Bridging Conventional Medicine with Holistic Healthcare

What was it like before you came to see us? The last couple years I had been in a fog. Low energy, body aches, and weight gain. I tried to eat what I knew to be healthy, I spent money on supplements to help with aches and pains but felt I wasn’t getting anywhere. I blamed age and being a woman. How is it now? Since I have been seeing Brandi I have a more clear path on what foods my body accepts, and a better understanding of the reactions I would incur after some of the foods I shouldn’t eat. I had answers to aches and pains I have been enduring for years which I now no longer have. I feel more energy, more healthy, and more control of my health.

What was it like before you came to see us? My health was at an all-time low, I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. I went in with low expectations on results. However, with the help of Brandi my health improved significantly. I have been able to keep my A1C stable and at goal for 2 years. I have also been able to keep my blood pressure in control. Both with limited medication. How is it now? I feel fantastic, even when I am sick my recovery time has been faster. I am still over-weight and have several providers that have suggested that a GLP1 is my miracle drug. If only I get to that perfect weight, I will be cured! I decided to take it a step further and met with a Weight Management Physician. My appointment was more of a conversation of what do they really know about the drug and what are the side effects? What I found out was that it could eliminate the need of taking both my high blood pressure medication and my diabetic medication. However, they were not sure on the blood pressure medication since I have had that for many years, even when I was at that "ideal" weight. That is something that is in my family history. The diabetic medication would also be eliminated but remember I have been able to control it for 2 years with just 25% of the recommended dosage. The doctor explained that I would most likely experience nausea and abdominal issues in general. Long term affects could be bowel issues and possibly affect my vision. He wasn't able to assure me that my current issues would go away or if it would truly prevent a heart attack or eliminate my diabetes forever. I asked what the cost would be to do this program, on the outside chance that I don't have the side effects. By taking the prescribed medication, ZepBound, using a normal pharmacy, monthly appointments to check on my progress and see a dietician, the cost would be between $6,000 and $8,000 per year. The kicker to this is that I would have to be on the program the rest of my life or risk gaining the weight back. Why would I do this when I already feel great? I am losing weight slowly and keeping it off and I have a professional that doesn't judge me by my appearance, versus one that follows a check list of things to do and prescribe medications based on the drug manufacturer's ability to make money. I decided not to listen to the doctor but rather continue my journey with Brandi who cares about listens to me. She doesn't automatically judge me on my appearance and say everything will be ok, if only you were thing. I know that losing weight will help, but I am not willing to put other medications in my body that may cause other problems down the road. I also want to say that I know the GLP1 medications have a place in weight control, however I don't believe it is a be all end all solution.

For the first time in forever, my allergies are gone! I have had ZERO allergy symptoms this spring!

What was it like before you came to see us? I felt hopeless and had given up on anything being better. In August of 2000 it was discovered after a year of severe headaches and other symptoms that I had a pituitary tumor and needed surgery right away. This changed how all my hormones functioned and I continued to have headaches after as well as frequent sinus infections and inflammation leading to multiple surgeries. Over the years, my physician consistently put me on more and more medications. I spent most of my free time in bed over the last ten years. I had issues with gaining weight and I had so much fatigue. My chronic pain including headaches, back and neck pain and joint pain. I had so much anxiety and depression so I was dealing with a lot on a daily basis plus but would be hit with major health issues like Lyme’s Disease, a spinal infection with two major surgeries and a blood clot in my brain area. Needless to say, I spent much time at emergency rooms, hospitals and having doctor appointments. How is it now? I have hope again after I started Nutrition Response Testing. I found out so much I didn’t know about nutrition and handling stress. I changed what I was eating and started walking again. My outlook on life changed. I had been an ICU nurse for 14 years and really followed the medical model at work and in my own life. Unfortunately, they weren’t helping me feel better and NRT was. I was on over 45 meds and supplements and now I am under 15. Getting off them made me feel much less sedated. My pituitary tumor had been active since 2000 when I had surgery. Following that, I had surgery and then gamma knife radiation in 2006. For the first time ever, I am not having any sign of the tumor and effects of tumor on my body!! My pain is mostly gone with headaches being much more rare and not as severe.

