Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
Healthful Elements LLC
Pittsburgh, PA and worldwide online
Practice area: Cognitive decline
Have you ever thought it was too late, that where you were was the best it was ever going to get? Yeah, me too. And then all of my daughter’s hair fell out.
Her alopecia turned my life around. While searching for a cure for her autoimmune disease, I found information about my own struggles with ADD, memory issues, and organization. While her hair was growing back, my mind was getting clearer.
In my 20’s and 30’s, I sought help for my ADD. The only help I was offered were prescription medications that gave me either a flat affect or angry outbursts. Although medication helps some, they were not for me and I tried many.
As a young student, I wanted to help people. After receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work, I worked with many groups: nursing home residents, sub-acute care patients, senior volunteers, and foster care and adoptive families. Later in life, my desire to help people became very personal. After my daughter’s diagnosis, my mom was diagnosed with dementia and ovarian cancer. Shortly after, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Caring for the three of them took a toll and, at the same time, enriched my life in unexpected ways. Their illnesses gave me a focus and passion to help others find ways to heal.
You can read more of my personal story here: Unintentional Harm, Unintentional Healing >
As for my daughter, answers for the cause of her alopecia were not easy to find. Our first encounter was with a dermatologist who told us he didn’t know what caused it and didn’t know if it would grow back. But he assured us the dangerous prescription he was recommending was fine to use even though our pediatrician and pharmacist warned us against it.
Enter Jill Grunewald. Although we had seen many practitioners of various types, Jill was the first person to educate us in a systematic way on how to decrease inflammation, remove triggers, and heal the body so my daughter could regrow hair. Not only did she regrow hair, cognitive symptoms I had struggled with for years began to disappear. At first, I followed Jill’s recommendations to support my daughter, but I continued those recommendations for my own healing.
Watching my mom struggle with dementia (and my aunt die from Alzheimer’s) made me afraid for my future. Thanks to pioneers like Dr. Dale Bredesen and Dr. David Perlmutter, I have the confidence that I will age with my cognitive abilities intact and given what I’ve learned and applied, I’m now in charge of Healthful Elements’ Cognitive Decline program.
Functional medicine considers the whole body when determining root causes for disease. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, it’s “the medicine of why.”
My daughter’s hair was not a problem with her scalp; it was, predominately, a problem with her gut. My ADD was not a problem with my brain; it was a problem with my sugar addiction, a lack of vital nutrients, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Helping others, as Jill helped us, has become the focus of my career. In January of 2019, I graduated from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy program that is in collaboration with the internationally respected Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). Collaborating with clients and watching their lives change is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
I’m thrilled to be working with Jill Grunewald. The opportunity to be a part of the quality, experience, and intelligence of the Healthful Elements team is an honor. It’s a very powerful place to be. I’m glad you found us!
We can help anyone, anywhere via phone or Zoom. Contact us to receive the guidance that you need.
The information on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. It is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.
You should not use the information on this website for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise, or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you have a health condition.