Hi, I’m Christina and I created The Thrive Program to share my passion for functional health, nutrition, and mindfulness, and as a resource to anyone struggling to incorporate healthy habits into their busy lives. As a busy healthcare professional, I know how difficult it can be to find time in the day for habits like exercise, eating right, and managing stress. The more stressed we become, the more impossible it seems to add anything to our to-do list. The good news is we CAN find time for our health and once we do, we begin to THRIVE – not just in health, in our relationships, careers, and in our capacity to juggle whatever life throws at us.
I discovered the functional approach to health while on my own journey with a rare chronic joint condition called synovial chondromatosis, which appeared shortly after I graduated from college. After years of seeing more than a handful of world-renowned orthopedic physicians and surgeons, multiple chiropractors, internists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and Ayurveda practitioners, and being told my condition was incurable and required lifelong surgeries, I began feeling discouraged and hopeless. I learned about Functional Medicine after hearing Chris Kresser speak on a podcast. I began following a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet, and noticed immediate benefits to my knee and my overall health. I dove into learning more about functional health and mindfulness by taking courses through Kresser’s ADAPT Academy, and ultimately enrolled in the ADAPT Health Coach Training Program. As a healthcare provider by trade, I’ve spent many years treating western disease using the standard medical model. After learning the functional approach, I re-discovered my passion for helping others and knew this path was my calling.
I truly believe our bodies are innately equipped to heal and our health meant to thrive, as long as we provide the right environment for healing to take place. The Four Building Blocks we must address to support healing are:
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Movement
- Mindfulness
Western medicine has convinced many of us that we have no control over our health–that disease is our fate, and genetics will overturn any efforts we make towards preventing disease. I’m here to tell you that this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, recent evidence suggests that only about 15% of our health is determined by genetics, leaving a whopping 85% to potentially modifiable factors like nutrition, sleep, physical activity, environmental exposures. Don’t get me wrong, western medicine is a wonderful thing and it’s exceptionally good at treating a host of conditions. I definitely want to be sent to the nearest hospital if I sustain a nasty laceration, or get into a car accident, or have an aneurysm burst! Unfortunately when it comes to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stress, obesity, and a host of “syndromes” for which we have no cure, the western medical model has failed us. With increasing pressure on medical providers to see more patients in less time, many well-meaning providers simply don’t have the time to address the many lifestyle factors influencing chronic illness. It’s an unfortunate result of a broken healthcare system, that I encourage you to read more about here!
Whether you are looking to manage stress or a chronic health condition, or maintain optimal health, much of our power to heal is within reach – it’s within you! It is my goal as a health coach to help you find that power within so that you can live your healthiest life. Sign up below to schedule your initial consultation!
In health,
Christina
