ABOUT

Early in my career as a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, I realized something was missing from psychiatric evaluations and routine med checks. I was prescribing various psychotropic medications, increasing the dose, cross tapering to new medications, and still no improvement. I asked myself, what’s going on here? What am I missing? I started asking clients about their dietary habits, and they reported regular fast-food consumption, sugar-sweetened beverages, diet sodas, minimal water, processed foods/snacks, and refined carbohydrates. Also, exercise was rarely part of their daily routines. I realized that I needed to do something different to help my clients improve their emotional well-being. After working with clients for about five years struggling with depression, anxiety, mood instability, low energy, brain fog, and poor sleep, I discovered that good nutrition, optimal gut function, stabilized blood sugar are essential to mental vitality.

In my search for a solution, I enrolled in a functional nutrition program. I learned the importance of exploring root causes and addressing “non-negotiables” such as gut health to improve mood and vibrancy, sleep, reduction of environmental toxins, and the importance of stabilized blood sugar for optimal health. I was fascinated by how the gut affects the brain and how inflammation may affect mood. Then, I learned about the GI MAP test, which explores the balance of good and bad bacteria, viruses, worms, parasites, fungi that can impact physical and mental health.

As I continue to dig deeper into mental wellness and functional nutrition, I came across Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). I had never heard of this test in my nutrition or nursing programs. I went to the scientific literature to investigate whether environmental toxins and heavy metals can impact mental health. To my surprise, the evidence was overwhelming. For example, mercury, aluminum, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and even excess copper in the body can affect mood, behavior, and brain function. I was convinced that I had to incorporate HTMA in my mental wellness business as a comprehensive tool to help clients achieve their highest state of wellness. Therefore, my focus at “Naturally Revitalize Me” is identifying root causes that may be affecting your mental health, develop personalized protocols that may improve physical and mental health, and most of all, set the foundation for healing from within.