Our Founder, Laraine Abbey-Katzev, retired from a rewarding stateside career that began with psychiatric nursing--later transitioning into a clinical nutrition private practice which spawned a few health and weight control centers, and her own nutrient supplement company.  Laraine personally treated over 10,000 patients during her 16-year nutrition practice.

Laraine retired her private practice to enjoy life on Bonaire with her business executive husband, Phil Katzev.  Phil, a true marketing genius, now deceased, was the developer, marketer and corporate owner of many products including the original Mane ‘n’ Tail brand shampoo and conditioner, Skin Miracle and Foot Miracle moisturizing creams, and Mineral Ice (the original blue menthol coolant) topical pain relieving gel.”

As Laraine tells it, “You take your knowledge and passions wherever you go,” so upon reading impassioned pleas by mothers and teachers about the sorry state of some Bonaire schools, Laraine knew she had to help.  As part of a community Volunteer Listeners Group she began working to improve the situation at the high school. She created an Inspiration Lending Library stocked with true story videos and books that helped her personal growth and inspired her to see that change in problem schools was possible.

 After observing what the kids (and adults) were eating and drinking; and hearing many stories of attitude and behavior problems, it was clear to Laraine that diet and nutrition had a lot to do with the problems at the school.  Building on the knowledge of nutrition pioneers before her, she is passionate about the connection between social deterioration (including youth learning and behavior problems) and wrongful eating.  She explains, “After many years of seeing the overwhelming majority of my thousands of patients recover their mental, physical and behavioral health with nutritional therapy, I know the power healthful eating and nutritional supplements holds for humanity.

Laraine received her Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing from Adelphi University in New York, USA in 1967.  After working in psychiatry for a few years she took some time off from her professional career as head nurse of the Direct Admissions Psychiatric Unit of Long Island Jewish Hospital (Hillside Division) to raise a family. 

In an effort to resolve family health problems that were unresponsive to standard medical treatment, she explored the world of nutrition and was amazed by the results. She began using this knowledge to help others.  As word spread of her successful application of therapeutic nutrition, she was encouraged to re-enter the working world as a nurse specialist in nutrition rather than returning to psychiatric nursing as she had planned.

In 1977, after regularly seeing physical and “psychiatric” problems healed with dietary changes and vitamin-mineral therapy, Laraine opened her own private practice; later earning a Master of Science Degree in Biology and Clinical Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport.  Her original nutritional research was published in a medical journal around this time.

Laraine is an accomplished lecturer, workshop leader, former newspaper columnist  (Nutrition and You) and former radio talk show host of Health-Line.  She is also the creator of Nutritionist’s Choice Multi-Vitamin–Mineral Formula.

 As a pioneer in measuring vitamin and mineral activity inside the cells (functional nutrient testing) Laraine found that virtually all of her chronically ailing patients were victims of cellular nutritional imbalance.  Symptoms (both physical and mental) disappeared when these functional deficiencies were corrected.” 
See Functional Deficiency

Agoraphobia victims suffering with panic attacks experienced dramatic recoveries as functional nutrient deficiencies were identified and resolved.  
See Agoraphobia

Laraine Abbey’s research clearly identified that the so-called “balanced diet” may not guarantee optimal cellular levels and correct functioning of vitamins and minerals inside the body and cells.  She further reported that there are great healing benefits in the use of higher potency nutrient supplements often referred to as mega-vitamin therapy.  She says this is because “megavitamin therapy is correcting abnormal gene expression.”
See Gift of Vitamin C

Laraine served as Board Chairman (a volunteer position) of the Carl C. Pfeiffer Institute, previously known as the Princeton Brain Bio Center, a world-renowned treatment center for mentally ill and behaviorally disturbed individuals.  Carl Pfeiffer, MD, PhD founded the center where nutritional therapy was primary.  Carl was also the author of many books, including Mental and Elemental Nutrients. Following Dr. Pfeiffer’s passing, the center was retired.

During her active stateside career, Laraine was a member of the American Nutritionist’s Association, American Nurses Association, New York Academy of Sciences, American College of Nutrition, American Academy of Environmental Medicine, the New Jersey Schizophrenia Foundation and served as a consultant on nutrition to New Jersey’s Edison State College and Pennsylvania’s Temple University.

Laraine currently resides on the island of Bonaire, but spends her summers in New Jersey. Her greatest joy is spending time with her family including “the lights of my life—my grandkids.”  She intends to continue contributing to “fixing the world” through this Bonaire non-profit foundation--her brainchild--Better Food For Better Kids!

Board members...