From Pain to Purpose: Why I Became a Functional Nutritionist
Hi, I’m Nicole - functional nutritionist, former high school science teacher, and lifelong lover of bell peppers and long trail runs. My passion for holistic health wasn’t something I stumbled into - it was something I had to fight for. And now, it’s something I can’t wait to share with you.
A Lifelong Love of Wellness - Interrupted
Health and wellness have always been central to who I am. I was the kid who came home from school and reached for crunchy vegetables instead of cookies or ice cream. I joined the cross-country team in fourth grade and haven’t stopped running since. Being active, getting outside, and feeling good in my body has always just made sense to me.
But in my senior year of high school, that changed. I started experiencing intense stomach pain - bad enough to leave me curled up on the floor of my chemistry teacher’s office. We went through the usual GI tests and ended up with a vague diagnosis of mild gastritis. I was told to take some heartburn medication and move on. Spoiler: that didn’t work.
The Long Road to Answers
For over 15 years, I chased solutions to my pain. I cut out gluten, dairy, and a long list of other foods. I saw doctors in Boston, California, and even Australia. I was treated for H. pylori, parasites, and more. But nothing really helped, and all the standard labs and scans kept coming back “normal.”
Eventually, I was told that my symptoms were all in my head. That I just needed to relax. Or worse - that the pain I was in every day might just be my “normal”. But I didn’t accept that. I knew something deeper was going on.
I started turning to eastern and functional practitioners who looked at my body as a whole system, not just isolated symptoms. This was a game changer. Through acupuncture, herbal medicine, functional neurology, and constitutional hydrotherapy, I finally started feeling better. For the first time in almost two decades I had days without any pain - something I had forgotten was even possible. It’s still been a journey to maintain my health since then, but I have so many more tools now - and a much better understanding of what I need to do to stay well.
The Science Teacher Turned Nutritionist
Before becoming a nutritionist, I was a high school chemistry and physics teacher. I loved helping students make sense of complex topics, and I bring that same passion into my work today.
Education is at the heart of what I do. My goal isn’t just to hand you a protocol, it’s to help you understand your body and the “why” behind your symptoms. I want to empower you with knowledge so you can make confident, informed decisions to nourish and support your body. Lasting change comes not from blindly following a plan, but from truly understanding how to care for yourself.
My journey eventually led me to earn a master’s degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States - one of the only accredited programs in the country that blends clinical nutrition with systems-based functional medicine.
Today, I’m here to help others find what took me so long to discover: real answers, real relief, and real health through nutrition and lifestyle changes.
If you’re feeling stuck, unheard, or unsure where to start - I get it. I’ve been there. And I’d be honored to walk alongside you on your healing journey.