If you’ve traveled the landscape of modern medicine in search of answers to your chronic health challenges, you’ve likely encountered the profound influence and appeal of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM).

Last week, I recorded a podcast hosted by a naturopathic doctor. As we got into the conversation, we found ourselves talking about our personal journeys through perimenopause and menopause. While we both diligently drew labs and collected plenty of data and biomarkers, we each noticed that it wasn’t this quantitative data that shifted our symptoms.

You can’t “hack” your health. If you don’t have a chronic health concern and you use biohacking techniques to optimize your physical performance, there’s no need to read any further. This post isn’t for you because you may be among the lucky few who can successfully hack a thing or two. But if you struggle with an unresolved health issue – whether it’s related to pain, fatigue, digestion, immune function, focus, or your ever-changing hormones – then I regret to relay that the hacks you seek may do more harm than good.

Here goes … I’m about to share something deep and personal that helped to shape my journey as a Functional Nutritionist.

Picture this: On a chilly Monday morning, my 5:00 alarm draws me from the cozy embrace of my slumber. As you might imagine, there’s a tiny temptation to linger despite the buzzer. But something stirs within me, a spark of motivation that nudges me out of bed to initiate my morning routine.

My passion for the role of nutrition in healthcare began with a family health crisis. This might have been true for you too. And by now you may be familiar with my origin story, but if not, it all began when my husband, Isamu, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.

I’ll never forget the book I was reading back in 2000 that tipped me off to the fact that my late husband Isamu and I should eliminate sugar from our diets to help combat his brain cancer.

If you asked me what my passion is, it would be difficult to capture with one word. My passion is an assortment of interests that have manifested in “nutrition”.