Meet Our Team

• Digestive health disorders (IBS, bloating, constipation, dysbiosis, etc)
• Autoimmune & inflammatory conditions
• Women’s hormonal health
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Food sensitivities
• Weight management

Things we address with almost every client: 

• Healing the gut
• Working toward an anti-inflammatory diet
• Reducing highly processed foods
• Implementing real, wholesome foods
• Addressing food sensitivities
• Recommending supplements. These can help bridge the gap from illness to health, and then we’ll work to get you off of them! 

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Victoria’s Story: My Journey to Healing My Gut & Metabolism

In my final year of college, I started to experience digestive problems – abdominal bloating, bouts of what felt like the flu, low body temperature, food intolerances, skin irritation, etc. These gut issues would eventually morph increase over time and expand into full body issues for the next 6 years.

What was the root cause of these digestive issues?

I believe it was multi-factorial. My years of struggling with disordered binge eating likely severely impacted the internal environment in my gut. This also progressed into poor stress response which further aggravated my gut. (I would eventually realize my need for spiritual healing and appropriate stress management). Several rounds of antibiotics throughout my life, especially in the year leading to my gut issues, likely further disturbed my gut environment. Sleep deprivation from a busy life in academics and ministry no doubt exacerbated these issues as well.

Over many years following the onset of my initial symptoms, I spent countless hours researching and obsessing over finding answers. I felt like I was going crazy. Tests & treatments have included tests to rule out celiac disease, an endoscopy and colonoscopy, multiple gastroenterologists and a rheumatologist, lots of supplements, over the counter and prescription medicines, so many therapeutic diets, and more.

The only real diagnosis I ever got was “IBS” (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which is actually a “diagnosis of exclusion”. This means that all other more severe conditions (like celiac disease or cancer) were ruled out. It was recommended that I work on managing stress, drink enough water and eat enough fiber along with taking medication to help regulate my gut (i.e. daily laxative meds). All of the care was just symptom management, although I do recognize how important stress management & fiber are! And to be honest, these things didn’t even manage my symptoms over time. Why? None of them treated root causes. None of them treated the total body systems at play. 

Suffering & Breakthroughs

I suffered through many highs and lows, moments of progress & many setbacks. For years I struggled with several or most of the following daily: bloating, altered bowel movements, multiple food sensitivities, cravings, mood imbalances, excessive fatigue, headaches, brain fog, extreme dry mouth, hoarse throat, difficulty taking deep full breaths, pain, and whole-body inflammation. 

I contended with unexpected weight gain and round-the-clock vigilance of everything I was eating or drinking (or else I would suffer more at the hands of increasing food sensitivities). I wore only skirts & dresses for a year until I discovered stretchy jegging work pants (a God-send! :)). I also quit running (a long-time love of mine) and certain other forms of exercise that I could no longer tolerate due to the need for several days of recuperation of my gut afterward. Not many people knew this about me because I pushed myself so hard to “keep it together”. 

I say all of this to let you know that if you have been struggling with anything like this or your own set of symptoms, there is hope!

Breakthroughs came when I finally began to accept my intuition that I needed more than just symptom management; I needed a whole body approach that addressed root causes. I needed to reorient my heart and mind to God and find surrender in my weakness in coping with food. I needed to acknowledge that I could have peace and freedom from obsession over my daily sickness and yet also have peace in seeking the steps toward healing. It was during this time that my business name “Wonderfully Made Nutrition” came to mind as I reflected on having peace with who we are while also striving to become the best version of ourselves.

With peace and confidence, I promised myself I would never stop fighting for better care, even if I had to set off on my own path. It was really this combination of my knowledge + my intuitive understanding of the “wonderfully made” nature of our bodies that enabled me to cut the BS, turn away from the status quo world of conventional healthcare, prevent myself from further harm of meds, avoid costly treatments and instead fight for root cause resolutions and true healing through a functional nutrition approach. And I now stand in that role for my clients too!

Insights that helped me & I hope will help you too!

