About
Feeling bloated, weighed down and drained?
Finding solutions to your energy lows and digestive woes with functional medicine principles.
We are working out more, diets have become confusing and complicated, the supplement industry can only offer so much relief ....yet we have reached unprecedented levels of digestive complaints!
In fact 22.4 million office visits annually are directly related to digestive complaints or diagnosis. Many of which have "no known" cause. Let me be clear- gut pain, bloating, food sensitivities, heartburn, constipation or loose stools are not normal. In fact, over time leads to more serious complications like insomnia,"adrenal fatigue", thyroid problems, malnutrition, autoimmune, joint pain, hormone imbalances and even mental health conditions like depression.
There is a clear GAP that is needing to be filled . One that is being fulfilled through a new lens, a functional approach lens. Combining the mind and body as a whole through lifestyle, mindset and correcting dysfunctions found with the right lab work to bring both the body and mind back into a state of balance and correct the "roots" of dysfunction with in the digestive system. It's time to get back to feeling your best self again!
Closing the GAP
Through my own health trials I spent years looking for relief for my chronic gut related symptoms, both from conventional doctors and a natural approach. Year after year adding more and more symptoms to the list, but with no avail. My blood tests would continue to show everything was "normal". I felt unheard, misplaced and completely depleted .
Chronic stress of any kind - mental/ emotional stress, physical stress such as a car accident, or chemical/biochemical stress such as the food we eat, or an imbalance in our microbiome etc . These are all different kinds of stress. 90% of all doctors visits are stress related , yet no one is looking into what those stressors are for YOU. Its time to find all the stressors that are disrupting your best digestion and energy yet. Rebalancing key systems so that you can THRIVE again.
It's not the symptom, It's the SYSTEM
Through a tried and true process created and trademarked, the DRESS for health success program has helped thousands identify hidden healing opportunities that when addressed in a systematic way will drastically reduce or dismantle states of dysfunction and symptoms of dis-ease, pain.
No more running from specialist to specialist. This is true body-mind work. Working with a qualified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner works because of sound principles that are the foundation to true health and wellness.
Using curiosity and honed in health detective like skills I help look for and identify stressors both internal and external, working with you to reduce or eliminate these stressors and assist health building through natural therapies. Knowing that the body can heal itself when these stressors are removed and resilience is restored we begin to experience: rebounding energy, balanced hormones, pain disappears, weight becomes easy to maintain, anxiety and depression lifted, clear skin, a sense of joy and happiness and calm return, great sleep becomes effortless again, digestives issues normalize, brain fog disappears and memory lapses cease, muscle aches and joint pain a thing of the past. Balance is restored because we work to remove what is in the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Functional Wellness?
Simply put, it is looking at how key systems in the body are functioning (or not functioning so well). Instead of looking for a diagnosis . We will be looking at the WHY underneath the symptoms. No more band-aide approaches .
Our body's were created with magnificent intelligence but with today's modern lifestyle, always on the go with little down time devoted to self care , the ever growing list of toxic substances added to our environment , traumas, and the way we view ourselves and the world around us are all different types of stressors that can knock our wonderfully made systems out of balance. The body is made with several homeostatic controls to find its way back into balance, so that it can maintain proper function . After some time though, if under continuous stress, our vital reserves become depleted and loss of homeostasis occurs, function begins to decline. Looking deeper into your hormones, immune, digestive, detoxification, energy and nervous systems to find those imbalances.
Each person is different in how this looks, some may experience weight loss resistance or sudden gains, others may complain about fatigue, loss of endurance, maybe mood changes and sleep deprivation (wired but tired), while others it could be gut issues or acne, rashes, joint pain, muscle aches.... you see, loss of function is now occurring . I work with you to find out what areas of function need to be restored with in your hormones, immune, detoxification, digestion, energy and nervous systems with functional lab screenings to regain homeostasis again.
TEST DON'T GUESS! From a holistic and functional standpoint everything is connected, mind and body . While I may be helping you with your one main complaint, don't be surprised if many of your symptoms get better or even disappear! I don't take a reductionist approach but rather look at you as a whole person . I have learned over the years many puzzle piecing skills and the true root causes of chronic symptoms of dis-ease and I truly enjoy helping others to do the same. Life is meant to be enjoyed and full of love and I know first hand how difficult that can be when you just don't feel like yourself anymore.
What does your program include?
During our time together we will:
1) Dial in your diet to instantly banish bloating
2) Identify what's really going on using functional labs- sent direct to your door step
3) Put together a personalized plan to optimize your diet, sleep, fitness, and address internal stressors to feel your best.
Ultimately giving you the nuts and bolts to living a healthy and active life forever. We not only go over the lab screening results in depth and set up your personalized plan but I also am here to support your journey with 1:1 virtual consulting, implementation and transformational coaching sessions through the HIPPA compliant platform Healthie . Between our virtual 1:1 sessions you will also have access to me if needed through the healthie chat feature. I want to see you succeed to your fullest potential with help every step of the way!
