Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Fitzgerald, RD.
Heather, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always have been interested in health and fitness for as long as I can remember, so after graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Dietetics, I moved to Southern California to begin my career in nutrition. I was initially trained with an eating disorder specialist and eventually went into private practice, specializing in those with disordered eating and body image dysmorphia, for about the first 10 years of my career.
I also worked within several medical practice specialities, such as gastroenterology, oncology and endocrinology. It was in 2004 that I began working with an endocrinologist in Beverly Hills and my passion for preventive nutrition and functional medicine began. From there, I began attending annual physician trainings for bio identical hormone therapies and had the opportunity to run a couple of esteemed doctor’s hormone therapy programs, counseling and teaching patients about nutrients, food, lifestyle, and most importantly, how their bodies were functioning or where they were lacking in self-care. I love to educate people and I often tell patients, I get a lot of people who ‘fall through the cracks’ of conventional medicine. For example, I’ve seen patients who’ve been to numerous doctors only to be told that they are ‘fine’ and ‘everything is normal’, which left the patients feeling frustrated and even questioning their own sanity, per the symptoms that they were experiencing. I was trained to look at the entire picture of the patient’s health. Most doctors specialize or focus on one or two areas and disregard the rest. The rest is where all of the answers are found! I pride myself on truly offering patients the most well-rounded care, with detailed explanations of results that they can digest- (no pun intended) and I dig deep to find the source of their issue, rather than just trying to treat or eliminate the symptoms. I use very progressive testing methods including micronutrient deficiency testing, genetic mutation testing, advanced cardiovascular tests and many more. I believe that our nutrient status is a foundation of health.
Most Americans are deficient in at least 1 or 2 essential vitamins or minerals. These deficiencies can go undetected and further depleted by our diet, the slew of medications that are prescribed as well as over the counter medications. I like to assess my patients from both a physiological level and from a behavioral level. All of these factors contribute to the creation of a realistic and obtainable health and wellness strategy. I love what I do and I am so happy to help my patients to their best and healthiest!
Has it been a smooth road?
There are always struggles along our path—if there wasn’t, life wouldn’t be very interesting. Some of my challenges have been finding the right ‘fit’ in a medical practice or with other colleagues, but eventually I found my path and went on my own so that I could fully control the quality of care that is being provided. I do enjoy working with other practitioners, because I believe that having more than one brain working on an issue or problem is always better, but not at the cost of having to deal with their drama or ego. I think that a lot of my struggle was truly about finding a ‘home’ or place where I could fully practice and feel comfortable and happy. I have that now and am so deeply grateful.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Strategic Nutrition & Holistic Therapies story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in Micronutrient and hormone deficiencies, as well as disordered eating and metabolic disorders. I get a lot of patients that are ‘stuck’ and cannot lose weight or have symptoms that cannot be explained by other practitioners. I feel that the tests that are completed, how those tests are interpreted and then how the patient is treated, is the thing that truly sets my practice apart from others. I take the time to sit and really get to know my patients, so I understand their vulnerabilities and limitations. I am always available to my patients and communication outside of office visits is encouraged. We all need support, and I’m looking to help people truly transform their health and bodies. I was initially trained in the ‘Non-Diet’ Method, which is so under taught to people. It’s really about helping people reconnect to their physical bodies, learning how to listen to its cues, including hunger and satisfaction. We live in such a fast-paced world and we are all victims of wanting a quick fix at times. But, I find that by helping patients breakdown their old and faulty beliefs about diet, body, exercise and general physiology, makes a world of difference in their compliance and success.
No two patients are alike and I don’t offer cookbook cures or quick weight loss methods, because not only do they not work, it often ends up with the patient feeling like a failure for trying to do something that is not sustainable. I believe in empowering my patients with education and support. This is what keeps them coming back and staying on track when out in the world living their lives.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I do think that an unfortunate trend we will begin to witness is the increased incidence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc. This, I believe, is due to the fact that we are constantly being bombarded with chemicals, pesticides, pollutants and other toxins from our environment–inhaling, absorbing and consuming them. I see more and more patients with elevated levels of heavy metals, which are toxic, than ever before. These toxic elements such as mercury, lead, aluminum, etc. store mostly in our fat. And our brains are made of fat. I also think that the incidences of auto immune diseases will continue to rise. Our bodies are in a chemical warfare every day, so we need to educate people on how to better protect and detoxify our bodies and minds, with targeted nutrition, lifestyle changes, supplementation and chelation, if necessary. I think that we’ll continue to see more and more people turning to more natural & alternative therapies, as more awareness and education about the importance of nutrition and preventive health continues to spread across the country.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11633 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90049 - Website: http://www.identifyandnourish.com , http://www.nationalnutritioncenter.com
- Phone: 213-712-6834
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: nationalnutritioncenter
- Facebook: fb.me/strategicnutritionandholistictherapies
- Twitter: @heatherfitzrd
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/b0zHECjZTF
Bowl of Fresh Strawberries
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