About Elijah

Exercise Physiologist & Functional Medicine Health Coach

Elijah Sacra is a US Marine Corps Veteran, a career health and wellness practitioner, trainer, consultant and educator with over two decades of experience. He works in concert with physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and mental health practitioners while delivering services to populations under clinical care. These include individuals living with chronic pain, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress, amputees, cancer patients, the blind, and patients recovering from surgeries and burns. Elijah’s coaching philosophy and methodology is grounded in Functional Medicine and Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching and Burris Functional Emotional Fitness Coaching. As an Exercise Physiologist, he guides his clients to move from “Pain to Performance” with a blend of Neuromuscular Re-education, Functional Patterns movement training, Adaptive Yoga, and Foundation Training. He currently works with members of US Special Operations Command, Military, and Law Enforcement units and personnel through his consulting business Wellness Solutions Group LLC. In 2009, Elijah founded the 501(c) 3 nonprofit Warrior Wellness Solutions (WWS), a Bob Woodruff Foundation Grant Recipient and R4 Alliance Program of Excellence. WWS has provided integrative health and wellness education and training to thousands of Wounded, Ill, and Injured service members, veterans, and their caregivers and was recognized by the US Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment with a Certificate of Appreciation. He delivers professional military education and pre-and post-deployment human performance and resiliency training to active duty warfighters. He has served on the Executive Roundtable and Vision Sharing Board for Non-Profit and Community Participation in Achieving World Class Standards of Care and Services for Wounded Warriors at the New Joint Services Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as a coach for TEAM Marine Corps for the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games, and as Board Treasurer for the North Carolina Veterans Business Association.

CURRENT POSITIONS

Medical Advisory Board / Director of Functional Movement and Rehabilitation on the Task Force Dagger Special Operations Forces Health Initiatives
Veteran Research Engagement Panel – Durham NC VA Center of Innovation for Health Services Research and Development Services Research in Primary Care
Subject Matter Expert / Veteran Research Engagement Panel for National VA study: PCORI - Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute in concert with the US Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development for Chronic Pain and Opiate Addiction in Veterans. Veterans’ Pain Care Organizational Improvement Comparative Effectiveness (VOICE) Trial Minneapolis VA Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research / University of Minnesota
Cadre Instructor for TMACS / Combat Strength Training with Delta Force Veteran Pat McNamara

PARTNERSHIPS

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy in partnership with the Institute for Functional Medicine
Warriors At Ease- Delivering mindful yoga therapy and adaptive yoga practices to mitigate the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in addition to providing physical rehabilitation benefits, enhanced performance, and injury prevention
North Carolina Governor’s Working Group on Veterans, Service Members, and their Families
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE)
Task Force Dagger Special Operations Forces Health Initiatives Program
Real Warriors-provides TBI, combat stress and PTSD education specifically tailored to health care providers that includes evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and resources
Warrior Life Coach at the Shepard Center for Traumatic Brain Injury
R4 Alliance Program of Excellence- providing holistic Rehabilitation and Reintegration with therapeutic and community based Recreation services that focuses and commits to achieving the highest quality services through collaborative efforts in Research, education, standards of excellence, economic viability, and continuum of care

EDUCATION + CERTIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s Degree - Exercise Science & Kinesiology – Concordia University St. Paul
Functional Medicine Health Coach in partnership with the Institute for Functional Medicine
Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Duke University
Certificate in Nutrition-Cornell University in partnership with the T. Colin Campbell Foundation
Board Certified Health Coach-American Association of Drugless Practitioners
Certified Tactical Strength & Conditioning Facilitator-National Strength & Conditioning Association
EXOS Tactical Training Systems
Member- National Academy of Sports Medicine, National Strength & Conditioning Association, and American College of Sports Medicine
Institute for Functional Medicine – Functional Nutrition
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences- Smithsonian/Navy Medicine Conference Series Wounded Warrior Care, Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Growth
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach-Institute of Integrative Nutrition
Certified Personal Trainer-National Academy of Sports Medicine
Functional Movement Systems Certified-Corrective Exercise Professional
Functional Movement Systems –Kettlebell Training for the Movement Screening Professional
Foundation Training Certified
MovNat Level Certified
Functional Patterns – Human Foundations I
International School of Detoxification –Level II Detoxification Specialist
Warriors At Ease Certified- Fundamentals of Teaching Yoga and Meditation in Military Communities
E-RYT 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher
Certified in Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury | PTS |Combat Operational Stress
Yoga Warriors in partnership with University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Integrative Medicine
Certified Burris Institute Emotional Wellness Coach specializing in PTS & Traumatic Brain Injury
Certified in Mindful Yoga Therapy for Veterans living with TBI & PTS-Embody Yoga
Usui Reiki Ryoho Level II Certified
Personal Training Management- Marine Corps Institute Washington D.C.
First-Aid/CPR/AED Certification-American Red Cross

