This is a question that I receive a lot since what I do isn’t something that is widely known about, so I thought it was time that I shed some light. Most people who have seen the content that I share I think understand that I do something with nutrition and endometriosis. That is the gist of it, but what I really do goes so much deeper than just reminding you to eat your vegetables.
Where it all began
Let me start at the very beginning. I got on this pathway of holistic health and nutrition because of my own personal health challenges. In 2016, I went off birth control in preparation to start a family with my soon-to-be husband.
I stopped birth control early because we wanted to start a family right away after our wedding in July of 2017.
I assumed that I would go off birth control, give my body a little time to readjust, and be able to get pregnant whenever we were ready.
Well…let’s just say life had other plans!
Instead, it felt like my body was completely rebelling against me. My periods quickly became debilitatingly painful, I started to develop intense fatigue, my skin was constantly broken out, and, well…I certainly wasn’t getting pregnant!
My first step was to go see a fertility specialist. She was the first person to mention endometriosis to me. Long story short, we ended up going through two rounds of IVF ending with a miscarriage that was devastating in so many ways.
My health journey begins
For me, that was my “bottom.” I felt awful in every way. I knew that there had to be more of a solution than medications and invasive medical procedures.
I was tired of being poked and prodded and being told how broken my body was. All I wanted was to finally feel empowered. I was ready to take my health into my own hands.
At first, I started researching on my own and making changes to my diet. Just with that, I started to see a difference in my pain and energy levels. I was hooked, so I decided to go to school to study nutrition to learn more about how I could help myself as well as other women who were going through similar struggles.
First step…Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
My first real step came when I joined the Nutritional Therapy Association and became certified as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
I went into that certification wanting to learn about nutrition and how to use food as medicine. I came out of it having learned so much more.
I learned so much about how various nutrients impact the body and how to become sensitive to what nutrients your body really needs.
The meat of that program was learning how to support the Foundations: Digestion, Blood Sugar Regulation, Fatty Acids, Mineral Balance, and Hydration.
We also dove into topics like anatomy and physiology, detoxification, sleep, stress, movement, as well as endocrine, immune, and cardiovascular system support. We learned how everything in the body interacts with each other and how each system impacts all the others.
All of this opened so many doors for me. Throughout the process, I was working on my own health. There were so many lightbulb moments along the way and I quickly started to see massive changes in my health.
What did this look like? My pain levels continued to decline. I started to feel less fatigued. I no longer experienced being “hangry,” which I thought was just a part of my life. My PMS symptoms started to clear up as well.
Me being me, once I learned all this I just knew that I had to learn more!
Next up…Functional Hormone Specialist
I started seeing clients using all of the tools I had learned so far. We saw some amazing results, but I just felt like there was something missing. I wanted to have more tools in my toolbelt and to be able to have a more clear picture of what was happening in each unique body.
Insert functional testing.
I knew that I wanted to specialize in women’s health and hormones, so I wanted to get more specialized training in that area.
That rabbit hole took me to the International Association for Functional Hormone Health, where I took a deep dive into all things hormones and learned to interpret the results of the DUTCH test, which is a hormone test using dried urine and is considered the gold standard for hormone testing.
We also dove deep into topics like hormone metabolism, how your body builds hormones and excretes the excess hormones, as well as birth control, hormone imbalances, and even complex female health conditions (hello, endometriosis!).
This really helped me to get a better picture of what was going on with my clients. It allowed us to dig deeper into their health concerns and develop an even more personalized protocol using food and supplements.
All of this was amazing, but I am someone who craves learning and I still wanted more!
On to…Restorative Wellness Practitioner
One thing that I felt was a missing piece of the puzzle for me was understanding more about gut health.
From my early days at the Nutritional Therapy Association, digestion and gut health was the thing that fascinated me most. As Hippocrates said over 2,000 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut.”
There is so much truth to that statement and in fact gut health has been linked to so very many health conditions, from mental health to skin health to hormone health and so much more.
That was when I was led to Restorative Wellness Solutions. This is a program that takes everything I had already learned to the next level. I learned to incorporate more functional testing into my practice, this time the GI Map and MRT Food Sensitivity test.
The GI Map is a very comprehensive stool test. It measures levels of bacteria, parasites, fungi, and yeast, and also includes markers that can indicate levels of inflammation, digestive health, and more.
The MRT is a food sensitivity test that is a step beyond what you can buy over the counter. It tests your blood directly and measures multiple types of immune reactions, which gives a much more accurate picture than doing something like a saliva test.
This was a game changer.
Again, along the way I was practicing everything I learned on my own body. I ran functional tests on myself and used those results to create a personalized protocol.
It turned out that I had a lot of food sensitivities going on, which were causing a lot of inflammation in my gut. I also had an overgrowth of “bad bacteria” as well as some parasites (more common than you may think!), and was in need of additional digestive support and inflammation.
All of a sudden, my lingering health concerns that I thought would never clear up (because we are told endometriosis is incurable and you will have it for life)…well they started to clear up.
