My Journey to Integrative Health/Functional Nutrition

I want to give you a little more insight on how things got started with my passion for food and helping people in a more natural and holistic way. My roots go deep and are quite an intertwined web. 

After graduating with my Masters, I moved to San Francisco and worked in corporate wellness for several years. Again, despite having a degree in Nutrition, I had this urge to do more than just manage wellness programs and be a nutrition coach. I wanted to really help people on a deeper level and guide them toward a healthier lifestyle. Life took some interesting twists at this point – good and not so good.

How Stress, Even Good Stress, Caught Up With Me

I was beginning to feel STRESSED! We all have it, let's be honest. And stress eventually catches up with us all – no matter how healthy we think we are. Within a year and half time frame: 

• I got married

• Left my corporate wellness job

• Experienced the death of my older brother

• Got into a distance dietetic internship program – doing rounds in multiple states

• Upon completing the internship, I got pregnant and had to take an intense exam. Side note: staying up late studying and feeling nauseous is not something I would recommend for anyone.  

• My husband and I moved across the country while I was in my 2nd trimester. That was fun – you know finding a new OB and such in a new city. 

So stress was real to me – I encountered both good and bad stress. 

Of course though things appeared healthy on the surface. I was exercising, eating healthy, officially became a Registered Dietitian, newly married and about to have a child, and my standard labs always came back showing things were with the normal range.

Why Were My Labs ‘Normal’, Yet I Didn’t Feel Well?

Now fast-forward another year or so and subtle health conditions started to rear its head. 

• Skin flair-ups

• Excessive tiredness

• Digestive issues (i.e bloating) 

• Moodiness 

• Migraines more often than not 

I just chalked it up to being a new mom with a baby/toddler – especially because what else could it have possibly been. Remember, I was eating healthy, exercising, and not engaging in tobacco or alcohol use. The dots just weren’t connecting. 

If I had to guess, many of us do one (or more) of the following when we begin to notice atypical health symptoms – aka dysfunction:

1. Chalk it up to being normal – just part of aging

2. Ignore it

3. Mask the situation with unhealthy behaviors (ex. take laxatives due to constipation, drink excessive amounts of caffeine to feel more energized, etc.) 

4. Go to our PCP or a specialist to be told “your labs look normal” – basically circling back to square one. OR told you need to go one X medication to maybe help X symptom. 

So at first, I chose #1, then after several months, I went with #4. My labs appeared normal because that is what the reference range said. 

This is a long explanation, so I won’t go overboard, but mainly know that standard laboratory references ranges represent what is normal for a sick population. Basically, I was starting to feel off, but not sick enough where my labs would have shown out of range. Another part of this story is that the doctors were only looking at my current situation and never even questioned my past to understand the bigger picture. 

So, I just went on thinking this is my ‘new normal’.

Taking Root…and Not In a Good Way

My friend, my own health struggles had taken root – autoimmune disease and multiple food sensitivities causing several health issues like psoriasis, more intense migraines, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalances.  

Did this happen over night? No!

I am sure if I had went back to get more labs done, my tests would have possibly been out of range then, but I had to ask myself was I going to get poked and prodded by doctors and maybe be put on medications? 

Did I really want to play a guessing game when it came to my health?

NO! That was my answer. 

Returning to Optimal Health!

It dawned on me - HOLISTIC MEDICINE – “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” as Hippocrates said.  There was something more rooted and I wasn't about to take medications to mask my health problems. 

This was about the time when I ended up getting certified as a LEAP Therapist, one who specializes in treating adverse food reactions/food sensitivities. Plus, I enrolled in classes to become a trained Integrative Functional Nutritionist.

Let’s just say I haven’t looked back! 

Digging Up The Rotted Roots And Weeds.

These underlying health dysfunctions started years prior as I mentioned – not just from the current situation at the time - being a new mom and having a lack of sleep - as the doctor told me.  I needed to dig deeper into my health.

It all started to make sense to me. The puzzle pieces were coming together. I needed to dig out the rotted roots and weeds so to speak. 

• I got a variety of functional lab tests done.

• I engaged in an elimination diet/food sensitivities test (MRT/LEAP program).

These functional tests gave me more insight to the symptoms I was having. 

• I was able to know which nutrients my body was not absorbing well. 

• I began to look through a different lens – viewing optimal lab ranges as opposed to normal lab ranges. 

• I learned that certain foods and food chemicals were causing inflammation in my body.

Functional Nutrition – It Worked For Me!

So that is my journey to Functional Nutrition.  I got to the root cause of my health problems and was able to build a better foundation for my overall wellbeing.

Let’s talk!

I want to hear your health journey! I am passionate about helping you get to the root of your chronic health conditions where you also can find balance and build (re-plant) your whole health!