Will your program really help me? I have already Seen many different practitioners / doctors
If you've been seeking answers for your gut and energy symptoms with little to no success then this is the solution you have been looking for. It's time to use targeted lab testing for focused healing .
I like to illustrate it with the thought of driving your car down the highway when you see your check engine light come on. You wouldn't slap some tape over it to cover it up and pretend everything will be fine would you? Of course not! You would take it in to get some diagnostics done and figure out the issue as the WHY it's malfunctioning . The same is true for your body. I look at symptoms as the "check engine" light , we pull over and do some diagnostic testing to see WHY your body is expressing those symptoms and work to correct it. Most of the time the real problem is far removed from the presenting symptom. It is also common for two people with the same complaint to come to me and have different reasons why. That is why I say Test Don't Guess!
Your doctor maybe able to match your symptom or disease with a pill (or surgery) to mask the symptoms, but that is just like putting tape over your dash board. It may mask your ailing symptom for sometime but the mechanisms behind the state of dis-ease are still at play and still causing continued downstream effects that may come back with a vengeance. Most likely that means a new pill or a larger dose, or you may
start to present with new symptoms. This was my experience along with many of you I am certain.
My goal is to find the WHY behind your engine malfunction. To put an end to the revolving door of disease and put you back in the driver seat of your health care. This is the functional medicine approach.
Apply to work 1 on 1 with me and see how the functional approach can change your life for the better.
Stop GUESSING start TESTING!
Hi my name is Mel 😁
I help health motivated , compassionate persons still struggling with poor digestion and exhaustion find real answers with the right labs so that can get back to feeling like themselves once and for all.
I am a lover of all things that enrich health and wellness so that I can be the best version of myself for my family and others. I began my love of biology and physiology at about 8 years old after my first fishing trip and getting to hold my first little catch's beating heart in my tiny hands. I was fascinated. Hooked! That turned into an unquenchable thirst for learning about human biology and physiology and eventually nutrition and movement . This natural curiosity would prove to be a great value as I went into my teen years . I started getting recurrent digestive issues in grade 5/6th grade that progressed to daily digestive discomfort to pain , massive bloating, chronic constipation .
At the time I had no idea what bloating even was, I just though in my young mind that I was gaining fat every time I ate which led to a long battle with eating disorders . When I turned 18 I started seeing doctors about my stomach discomfort and I felt SO unheard. The same thing time after time:" You need more fiber , take some fiber supplements /wafers/cereals/drinks.... ".At the time I worked at a gym and my whole life revolved around getting the "right " macros and fiber was no different.
I was already doing all the things the doctor said I needed to do but she had no other answers for me. I kept searching though. I tried colonics , supplements, specialized diet after diet, diuretics, laxatives, probiotics , heck I even went to see if I could get a surgeon to suck any amount of fat out my stomach thinking that was the answer!
As the years went on I started experiencing terrible pain all along my spine daily , my periods were either non existent for months at a time or I was crippled over in pain . After the birth of my second baby I started asking my doctor for answers about my stomach pains and for some kind of testing to be done because despite my best efforts with diet and exercise my guts were killing me daily. I needed answers, something to work with . But imaging showed nothing, blood draw after blood draw showed nothing. Everything always came back "normal".
So I gave up for a bit. All the while my symptoms continued and more started piling up. My elbows would hurt so bad it woke me up at night. I was exhausted all day with little patience for anything in life and yet I couldn't sleep at night . My moods were all over the place and felt completely out my control anymore, I found it getting harder and harder to find any real enjoyment in life. I eventually had such bad brain fog that I couldn't drive without feeling like I was drunk and my memory started having blackouts. I would be driving into town for groceries and feel totally lost on the same streets that I have been driving for years - now that's scary! All the while my labs continued to show everything was "normal". Well, after the birth of my 4th baby and a very stressful move, I found myself in a complete tail spin of a downward spiral. I kept having this butterfly shaped red mask come across my face and horrible itchy bumps on my knees and elbows and recurrent chest pains that would drive me to the ER. I could no longer workout or do the things I loved most let alone take care of my family the way I wanted to. Yet with all that going on , still nothing was evident on paper that anything was "diagnosable" . Yes, it appears that everything was "normal".
Well I had had it.... nothing about all this was normal and covering it up with cortisone creams was not going to help long term. After a bit of a breakdown and with my husbands support I went searching for what I was missing and what our current conventional health care system can not address . And that is uncovering what is at the root of our various states of disease, aches, pains and daily complaints . Learning how to reestablish good health internally, in which those roots need to not only grow but flourish!
With the right functional testing we can finally stop guessing what is wrong , end the cycle of trial and error and return to a state of wellbeing physically as well as mentally and emotionally. We are wonderfully made beings with the ability to heal . Once we figure out what it is that is blocking that healing path you can begin the beautiful journey back to health for good. My goal is to help you get well and STAY well with the hope that you will pass along your newfound knowledge to others as well.
Ready to change how you feel? To apply to work with me please email me to get your complimentary consult scheduled today