploring food when I travel. These experiences shape how I coach: helping clients understand that their health goals can coexist with real life, even when life throws curveballs.
sound like you?i love working with…
Busy professionals balancing demanding work, frequent work travel, health goals, and social lives who want practical strategies to stay nourished and energized on the go.
Those navigating autoimmune conditions who are trying to build a sustainable relationship with food while managing symptoms, energy levels and daily life.
Individuals seeking a culturally aware and inclusive coaching experience that acknowledges how identity, lived experience, access to food and life circumstances shape our relationships with food and our bodies.
Individuals using GLP-1s who want guidance on how to nourish their bodies, preserve muscle mass, and build sustainable habits alongside medication.
Credentials & Experience
Masters Degree in Social Work
Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
Certified Health Mindset Coach
Precision Nutrition Level 1
My Coaching Superpower:
I help you understand your health goals don’t have to pause when life gets messy. Whether it’s chronic illness, work travel, or everyday stressors, I help my clients build habits that bend with life instead of breaking.
let's get personal...Get to know ME
non-guilty pleasureMovie theater popcorn with Raisinettes and Trader Joe’s jelly beans
walk out songDanza Kuduro by Don Omar (or any reggaeton)
Fun FactI’m sucker for cheesy romance novels and rom com movies (cue: awful Lifetime movies)
my own nutrition journey
I didn’t grow up with fitness as part of my life. I didn’t start working out until after graduate school when I had more time and wanted to lose some weight. What started as a simple goal eventually turned into a genuine love for movement and strength. I started my fitness journey by randomly following Pinterest workouts, then found a love for running after joining a local running group then eventually I found my way into the CrossFit world.
During my CrossFit era, I started learning about tracking macros while preparing for my wedding and wanting to feel my best on my big day. For the first time, I began to understand how nutrition could support my goals. Tracking macros helped me lose body fat, and see my body composition in a way I hadn’t experienced before — and it opened my eyes to how powerful nutrition could be when paired with movement.
In 2016, I began experiencing GI symptoms and was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. At first, my symptoms didn’t feel “that bad,” and for a couple of years I didn’t fully address what was happening. But over time, untreated symptoms caught up with me and by 2019, my disease had progressed and I was struggling. I cycled through four different biologic medications and experienced a hospital stay during Covid before finally finding a treatment plan that worked for me.
During that time, I recognized what a big role nutrition was playing in how my body and gut felt. I found myself doing a lot of self-advocacy — learning about my triggers, paying closer attention to how food impacted my symptoms, and working with my care team to better understand what my body needed. Because I had already been tracking macros, it gave me a helpful framework to pay closer attention to what I was eating and how different foods were affecting my body. That awareness helped me start connecting the dots between nutrition, my symptoms, and how I could better support my gut health.
Alongside coaching, I work at a nonprofit focused on supporting people living with and affected by the HIV epidemic. I hold a Masters degree in Social Work, where my studies focused on how community, environment and access to resources shape people’s health and wellbeing. Coaching allows me to bring together so many of the things I care about — working 1:1 with individuals of all backgrounds, building relationships, learning from one another, discussing goals, and helping people feel more empowered in their bodies.
“I have a better relationship with food, my body and have made huge strides with my mental health
After several failed attempts to lose weight I started working with Maria. I ate at maintenance level for a few months before even going into a cut, which was new to me. Yes I achieved my goal of fat loss, and I learned so much and grew in ways I didn’t know were possible. I have a better relationship with food, my body and have made huge strides with my mental health. Maria helped me learn how to give myself grace, be patient and work better nutrition into my life”
Sarah
“I feel stronger, recover faster, and can power through my workouts.
I'm a regular runner and CrossFitter, and competed in Hyrox for the first time. Maria took the guesswork out of my nutrition. She created a personalized plan, that not only ensured I was hitting my protein goals but also optimized my carb intake for WODs and my runs. Now, I feel stronger, recover faster, and can power through my workouts. I highly recommend Maria to any athlete or just anyone looking to improve their nutrition.
Ge
more from my clients
“Maria has equipped me with the tools I have needed while eating at maintenance and also while in a deficit. She has been there to cheer me on when I needed encouragement, and helped provide constructive feedback when she saw something that I would benefit from changing.
There were some weeks that were easy and some weeks that were harder to push through, and Maria has been there advocating and supporting for me every step of the way. I have never felt more beautiful or confident than I did on my wedding day!”
“I love Maria’s communication style as she tells it like it is, but also with grace and understanding. She lays out a good foundation and gives you all the tools and keys you need to reach your health and fitness goals, but ultimately it’s on you to use the wealth of knowledge and guidance she provides to make the changes in your life.
My health and fitness journey has always been an emotional ride for me, and in our meetings she always made it feel like a safe space to really express where I was at. If you want to avoid fad diets, yo-yo effects, and not have 100% restriction around any type of food, go with Maria!”