Brandi is terrific to work with! She is kind, knowledgeable, and always explains things in a way that I can relate to. She always works wonderfully with my children and easily connects with them. She has been amazing to work with for things that have been going on for a while but when something else pops up like a cold or allergies she's able to help us through those too! Our family is so grateful for all she's done (and will continue to do) to help us in health and wellness!

What was it like before you came to see us? I've been dealing with horrible symptoms of peri/menopause (hot flashes, sleep issues, brain fog, joint pain, etc) for the better part of 10 years. The last 9 months, in particular, have been effecting m daily life immensely. I had constant gut problems. Primarily bloating and cramping. I could never figure out what I was eating to make me feel so bad. I also had a lot of brain fog and my worst symptom was fatigue! I had zero everything for anything- needing a nap after work everyday and having no energy or interest to do things in my free time (not like me at all- I usually have a dozen projects going at once)! How is it now? Vastly improved! My hot flashes have gone from 20+ episodes a day to maybe 2 a week, if that. My sleep is greatly improved, and my joint discomfort and brain fog are much less of an issue. Immediately (within the first few days), my energy noticeably improved. Next, my gut started to improve. The bloating, distention and cramping started to go away. Finally, my brain fog is gone. The supplements Brandi recommended seem to be just what I need. I’ve also been slowly learning what food ingredients trigger my tummy trouble and have been able to key in to exactly what makes me feel crummy. I was already limiting processed foods but have limited them even more. Brandi’s work led me to go fully gluten-free (I was only about 80% gluten free), no corn, very little dairy and very limited refined sugar. I continue to work at kicking refined sugar completely and kicking diet soda! I can tell right away if I have gluten or sugar- I get an instant stomachache and sometimes, a headache. I try and remember how bad that feels to deter me from eating those things again. I’ll ask my make “how are you going to feel after eating that?” I feel so much better- back to myself. Tons of energy, getting out and enjoying my hobbies again including more physical activity. Most recently I tested positive for plastics after only 2 weeks of being back to work and bringing my lunch (in plastic containers and plastic ziplocs). This was shocking to me. I’m switching out all of my plastic for glass containers with bamboo lids. Feel free to share any other feedback you would like others to know. In the month that I've been working with Brandi, I'm much more in tune with my body. Having the results of my muscle testing has empowered me to better understand WHY I was having issues and make small changes to my lifestyle and diet to improve my quality of life. Plus, Brandi is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, not to mention, super kind and non-judgmental. Some tricks that have worked for me I keep a big container of mixed nuts in the cabinet for quick snack, I am trying to swap out diet soda with iced green tea with a smidge of mio so I now keep a glass pitcher of iced tea at work to avoid the vending machine. I make a big batch of clean protein balls every 2 weeks for quick snack/ breakfasts. And I have fallen in love with a Mediterranean salad that I crave for lunch everyday. Finally, my favorite thing - I have joined a pickleball league and am having a great time! I am so grateful for this innovative work Brandi is doing!

