Health is wealth. Investing in your health is one of the most important things you can do. Unless you address your current condition or physiological imbalances you may continue to create additional symptoms and diagnoses down the line. For example, having one diagnosed autoimmune condition increases your risk for additional autoimmune diseases unless the underlying mechanisms are addressed.

The financial investment you make in yourself goes beyond the program: You are learning new tools to keep your health optimized long-term. This is the only body you have. Let’s get you feeling your best while minimizing your risk of chronic disease.

Functional nutrition is an integrated approach to health that considers a person’s unique genetics, environment, diet, chronic disease risks, exercise, stress, sleep habits, nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, gut health and other lifestyle factors.

A functional health coach uses functional labs to identify healing opportunities. We uncover the root causes of dysfunction in the body, working relentlessly to find connections between your symptoms, labs and health history. We then use personalized diet and lifestyle programs to achieve optimal wellness.

A functional health coach does not diagnose or treat, we simply aim to restore function to the body.

My clients have often seen various health practitioners before landing here. Many practitioners are very skilled in their specialties, but have not been trained to explore how different systems in the body interplay, or how external factors may influence the body.

For example, Hashimoto’s is a multifactorial condition that may include factors such as nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, microbiome & leaky gut, environmental toxin exposure, poor sleep hygiene, chronic stress and circadian disruption. This is why I created my four-part framework, to methodically explore the many ways your body may be affected by stressors. And I don’t guess, I test: I use functional labs and the data they provide to restore balance to the body.

It takes time to feel better. Your body didn’t get to its current state overnight. For example, autoimmunity can take years to develop, by the time you have symptoms it’s likely that physiological dysfunction has been present for a while. The symptoms are the last thing to appear.

Autoimmune conditions are complex and the body needs time to adapt to diet, supplements and lifestyle changes. Supplements are not medications -which may work quickly to alleviate symptoms, but do not address the underlying imbalances that led to the issue in the first place.

It takes time to implement recommendations, to peel back the layers, and to learn new ways to care for yourself, whether it’s eating for nutrients, restoring your gut health or managing stress. 4 months is the minimum amount of time required to feel better and to see a shift in lab results.

It’s easy to get started: First, book your free 45-minute consult to discuss your goals and see if working together is a good fit. If so, I’ll provide a link for you to buy your package, sign your agreement, and we’ll add your first consultation to the calendar. After this you’ll create an account in our secure online platform and start filling out your intake forms.

I’ll send you a link with the labs we discussed during your consultation. You will purchase the lab kits directly from Fullscript, our third-party lab provider. I do not mark up the test kit fees or profit from the sales of the tests. The lab kits are sent directly to your home, no need to travel to the lab, or for a doctor’s note.

Once you have collected your samples, you send them back to the lab. The lab kits come with prepaid mailers so it’s easy to return, just drop them off at your local UPS location. I usually receive your results within 4 weeks.

Unfortunately I do not accept insurance since functional nutrition and functional labs are considered alternative healthcare and are not covered by insurance.

Some clients have successfully submitted receipts for reimbursement for out-of-pocket medical expenses, especially when submitting to a Health Savings Account (HSA). Some clients have been successful using flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Our coaching and lab fees can also be tax deductible if you itemize health care costs. Check with your tax accountant.

I encourage you to not let the cost of functional care hinder your healing. You deserve to be healthy and feel great! I do offer payment plans -ask me during your initial 45-min consultation.

Autoimmunity takes decades to develop, happening slowly over time before finally manifesting into symptoms. It happens on a spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic people with positive antibodies to individuals with full blown autoimmunity and severe symptoms.

This lengthy process of disease development means that there’s plenty of time during which a functional approach can be beneficial. The earlier these root causes are identified, the easier it is to potentially alter the course of the disease.

Also, autoimmunity is the fastest growing category of disease. The prevalence of autoimmune disease has skyrocketed over the past 50 years and is only projected to increase.

This is why I recommend adding the antinuclear antibody (ANA) biomarker to the routine physical. A positive ANA will allow us to address root causes before a diagnosis ever occurs.

A recent study investigated the prevalence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), a common biomarker of autoimmunity, over a 25-year period. From 1988 to 2012, the prevalence of ANA increased by 44% -corresponding to an estimated 41 million individuals in the US in 2012. Most concerning was that the values for adolescents and teenagers increased nearly 300% over the study period. The prevalence of autoimmunity is certainly even higher today.

No. Stopping your medications without consulting your physician, or licensed medical provider, can be harmful for your health.

I am not legally authorized to advise on medications. As your health coach my role is to optimize your health through diet and lifestyle, and to investigate why you are experiencing symptoms to begin with.

While some clients have eliminated/decreased their medications, they did so strategically by discussing with their physician and creating a plan. It is always our pleasure to partner with your physician to achieve your health goals.