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT + TRAINING

Elijah has worked with the most elite mentors in integrative medicine, martial arts, sports performance, military training, strength and conditioning, functional movement, mind-body medicine and nutrition to include the following:

NUTRITION + HEALTH COACHING

Vaughn Gray-Rhodes Scholar and a recipient of the Wilma Crowther award for top Human Scientist at Oxford-Human Science

Joshua Rosenthal MEd - Integrative Nutrition

Dr. Andrew Weil- Anti-Inflammatory Dietary Theory

Dr. Joel Fuhrman-Nutritarian Dietary Theory

Dr. David Katz Yale Prevention Research Center-Integrative Nutrition

Dr. Mark Hyman-Ultraprevention & Ultrametabolism

David Wolf M.S. Nutrition-Super Foods & Raw Foods Nutrition

Dr. Walter Willet-Chair of Nutrition Harvard School of Public Health

Deepak Chopra-Mindfulness, Meditation, and Spirituality

Jay Kordich-Juicing

T. Colin Campbell-Food Biochemistry & Plant-Based Nutrition

Brendan Brazier-Plant Based Athletics

Rich Roll-Mind Body Nutrition & Plant Based Athletics

Joe Cross- "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" Juicing & Blending

Dr. Frank Lippman-Functional Medicine & Detoxing

Dr. Robert S. Morse-is a board certified and accredited Naturopathic physician, a biochemist and an herbalist. He is the founder of a naturopathic clinic, an herb pharmacy, and a school of detoxification. Dr. Morse was a protégé of the late Dr. Bernard Jensen, the founder of the science of Iridology, and a great advocate of raw food. Jensen called Morse, “one of the world’s greatest healers.” A frequent lecturer and talk show guest, Robert Morse is the author of the books: The Illusion Called Disease; and Getting Healthy with Herbal Formulas, and numerous articles in the field of natural health.

Dr. Terry Wahls – Founder- “The Wahls Protocol”

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY + FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT

Gray Cook-Functional Movement Screening & Corrective Exercise

Brett Jones-Functional Movement Screening & Kettlebell Training

Dr. Mark Cheng- Prehab Rehab 101. Functional Movement Screening & Corrective Exercise

MovNat-Primal Movement

Esther Gokhale | Gokhale Method Institute-8 Steps to a Pain Free Back

Dr. Eric Goodman-Foundation Training

John Philbin-Olympic Strength Coaching, Speed, Agility & Quickness

Mark Verstegen-Integrative Functional Athletic Training

Juan Carlos Santana / Institute for Human Performance-Functional Fitness

TACTICAL STRENGTH + CONDITIONING

Ryan Massimo USMC Combat Fitness Program Manager-Tactical Strength & Conditioning

Robb Orr-USMC HIIT Biomechanics of Speed Development for Tactical Strength & Conditioning

Danny McMillian PT PhD | Former 75th Ranger Regiment Athlete Warrior Program Director

Nick Barringer MS CSCS-75th Ranger Regiment Dietician-Tactical Nutrition

Stew Smith US Naval Academy SEAL Selection | Former US Navy SEAL-Tactical Strength & Conditioning

Jay Merlino-US SOCOM Strength & Conditioning Coach

Mark Stephenson, MS, ATC, CSCS, *D, TSAC-F | Head of the US SOCOM Human Performance Program

MARTIAL ARTS

Supreme Grand Master Fusei Kise-Orthodox Okinawan Karate, Weapons Training

Team Nogueira- Brazilian Jujitsu, MuayThai, MMA

Professor Seth Shamp- Gracie Jiu Jitsu Blackbelt / Owner Triangle Jiu Jitsu

Murilo Bustamante – Founder and Head of Brazilian Top Team, former UFC champion, BJJ Mundial champion

YOGA + MEDITATION

Kim Manfredi-Hatha Yoga

Brian Kest-Power Yoga

Ana Forest-Yoga & Emotional Healing

Suzanne Manafort-Mindful Yoga Therapy

Glen Black – Human Movement, Mobility & Yoga Nidra