What was it like before you came to see us? I had constant gut problems. Primarily bloating and cramping. I could never figure out what I was eating to make me feel so bad. I also had a lot of brain fog and my worst symptom was fatigue! I had zero everything for anything- needing a nap after work everyday and having no energy or interest to do things in my free time (not like me at all- I usually have a dozen projects going at once)! How is it now? Immediately (within the first few days), my energy noticeably improved. Next, my gut started to improve. The bloating, distention and cramping started to go away. Finally, my brain fog is gone. The supplements Brandi recommended seem to be just what I need. I’ve also been slowly learning what food ingredients trigger my tummy trouble and have been able to key in to exactly what makes me feel crummy. I was already limiting processed foods but have limited them even more. Brandi’s work led me to go fully gluten-free (I was only about 80% gluten free), no corn, very little dairy and very limited refined sugar. I continue to work at kicking refined sugar completely and kicking diet soda! I can tell right away if I have gluten or sugar- I get an instant stomachache and sometimes, a headache. I try and remember how bad that feels to deter me from eating those things again. I’ll ask my make “how are you going to feel after eating that?” I feel so much better- back to myself. Tons of energy, getting out and enjoying my hobbies again including more physical activity. Most recently I tested positive for plastics after only 2 weeks of being back to work and bringing my lunch (in plastic containers and plastic ziplocs). This was shocking to me. I’m switching out all of my plastic for glass containers with bamboo lids. Feel free to share any other feedback you would like others to know. Some tricks that have worked for me I keep a big container of mixed nuts in the cabinet for quick snack, I am trying to swap out diet soda with iced green tea with a smidge of mio so I now keep a glass pitcher of iced tea at work to avoid the vending machine. I make a big batch of clean protein balls every 2 weeks for quick snack/ breakfasts. And I have fallen in love with a Mediterranean salad that I crave for lunch everyday. Finally, my favorite thing - I have joined a pickleball league and am having a great time! I am so grateful for this innovative work Brandi is doing!

For years, I struggled with inflammation, hormonal issues, and weight problems. As a teenager, I was on anti-inflammatory medications for arthritis, but they came with a lot of side effects. Once I learned about lifestyle changes and discovered the root causes of my issues using nutritional response testing, I managed to reduce my inflammation naturally through diet changes and taking the right supplements for my body. This approach helped me work with my doctor to stop the medications, and I haven't had any inflammation problems for years now. I also had issues with my menstrual cycles and used to rely on birth control to regulate them. I've been off hormonal control for years and am focused on preparing my body for healthy pregnancies in the future. As I've been healing, I've gradually lost weight and managed to keep it off.

I consulted with Brandi when I was pregnant with my first child. I was navigating decisions I have never made before such as vaccines, how I was going to feed my child nutritionally, and how to keep myself healthy as a breastfeeding mom who also has an underlying health condition. This was the first time I heard a health care professional talk openly with me about the pros and cons of conventional medicine. I rely on medications for my epilepsy, so I wanted desperately to set my child up for success and be as healthy as they can be. I had some intuition that good health starts from the very beginning of a child’s life and so I took these decisions seriously. My conversation with Brandi was so positive that it led me to dive into my own research and ultimately, I began to trust my body more and make better decisions for my growing family. We made simple diet changes such as eating more whole food and less processed foods. I feel the impacts of these changes in myself today. I see the impact in my healthy, active 2-year-old. I also have the ability to breast feed my sweet, healthy new baby without feeling drained at the end of the day and without having my seizures. Brandi served as a guide when I had no knowledge of true nutrition and was lost in making medical decisions. Now I am able to be confident in my own choices that I make day to day.

Since I was a young boy, I suffered from frequent headaches. I had seen that NRT was extremely effective with others in my family but was still skeptical that it could help me. After deciding to commit to following the recommended dietary changes and taking the nutritional supplements to help heal my body, the frequency and intensity of my headaches decreased quickly and now are essentially nonexistent. Not only are my headaches gone, but I sleep better, feel better all around.

For years growing up I suffered from migraines, very frequent respiratory illnesses, and an irregular menstrual cycle. I saw specialists who did CT scans and MRIs of my face and head, and I was prescribed nasal sprays and medications to prevent and treat migraines that I took daily. I also was a young woman that fell into the cycle of being prescribed hormonal birth control at a young age. I never had a normal menstrual cycle growing up and on top of things, added in unnecessary hormones. I began to notice how cutting out things like gluten, sugar, and other inflammation-causing foods and implementing more whole foods into my diet led to me feeling great. I started weaning off of my prescription medications, stopping the ingestion of birth control, and adding in the supplements that my body was requiring. I now know when I eat something that my body does not want because my previous migraines and sinus pressure/drainage returns. Using customized nutrition and lifestyle guidance, I am now able to be more attentive to my body and its needs and I often avoid the foods and other things that cause me to feel poorly.