• Gut health & hormones NEED to be balanced in order for natural weight loss to occur. I was gaining weight not just because I was eating more but because my gut issues were causing hormonal and metabolic changes that gave me more cravings and fatigue that made it almost impossible not to eat more & more.  These physiological cravings can override willpower. So there’s no reason for shame, just more reason to get the right help for healing. 
• Disordered eating habits, whether binge eating or undereating, can alter the gut microbiome (balance of bacteria in your gut) and cause changes in nervous system response. Most doctors won’t ask you about your eating behaviors nor have the time or ability to help you. But finding healing in this area of your life is essential. My journey is marked by deep spiritual healing through a deeper relationship with God, combined with targeted nutrition changes to support metabolic health. 
• Generalized health recommendations such as “eat more fiber” don’t always work for everyone. For example, reducing certain types of fiber brought great relief during initial phases of gut healing. Bottom Line: Individualization is key.
• Everyone has to find their carb “sweet spot” (pun intended) & bring balance to their blood sugar. I do better with less carbs in general and very little added sugar. I have more energy, better periods, and less cravings. Blood sugar imbalances can cause inflammation and undesirable weight gain. 
• If you don’t tolerate certain foods even though they are healthy, don’t worry- we’ll find other nourishing foods for you to eat. My body could not tolerate all healthy foods. So there was no need for me to cling to these healthy foods anymore if I could no longer tolerate them. Finding other nourishing foods that I COULD tolerate was key. And I learned that elimination diets should NOT last forever but rather, when done correctly, lead to the most expansive diet one can tolerate.
• One-size-fits-all diet dogmas overlook individual, complex needs. Diets can and should be used properly as therapeutic tools for different reasons. A sort-of “Paleo” way of eating seems to work best for me, and I now feel like I have metabolic flexibility, the ability to burn carbs or fat efficiently on a given day.
• Stress management, therapeutic movement (exercise that you tolerate & enjoy!), and breathing techniques were necessities for maintaining my health. While they didn’t “cure” me, they were essential pieces of the whole-body physical support that I needed. The cleanest diet in the world couldn’t solve these lifestyle needs for me.
• Proper lab testing and supplementation is key to repleting nutrients to sufficient levels as well as understanding what is going on in your body. My Vitamin D level was very low (which is common but NOT normal) as well as several B vitamins and other nutrients. This confirmed just how much my body was internally stressed from years of gut dysfunction. Supplementing properly brought my levels back to optimal levels. 
• The GI-MAP test is amazing! I recommend this for almost anyone (since all health leads back to the gut) but especially for people with obvious gut issues, thyroid or autoimmune conditions. This test finally shed light on the imbalance of bacteria in my gut as well as how my immune system was being impacted. It also confirmed that I am in fact sensitive to gluten, so I could avoid gluten without always wondering, “Is it really worth my trouble to avoid?” I was able to treat myself using my expertise of nutritional supplements, probiotics & food therapies and now do the same for my clients!  
• Accurate food sensitivity testing can do wonders if appropriate diet, lifestyle, & gut health measures can’t get you over the hump of residual food sensitivity symptoms. MRT (Mediator Release Testing) is the most clinically accurate test for food sensitivities. Unfortunately, most of conventional healthcare still uses IgG testing which does not give clinically accurate results.
• Nutritional supplements are extremely helpful if used properly. Not all supplements are created equal. I’ve spent countless hours learning about the function and biochemistry of supplements and when to treat with which kinds. 

My Professional Journey to Bring My Healing to Others

While I was pursuing my degree and career in nutrition, I did not expect the personal health problems that would change my life- countless trials that would overtake my daily living but also elevate my passion for nutrition & healing, more than I could have ever imagined.

After many years of advanced study, I have developed expertise in functional nutrition and the confidence in using this holistic approach to help people with complex health conditions find long-sought healing. I am passionate about helping people who are suffering to find breakthroughs in their health that they couldn’t find in the conventional healthcare model.

Throughout my personal & professional health journey, I came to understand three main points: 

1) Spiritual health is just as important as physical health.

My disordered eating (which no doctor ever questioned me about) stemmed from spiritual & relational wounds in my life, and so this area of my life needed to be addressed in order for me to stop the damaging binge eating behaviors. Spiritual “illness” indirectly affected my physical health via unhealthy coping behaviors which lead to physical dysfunction of my gut and nervous system. I am so grateful for my faith & all of those who guided & walked with me on a path of spiritual conversion and surrender!

2) The body has an innate ability to function & thrive.

If you do not begin with this foundational principle that the body is capable of functioning well and returning to optimal function, then you will not serve your health or healing. If you are told that there is nothing else you can do other than take medications and manage stress, take heart & turn towards the truth: you are wonderfully made! There is hope for your health!

3) The body is an integrated system, and therefore health issues require an integrated approach. 

Symptoms do not exist in a vacuum. If you are experiencing weight gain as well as menstrual cycle irregularity, the two might be related. Metabolism is an umbrella process that requires many body systems working in concert- gut/digestive system, reproductive system, nervous system, all body hormones, etc. We can then see that balance is needed across the whole body. That’s why we should seek to nourish ourselves in a range of ways including wholesome food, sleep, therapeutic movement, investing in our faith & spirituality, community/support, time for true leisure, etc. Each ones of these affects our health of body, mind & spirit. If your health practices cause gains in one area but cause another area to suffer, it’s not truly nourishing. This is what a holistic approach takes into account. 

We are so happy you are here & can’t wait to help you pursue health & healing!

BOOK YOUR FREE NUTRITION STRATEGY CALL

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