Philosophy

Foundations-First Approach

As an NTP, I always consider how to address a client’s imbalances as far upstream as possible. I have been trained to think about the body as a unified and interconnected system, and that the mind is inseparable from the body.

The Foundations for health are those things that every single body needs to thrive:

Sleep
Daily movement
Social connection
Emotional wellbeing
Digestion
Nourishing food
Hydration
Blood Sugar Regulation
Mineral Balance

Regardless of how “complex” a client’s health situation might be, how mysterious their symptoms might appear, or however many medical diagnoses they’ve received by Western medicine, my approach is always consistent: these complex imbalances are always the consequence of imbalances in the Foundations. In all my clients, I always address the Foundations of health.

Food-First Approach

The food that we eat is the single biggest factor in our environment that is within our power to change. It has a profound impact on our health and longevity. Foods have the ability to support our body’s healing response, to give the building blocks needed for making our hormones and our cellular membranes, to encourage the flow of bile and other digestive juices, and so much more. The quality of the foods that we eat determines the quality of the cells in our body. For example, eating dietary fats that are oxidized and denatured will lead to cellular membranes that are built from these denatured fats.

Science has shown that eating nutrients from food is superior to getting those nutrients from supplements. In fact, a 2019 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine Journal showed no health benefit from consuming nutrients in supplements, and in some instances (for example, with calcium supplements), the study showed that taking supplements increased health risks.

Nutrients occur in food in the way that nature intended. Nutrients never work in isolation in the body, and they never occur in isolation in food. Oysters don’t just contain zinc, they also contain copper. Seaweed doesn’t just contain iodine, it also contains selenium and other trace minerals. Full-fat milk doesn’t just contain one fat-soluble vitamin, it contains all of them together. I believe that foods are infinitely more complex than how scientists currently measure them, and that we will continue to discover different nutrients and relationships between nutrients for decades to come.

Do I ever recommend that my clients take supplements? Absolutely, in certain instances. However, I always consider whether it is possible to consume those nutrients in foods first, before reaching for supplementation.

The Mind and Body Are One

Have you ever gone to the doctor with a complaint, and when they haven’t been able to figure out the underlying cause of your symptoms, they dismissively tell you or imply that “it’s all in your head?”

The funny thing is that when doctors make these sorts of comments, typically it reveals their disdain for the interconnectedness of the mind with the rest of the body. If only they took that connection more seriously!

Emotions are material and embodied. They are created by physiological chemicals in the body, and these have physiological consequences. Have you ever cried so much that you couldn’t breathe through your nose? That’s the result of physical changes in a particular type of immune cells called mast cells. Stress also affects our hormones and affects how our body uses minerals.

Specifically with regard to gut health, the connection to the brain is especially important! There are thousands more neuronal connections going from the gut to the brain than there are from the brain to the gut. Intuitively, our own idioms in language pick up on this–having a “gut feeling” is physiologically very accurate. 90% of our serotonin is produced in the gut by our microbiome. It’s not too difficult to imagine how a disruption in our microbiome might affect our mental health.

Those with a history of trauma are significantly more likely to suffer from a variety of chronic illnesses, including IBS, cancer, and autoimmune disease. Within my own experience as a practitioner, as well as within my personal experiences as a chronic illness warrior, I’ve seen firsthand how addressing chronic stress is often THE single most important piece of the healing puzzle.

Weight-Neutral Practitioner

I am a weight-neutral health practitioner. I do not help clients with the specific goal of losing weight. There is a long history of racism and sexism in the diet industry that I refuse to be a part of.

I support how bodies function and what they are able to do, NOT what they aesthetically look like. When a client comes to me asking for help with losing weight, I ask them to take a step back and consider why exactly they want to lose weight. Are they looking to have better energy throughout the day? Reduce inflammation in the body? Support the health of their cardiovascular system? Once the client has taken this step back and connected to the underlying values behind wanting to lose weight, I will support those health goals.

Oftentimes when I work with clients, I discover that they are in fact under-eating. This is true for clients of all body sizes! It is difficult enough to get all the nutrients we need in order to have thriving bodies. It’s impossible when a client is restricting their food intake.

Do my clients end up losing weight as a byproduct of our work together? Oftentimes yes. But it is not the focus of our work together.

Accessibility

Racial and gender discrimination is, sadly, all too common in health settings. I believe that each person is the expert of what is happening in their own body. I promise to honor and validate what you share with me.

As someone who lives with chronic illness, I understand how important it is to create safe spaces for all types of bodies. If you have a disability, I promise to work with you to make this space welcoming and accessible. I’m not perfect, but I am always open to growth.

Holistic care and “wellness” can get expensive, and unfortunately, Nutritional Therapy is not covered by health insurance. When I work with clients, I consider all of their bioindividual needs, including budget, when making recommendations. If you are struggling to afford this work with me, please contact me so we can have a conversation about making this work accessible to you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do I bring to my appointment?

For our initial 30-minute discovery call together, I will have you fill out a detailed health questionnaire beforehand. Please bring any questions you might have about what our work together will look like.

For your 90-minute on-boarding meeting, I will send out the paperwork beforehand. This paperwork does take some time to complete; however, it provides us with objective tools for evaluating how to best support you.

Can I work with you if I have a medical condition?

Absolutely! While Nutritional Therapy is not a substitute for seeking medical attention from a doctor, there is so much preventative and foundational work that we can do together to support your overall health.

If you are struggling with a diagnosis and have not been able to find a doctor who makes you feel safe, validated, and heard, I know exactly how you feel because I’ve been there. I promise that there are doctors out there who are in alignment with your values—even ones who operate under a similar philosophy to the holistic approach that I take as an NTP.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re looking for help finding a doctor, and I will do my best to make a referral to someone who is a good fit.

Do you run lab testing?

I do not currently have the capabilities to run lab work for my clients. BUT…I will be able to starting in the late spring of 2023.

Get stoked!

Do you help clients lose weight?

I support how bodies function and what they are able to do, NOT what they aesthetically look like.

Do my clients end up losing weight as a byproduct of our work together? Oftentimes yes. But it is not the focus of our work together.

Will I ever be able to reintroduce my food sensitivities?

Food sensitivities are a symptom, and not an underlying cause of dysfunction in the body. (The one exception to this is gluten in individuals who have celiac disorder or gluten sensitivity).

In our work together, we address the underlying causes of food sensitivities: optimizing digestion, removing stressors on the body that might be angering the immune system, and supporting the body’s ability to get into a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state. When the foundations are addressed, clients have much more flexibility in the foods they are able to eat.

I have a limited budget for supplements/food. Can we still do this work together?

Absolutely. As a practitioner, I take into account all of your bioindividual needs, including your budget, when forming recommendations. I will give my opinions on how to prioritize your budget to have the biggest impact possible on shifting your health.

With regard to targeted supplementation: As an NTP, I take what is called a “food first” approach, meaning I recommend that my clients obtain nutrients from food sources whenever possible. Scientific research shows that the health benefits we get from eating certain nutrients in food aren’t always present when we consume those nutrients in supplements. Nature packages nutrients together for a reason, and it tends to be safer and more effective to get nutrients from food whenever possible.

Book a Discovery Call

Are you interested in working with me and are wondering whether this is a good fit?

I’d love to jump on a call with you and hear more about your story, provide some insight, and to share how our work together would help your specific concerns.