Hello

I have always wanted to help people and because of that I chose to pursue nursing. As an RN I have spent the majority of that time caring for patients in the ICU and ER. I also worked as a labor and delivery nurse in the U.S. and as a labor coach for four years while my family lived in Taiwan. My journey to functional medicine began around 2015 after we moved to Taiwan. I began to see the benefits of natural and alternative health treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractors, and Chinese medicine techniques, which focus on gut health and on how the entire body works together as a system.

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During that time I began to think about two different ideas. The first was that, while western medicine does amazing things such as emergency surgeries, doctors often do not investigate issues down to the root cause. Many American patients are taking dozens of medications every day, and I was always frustrated that we would send our patients away with a new prescription, rather than trying to make their bodies healthy.

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The second idea that I had was that, even though I run and watch what I eat, I was actually quite unhealthy myself. I didn't look that way on the outside, but I began to realize that I had serious symptoms of autoimmune issues. Prior to moving to Taiwan I had suffered 3 miscarriages after our 3rd child was born. I also had Raynaud's, a circulatory disease, and significant GI problems. I began to wonder if my health issues were all related, and whether I could heal them by making my body healthier. As I have investigated and implemented functional medicine in my own life I have been able to finally figure out the root cause of my chronic GI issues, abnormal labs, and the reasons for my infertility.

 

While I don't agree with the 'spiritual' aspects of Chinese medicine, it is true that we are not just bodies, but that we are a union of body and spirit. For this reason it is important to consider how our bodies and our souls work together to create health or illness. This includes recognizing sin and anxiety that are creating health issues but also exercise for our body. Over the last decade I have completed over 20 half marathons, a full marathon and countless other races. Exercise for women is vital for good health and I love helping women learn how to be fit. 

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My life's journey has led me to the amazing field of functional and integrative medicine. What I love about functional medicine is that it seeks to help people fix the root problem so that they can be be free from countless pharmaceutical drugs. Technology can show us many of the problems in our bodies, but we need to then work with our bodies by using the natural processes, proper nutrition, and exercise to achieve long-lasting health.