Karen Ellis

Functional Nutrition Specialist

 

 

 

 

“I have lived a life of symptoms that has confounded a multitude of practitioners and doctors, always leaving with no answers.

I want my clients to know I understand their frustration and together we will seek answers.”

Allow me to introduce myself…

 

I’m Karen, a Functional Nutrition Specialist based in CT

I have worked with many people that sought guidance in the health arena.

And Now?

I’m YOUR body’s tour guide!

Are you ready to feel great again?

 It’s time to end cookie-cutter diets and countless supplements that don’t work.Why am I for you?

Because you love going to dinner and spending time with family and friends, but your gut sabotages your night, leaving you bloated, gassy and searching for the bathroom.

Because you can’t wait to join the gym and rock your body, but don’t have the energy to get there.  You are living on 3 cups of coffee to get you through the day and then 3 glasses of wine at night to get you to sleep.  Is this your life now?

Because you don’t know what to eat, and you want to enjoy the foods you LOVE once again.  You are sick of being the “picky” eater at the restaurant.  Dammit, you want to feel like your old self again!!

Because every day brings on new symptoms and more foods that you need to eliminate from your diet, leaving you with a few bland choices.  Where do you go from here, you can’t eat any less?

And me?  That’s exactly what I do.

I help YOU understand your body’s language.

It’s time to find out why your body reacts the way it does. You deserve to have more confidence, feel more powerful, and finally be in control of your food life. It’s time to end cookie-cutter diets and countless supplements that don’t work.  Learn how you can customize an elimination diet with feedback from blood work analysis and BiomeFX stool test that allows us to really understand what your body is saying. 

The question is are you brave enough?

Let me help guide you through this process so we can make some real progress against what might be holding you back from getting well.

After blood work analysis and tailored elimination diets, you can gain more confidence, be more powerful, gain control over food and your life. No need to struggle with figuring out what’s wrong through researching symptoms on the internet.  

What if you had more confidence, felt more powerful, and finally felt like you had control over food, your body and your life?

Go to that party and dance the night away in full confidence knowing that you will not be the on to clear the dance floor!

10 random facts about me...

1.

I have always loved food but hated how I felt after eating.  I didn’t realize what my life’s purpose was until a diet pill caused a stroke and open-heart surgery at the ripe old age of 35.

With the unexpected death of my husband a year later and the complexities of my own health issues, my well-being was paramount as a single mother of two young boys.

My life was about to change.

 

2.

I knew I was not the only person so negatively affected by food, I was determined to figure it out.  After graduating from IIN 2007, I dove head first into the RAW food movement.  I LOVED it!  I was armed with a dehydrator and spiralizer; nothing could stop me and I made sure everyone knew it! Lol. I was the queen of everything RAW!

However, after 6 months I came crashing down!  In fact, every cookie-cutter diet proved to worsen my symptoms.

3.

 

I have a serious addiction to food! I am a classically trained chef with a certification in Culinary Nutrition. I learned the ins and outs of food and how to prepare and season properly.  Showing people how to eat a whole foods diet was my passion.  A business was born.

4.

Dandelion salad was one of my favorite salads. My mom would send me out armed with a colander to pick the weeds from the backyard!  I remember thinking how cool that was!  We would do a simple dressing of oil, vinegar and salt.

Eating from the land has been ingrained in me.

5.

My passion for helping others was on overdrive and my career path shifted. Functional Medicine and the study of the body was the missing ingredient.

Being entrenched in physiology and anatomy along with science has enabled me to craft a unique program that gets results.

6.

I LOVE my Job! I love reading bloodwork, asking questions, understanding about you, your diet and teaching you how to listen to your body on your road to  wellness.

7.

My love for horses started at a young age.   Sometimes there is no denying what are you drawn to.  I volunteer at a horse rescue, it is the most fulfilling part of my weekend.

8.

I grew up in a traditional New York – Italian American family.

Some of my fondest memories are Sunday dinner passing around the bowl of rigatoni.

Waking up Sunday morning looking forward to ripping off a big chunk of fresh Italian bread and dipping in the huge pot of gravy that cooked for hours on the stove.

9.

My Secret Indulgence is Popcorn, with grass-fed butter and sea salt.

10.

What does it take to heal?  I spend hours each week researching and learning as much as I can to teach you how to recognize the unique things about your body and what it needs to heal.  Your body is always searching for balance, so feeding, hydrating, and exercise all work harmoniously.

Learn the importance of “FEEDING” your body the nutrients it needs to thrive!

That’s what I hope to do for you here…help you learn how to LOOK and FEEL your absolute best, all the time!!

Click Below to schedule a call!

Schedule a Free Discovery Call

My Training and Experience

My specialties include specific dietary intervention, lifestyle/stress management and nutraceutical recommendations. I supports clients who want a completely natural approach as well as work side-by-side support work with primary care physicians and specialists to ensure maximum support

AFMC Certified Practitioners Are Highly Qualified

I have completed advanced, comprehensive training in functional etiology, physiology, and biochemistry in addition to their other health care credentials and have demonstrated hands-on experience using my knowledge in credible, case practice.

My areas of expertise include:

  • Functional medicine case mapping to connect a patient’s history, symptoms, nutrition, lab work, and lifestyle
  • An in-depth understanding of causal factors behind today’s most prevalent chronic diseases and imbalances
  • The impact food sensitivities and nutrition play in health and healing
  • Creation of individual healing strategies based on the patient’s unique needs, goals, and genetic makeup
  • Coaching clients on how to implement lifestyle changes for successful root cause resolution of disease and long-term maintenance
  • The Mind-Body connection
  • Targeted use of supplements to speed healing and maintain health
  • Empowering patients through education
  • Lab work analysis through the functional medicine lens (application varies by practice)

I continue to expand on my many years of experience in functional health and lab testing and maintain certification in several areas including:

    • B.S. in Psychology- New York Institute of Technology
    • AFMC – Functional Medicine Practitioner – The School of Applied Functional Medicine
    • Advanced Anatomy/Physiology and Biology – Univ Western States
    • Nutritional Biochemistry – Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Glucose Regulation Physiology – Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis Mastery Training Program  – Dr. Dicken Weatherby
    • New Healers Mastery Coaching Program & Advanced Thyroid Training Course – Andrea Beaman
Additional Certification Training:

    • Classically Trained Chef – Certified in Nutritional Health – Lincoln Culinary Institute
    • Certified Holistic Health Coach – Institute for Integrative Nutrition
    • Cogence Immunology – Under the direction of Dr. Samuel Yanuck (Present)
    • Clinical Studies in Detoxification Pathways- Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Clinical Studies in Mitochondrial Function – Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Clinical Studies in Functional Physiology – Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Clinical Studies in Blood Chem Interpretation  – Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Clinical Studies in Cellular Function Interpretation  – Dr. Bryan Walsh, Metabolic Fitness
    • Integrative Transformation Coach – Debbie Ford, The Ford Institute