My digestive symptoms (the bloating, diarrhea, gas)…gone! My skin cleared up. All of a sudden I started to have more energy than I ever thought possible. And most shocking to me, my periods became completely pain free.
Coming from someone who used to not even be able to stand up straight on my period, this was seriously life changing.
So what do you do with all this stuff you learned?
Great question and at the end of the day that’s really what this article is all about!
Basically, I took everything that I have learned, combined it with my experience with and knowledge of endometriosis, and have created a process and a program that I take my clients through 1:1.
We start off with a very in-depth health intake. My clients start by answering questionnaires, doing a symptom burden analysis, and a food and mood journal. Our first session is 90 minutes so that we can dive into all the things. This allows me to really get a good picture of you as a whole person as well as the symptoms you are experiencing.
From there we would make a game plan together. For many, that involves some level of functional testing. We create a dietary and supplement plan that is tailored to your unique needs (no cookie cutter protocols over here!). Along the way, we continue to check in and adjust the protocol as needed based on your symptoms and how everything is going.
Possibly the most important part of this is that you have a guide, a coach, and an accountability partner.
How long does this all take?
Typically I work with clients for a minimum of 3 months with no testing, but 6 is really necessary if we are doing functional testing (which I highly recommend!). Going through a full gut healing protocol takes about 12 weeks by itself, plus the time for initial intake, reintroducing food sensitivities, and determining next steps after the protocol is complete.
Once a gut healing protocol is complete, we can dive deeper into things like hormones and detoxification and continue to take your health to the next level.
The transformation that my clients see during this time is truly incredible!
I feel so honored and blessed to do this work because each time I do, I am blown away by how life changing this process can be.
FAQs:
Who do you work with? My primary niche is endometriosis, and particularly those struggling with gut symptoms like endo belly, bloating, SIBO, IBS, and more.
This is a decision that I made based on my own experience and the people I felt that I could help out the most, but I do have experience and training working with others as well.
If you don’t have endometriosis, but do struggle with gut symptoms, fertility, or hormone imbalances, please reach out because I am happy to help with that as well!
I also have a very wide network of fellow professionals who have similar training to me who specialize in everything from mental health to autoimmune diseases to sleep support to cancer support and so much more. I am always happy to refer out if I feel like another practitioner would be a better fit!
Where do you meet clients? My practice is primarily virtual, so I am able to work with clients from anywhere in the world! However, if you are located local to me (Temecula, CA) I am happy to meet with you in person as well.
If we are not local to you, how do we receive testing and supplements? Easy, you will receive everything in the mail! The GI-Map and DUTCH tests are at home tests that you do yourself and then ship back to the lab (don’t worry, they come with simple step-by-step instructions). The MRT is a blood test, so you will receive your kit in the mail and then I will send you a link where you can find a draw location near you. Supplements are ordered through my Fullscript dispensary and shipped directly to you.
Are there any restrictions on testing dependent on where you live? Unfortunately, yes! Within the United States, there are restrictions if you are located in New York or New Jersey. If you have an out-of-state address you can use, we can make that work. The testing is available in some countries outside of the U.S. as well and for those areas that don’t have these particular tests available, I do have some alternative options as well.
Am I able to do this work session-by-session or do I have to commit to a package? Because of the nature of the work that I do and the length of protocols, I do work in packages only. I do offer the Initial Consultation a la carte if we are still determining which route is best for you, but after that it is a 3 or 6 month commitment. This is for the benefit of my clients, since it provides that commitment to the process up front and ends up with so much better results instead of falling off a protocol halfway through (how often have we all done that?).
Do you offer payment plans? Yes! Even if you are committing to a 3 or 6 month package, you are still welcome to make monthly payments.
How much are your packages and what do they include? Here is a link to my services page which gives a good description of what is included as well as cost ranges. We would determine exactly what package is best for you during our free strategy session based on your needs and financial ability. I do like to do business with integrity, so I will always be very up front with costs before you make any commitment and am happy to answer any questions at any time. No hidden fees around here!
How this can help you
I am sharing this information because I know that for myself, I never knew that this type of work existed. I knew I needed a deeper level of support, but I had no idea where to look for it.
Now you DO know!
This is different from most modalities you are familiar with. I am not a dietician or your typical nutritionist. I work with my clients to really pinpoint the root cause of their health and really dig in to bring your body back into balance.
If you are interested in diving in and getting started, click here to learn more and apply today. Once I receive that, I can set you up with a free strategy session to chat about how this program can work best for you. I look forward to getting to know you!
If you are not in need of this type of work right now, please keep me in mind or share with a friend or loved one who is in need of support.
Much love!
More Articles You Might Enjoy:
Why Are My Periods So Painful?
Fatigue and Endometriosis: What Can We Do?
Birth Control: A “Quick Fix” for Your Hormones?
Resources:
Nutritional Therapy Association
International Association for Functional Hormone Health
Restorative Wellness Solutions
