Qualifications:
Registered Dietitian
Licensed Nutritionist
Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner
Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider
Certified LEAP (Lifestyle Eating And Performance) Therapist-dealing
with adverse food reactions (allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities)
Curious about me? I don’t blame you. Certainly you want to know if I am the right professional to help on your efforts to restore your health. I understand that improving health is a process that involves you and your opinions but at the same time necessitate the expertise of professional. Sharing about my personal experience will shed some light into my personal health as well as my professional journey. Happy reading.
I was born and raised in communist Romania. So, I grew up shielded from all the processed foods temptations. Lucky me, right? My family always had a vegetable garden and cultivating produce was not a choice but rather a necessity. Fast forward 25 years, I came to US. Besides having a cultural shock, I was fascinated about the convenience in regard to the foods found in my new country. I wanted to try all the fast food restaurants cause it was cheap and easy- no brainer there. Fast forward few years after, I realized
that I miss the wholesome taste and I grew more disenchanted by the convenience and longed to go back to wholesome eating. It was not hard to return to eating wholesome and healthy foods. While being pregnant I started reading a lot about the role of nutrition in health. Because I felt so convinced that food is so powerful, I’ve decided to start a career in dietetics and enrolled in a Dietetic Technician program. Needless to say, the program and science was right down my alley. I’ve graduated with Honors, Presidential Distinction, and High Academic Distinction just because learning about food and nutrients seemed to be so much fun. I also felt that I have the opportunity to help so many people.
After I’ve graduated, I worked in the dietetics field and continued my education. Although I loved what I did, I felt the need to learn even more. It felt so obvious that I need to pursue higher education and I applied to obtain a bachelor degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Although I long passed the college age (uhumm-I was 43 when I graduated), the knowledge had a rejuvenating effect on my brain. I literally inhaled the knowledge and the science. After graduation (Magna Cum Laude) I’ve continued in the field of dietetics. Unfortunately, some health issues started to bother me. I started to have headaches and I did not enjoy life like I used to. Someone around me noticed that my clothes are either gray or black, that being a stark change from the vibrant colors I used to wear before. That was an eye opener. I cannot say that I was depressed, but certainly I did not enjoy socializing as I did before because I was in constant pain. Trying to find the solution to my problem, I realized that the allopathic professionals were not able to give me the answer that I was looking for. Now, don’t get me wrong, I respect medicine and doctors. However, I felt deep inside that the solution to my problem does not come in a pill bottle. So I continued to search until I came across another dietitian who introduced my to the effect of food sensitivities in alleviating headaches. A light went on and I realized right then that the foods I was eating might cause some symptoms. Don’t forget now, that as a dietitian, I was already eating very healthy. Needless to say, even foods that are considered healthy bothered me. After taking the MRT (mediator release test) and following a LEAP (Lifestyle Eating and Performance) protocol, I felt like I was reborn. The weekly headaches went away, so many other symptoms that I did not even know I have until they went away improved. My life was colorful again, it felt good to laugh and enjoy life to the fullest. What I learned from that experience is that so many people could benefit from the same expertise. So I decided to become a CLT (Certified Leap Therapist) to help others with similar stories. Do you really think I was done learning? No way. Realizing the impact of functional and integrative approaches in regaining health, once again, I enrolled in further education (Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy). I am proud to say that I am now a Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner. The new acquired knowledge helps me to look into the root cause of different conditions from GI to addiction. How is functional nutrition different? Functional nutrition assessment and detailed history, allows me to provide a very personalized intervention tailored to my patients. So if you feel that my experience, and I am talking about being in similar situation (in pain, desperate to find help, eager to regain health) will give the advantage of a deeper understanding and compassion for your health issue, please allow my professional experience to support your efforts of regaining your health.