Hi there! I’m Dr. Qadira Ali Huff, MD MPH and I’m so happy you’re here.
I live a double life as both a pediatrician and lifestyle medicine physician. The thread that runs through all of my work is the understanding that our lifestyle habits are our MOST POWERFUL antidote to virtually everything that plagues us. My mission to teach as many kids and families as possible how to take charge of their health with just a handful of research-backed tools. I know it works because I’ve helped countless kids and parents, including myself!
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THE FOUNDATION OF MANY ADULT CHRONIC DISEASES, LIKE HEART DISEASE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES, BEGINS IN CHILDHOOD. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE SAME EVIDENCE-BASED LIFESTYLE HABITS, INCLUDING REGULAR MOVEMENT AND A PLANT-PREDOMINANT DIET, CAN PREVENT DISEASE IN KIDS AND IMPROVE HEALTH IN PARENTS!
I am a lifestyle medicine enthusiast because I’ve not only read the research, but also experienced change in my own life and health!
Dr. Qadira Ali Huff, MD, MPH, FAAP, DipABLM is a board-certified pediatrician and lifestyle medicine physician. Passionate about the power of daily habits in creating optimal health, Dr. Qadira founded Sprouting Wellness to creatively coach families along the journey from information to implementation of healthy lifestyle habits. Lifestyle changes produce lifelong health - one habit at a time!
Education:
Brown University (B.A.)
University of Maryland School of Medicine (M.D.)
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (M.P.H.)
Certifications:
American Board of Pediatrics
American Board of Lifestyle Medicine
Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, Completed (March 2020), T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell
Health and Wellness Coach, Wellcoaches, in progress
NOT ONLY DO I HAVE MORE THAN A DECADE OF TRAINING AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE, I ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO CHANGE. I BRING BOTH MY CLINICAL AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE INTO EVERY COMPASSIONATE ENCOUNTER WITH KIDS AND FAMILIES. I LEAD WITH DEEP WISDOM THAT THE WELLNESS JOURNEY IS A MARATHON AND NOT A SPRINT!
Personal Lifestyle Transformation
I'm not including this side-by-side comparison for the dramatics or shock-value -- but rather to let all my fellow parents out there know that I GET THE STRUGGLE!
- I get juggling so much that your own health and wellness gets pushed to the side.
- I get falling prey to highly processed foods as a way to cope with stress.
- I get that prioritizing your own health can be hard as a busy parent!
- I also get that creating healthy lifestyle habits as a parent helps to create healthy habits as a family -- and that leads to healthier kids!
I founded Sprouting Wellness to work alongside parents, just like you, looking to build a foundation of healthy habits for their families. These habits will be the launchpad for the better health, joy, and limitless potential that you want for yourself and your beautiful children!
Before - May 2018
After - November 2019
A Note From Dr. Qadira
After years of clinic-based counseling limited by time, I became increasingly frustrated by the challenges to coach families in the way they deserved to achieve their health goals. Five minutes (ten on a good day) are simply not enough to dig deep to identify motivations, to set meaningful goals for moving forward, and to strategize creatively on how to navigate expected challenges!
This journey is so worthwhile, but it is clear we need more creative models to help kids and families build fundamental healthy lifestyle habits that will last a lifetime.
While I'm passionate about helping families live more healthfully based on clinical experience, my personal health journey deeply drives my sense of urgency and optimism about lifestyle. During my years of medical training, I was living the "anti-lifestyle" - insufficient sleep; unhealthy convenience foods full of sugar; infrequent exercise; and sky-high stress levels. The pounds packed on quickly - and pregnancy added even more.
Just before my daughter's first birthday, feeling too heavy, too tired, but not too defeated, I started slowly reversing my "anti-lifestyle" - one goal at a time. Eighteen months, hundreds of hours of study including board certification in Lifestyle Medicine, and 80 pounds down later, I zeroed in on an effective blueprint for long-lasting good health. No gimmicks, no supplements, no tricks.
Lifestyle is about returning to the foundation of wellness: whole real foods, predominantly plant-based eating, regular movement, restorative sleep, stress management tools, and being connected to one's greater purpose and to one's loved ones.
These practices lead to thriving, joyful, and healthy lives. I cannot wait to support you and your family on your journey towards a healthier, brighter future!
Yours in Sprouting Wellness - One Habit at a Time,
Qadira Ali Huff, MD, MPH, FAAP, DipABLM
Sprouting Wellness Founder + Doctor Mama-in-Chief
To create a legacy of family health,
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