What Makes My Approach Different

You’ve probably been told “it’s just genetics”, “your labs look normal” or “you’ll need to be on medications for the rest of your life”. Meanwhile, you might be feeling terrible on the inside and know intuitively that something is off. And more likely than not, some of the most pivotal factors affecting your health have never been mentioned to you.

In the functional health & nutritional therapy world, we do not believe that illness is our destiny, and we don’t believe that all health issues stem from bad genes. We believe that your body has an innate ability to heal itself, but is lacking what it needs to thrive. We dive deep and unearth what you’re lacking & the root cause imbalances driving dysfunction and chaos. We look at factors that your doctor, dietician, or personal trainer likely never broached with you. Factors like micronutrient deficiencies, the microbiome, digestive function, nutrient malabsorption, toxic burden, inflammation levels, food sensitivities, blood sugar regulation, circadian health, HPA axis dysfunction, vagal tone, and more.

Once you have a clear understanding of what your root causes are, the sky is the limit, and the real work begins. You’ll see the needle move in ways you never imagined.

You might’ve heard some variation of “Just exercise, reduce red meat, and eat more fiber!” or “Just cut calories, eat a Mediterranean diet, exercise more, sleep better, and manage your stress.” So easy, right?! If it were this simple and straightforward, everyone would be healthy. These run-of-the-mill nutrition and exercise guidelines often leave us wanting, and still desperate for a breakthrough.

Unfortunately, this standard outdated advice not only fails to help people figure out the how, but it also doesn’t address the foundational imbalances that might lead someone to not be able to sleep well in the first place, or be so tired they can’t work out, or have insatiable cravings that prevent them from sticking to a healthy way of eating, or have an inability to manage their stress levels due to severe neuroinflammation.

Following the standard health advice when you have severe micronutrient deficiencies, circadian dysfunction, an unhealthy microbiome, childhood trauma, hidden food sensitivities, an overburdened liver, and a high toxic load can feel like an uphill battle and make you feel like a failure. You’re not a failure—you just need to address your root cause and give your body what it needs.

What’s more, conventional nutrition and medical advice suggests blanket approaches for entire populations, without taking into account bio-individual differences that may drastically alter a person’s health needs. Conventional advice does not factor in age, gender, activity levels, fitness, stress levels, micronutrient levels, or medical history. Each year, new research emerges that influences general health guidelines. First there was the low-fat era, then the low-carb era, then came veganism, keto, fasting, carnivore, you name it. We’re told to drink green tea, cut out red meat, and do daily ice baths. But these trends ignore the nuance and innate wisdom that ancestral societies have had for thousands of years. We follow extremes rather than eating and living in the balanced, cyclical way nature intended. Yes, ice baths can be great, but they can be stressful to those with chronic HPA dysfunction. Fasting can be great, but is not right for everyone. Specific diets may hold therapeutic value for one person, but not another. They key is nuance and bio-individuality. Health is not one-size-fits-all.

The science is clear: there is a bidirectional relationship between your mind and your body. Stress can knock your health out of balance and cause disease. Conversely, inflammation can fuel not only disease but also stress and mental health dysfunction. The mind-body connection is like two parallel mirrors facing each other, amplifying each other infinitely.

Despite how vital and strong this connection is, it’s ignored by most medical professionals. Mental health therapists use talk therapy to improve your mental health, ignoring the neuroinflammation often at the root of mental health struggles. Doctors use medication to manage your symptoms, without addressing the root cause or the underlying stressors in your life and body. While both therapists and doctors are essential and vital to the healthcare puzzle, there’s one piece that’s missing and neglected—the root cause.

But there’s a better way – one that addresses the issue at the source. I work with you to boost your brain health, physical health, and emotional wellbeing via targeted nutritional therapy and lifestyle remedies in tandem with cognitive behavioral and trauma-based practices so both your brain and body can heal.

Not only did I spend years navigating my own health issues through research and trial-and-error, but I have spent the last 6 years studying and honing natural health.

I’ve helped people combat lifelong issues they thought they were doomed to for life. I have a knack for natural health. It’s in my blood—my great-grandfather was the herbal apothecary of his town, sought after for issues of all kinds. His intuition runs through me. If I ever encounter an issue I’m unfamiliar with, I’ll either research it extensively until I find an answer, or refer you to someone else who can help. In addition, I have a deep psychology background and have advised countless people on a wide variety of psychological and life challenges, including severe challenges like childhood abuse and trauma. While I am not a licensed therapist, I am well-versed in various psychological frameworks and strategies, and have numerous tools to draw from to support you holistically.

The work we do together will catalyze extremely powerful changes in your physical & mental health. The functional labs we run will provide precision insights into your health that drive the nutritional, lifestyle, and supplement changes we devise together. We’ll target not only your nutrition but your movement, sleep, digestion, circadian rhythm, blood sugar regulation, and more. While all of that is great, research shows that the effects of even the healthiest of diets can be negated by unhappiness, isolation, and elevated stress hormones. In our work together, we’ll work on increasing your happiness—by exploring hobbies, increasing social connection, improving relationships, and even exploring major life changes when relevant. We live in a stressed-out world, full of responsibilities and disconnection from others and nature. Even for the busiest of people, small changes can go a long way in improving overall wellbeing and life satisfaction—and as a result, your health.

I’m like a driving instructor – I’m in the passenger seat, guiding you with my expertise and knowledge, but you’re the creative director of your own life, and the changes we ultimately decide to make are up to you. You’re the expert on you, and you know your body better than anyone else. Your input and intuition are vital, and throughout our work together I’ll encourage you to tune into your body and reconnect with your intuition. We’ll do what works for you and your life, and make it as feasible as possible. We go at your pace— the end goal is sustainable change, not an overnight 180 that makes you burnout and go back to square one. I also explain the why behind everything I recommend, so you can fully understand the rationale for each change and be equipped to navigate your health long-term.

While you’re always in the driver’s seat, keep in mind that the work we do together is hard — as is any change to your nutrition or lifestyle — and requires diligent effort, habit change, and commitment to oneself. While there may be multiple roads to get to your destination, you nevertheless need to get in the car and drive to get there. This work cannot be successful without your dedication and willingness to put the tools to use. You are in the driver’s seat.