Sana, pronounced sah-nah, is spanish for 'heal.'
Karen Firestone, B.A., C.B.S., C.F.N.C.
SANA SANA
Functional Nutrition Counseling
and Support Services
Why Functional Nutrition Counseling?
Hello! I'm Karen Firestone, Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (C.F.N.C.), Certified Behavior Specialist (C.B.S.), and founder of Sana Sana. As a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, I offer personalized guidance to help identify the root causes of your health concerns and target those root causes using a holistic, nutrition and lifestyle-based approach.
If you've been told your symptoms are something you just have to 'live with' or are an inescapable part of aging, I am here to tell you that perspective is outdated. The science is in and it's telling us that our nutrition and lifestyle habits play a direct role in our health outcomes, even more so than genetics! In other words, you don't have to accept that this is the best you can feel. YOU have the power to influence your health outcomes. YOU can make a significant difference in your symptoms through diet and lifestyle and I'm here to help you do it.
Through our work together, you will gain a powerful understanding of your body and its unique needs. And this understanding makes YOU the expert in your health journey. It gives you the confidence to make informed decisions about your health when faced with options, and replaces fear and uncertainty with hope and determination.
That's my wish for you.
You can start laying the foundation TODAY by signing up above to receive the Sana Sana 'Why? What? How?' eBook.
In addition to providing traditional Functional Nutrition Counseling, I offer Therapeutic Diet Guidance and In-Person Pantry and Grocery Consulting. Visit the 'Services' page for more information.
What is Functional Nutrition Counseling?
Functional Nutrition Counseling (FNC) is a holistic, science-based approach to healthcare that is founded in the beliefs that we are each unique in our experiences and our health needs; all our body systems are interconnected and must be considered as a whole; and all parts of our environment matter and affect our overall health. The goal of FNC is to uncover the root causes of any sign or symptom, recognizing that these symptoms are a sign of deeper dysfunction. It focuses on the effects of food on our bodies at the cellular level, incorporating food as natural medicine to restore balance, address nutrient deficiencies, and maximize performance of all our body systems, including the gut, brain, heart, hormonal glands, detox organs, and reproductive organs. When these systems start functioning better, your overall health improves and symptoms start to disappear!
Your current health concerns are a product of your unique history, physiology, and environment. Together, we examine your health history with a focus on gut health, microbiome balance, food sensitivities and intolerances, nutrient deficiencies and absorption problems, toxin exposure and buildup, and detoxification efficiency. A problem in any of these areas can lead to cell dysfunction, which eventually wreaks havoc in the body.
Cell dysfunction is responsible for all symptoms and diagnoses we experience, ranging from autoimmune disorders, such as Crohn's Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Celiac Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis, to name only a few; to conditions such as allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue, inflammation, food and chemical sensitivities, eczema, brain fog, dizziness, hormone imbalances, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, anemia, thyroid issues, blood sugar imbalances, diabetes, arthritis, joint pain, food cravings, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and the list goes on and on.
This is not an anti-medicine approach. Functional nutrition counseling is a complimentary approach to traditional medicine, often filling a gap where the intricacies of the day to day experiences of a patient (e.g., sporadic symptoms, nutritional needs, food sensitivities, lifestyle factors) can't be addressed during doctor's appointments. By helping you understand your unique needs and optimize your overall wellbeing, your functional nutrition counselor becomes an invaluable asset to your health management team, while empowering you to be the leading expert on that team.
Who Can Benefit? The Answer: Everyone! Functional Nutrition Counseling Addresses Any and All Health Concerns. Some examples incude:
*Optimizing Longevity
*Stamina and Endurance
*Gut health
*Microbiome health
*Food sensitivities
*Hormonal Imbalances
*Fertility
*Nutritional deficiencies
*Toxic overload
*Immune dysregulation
*Chronic illness
*Recurrent infections
*Fatigue
*Bloating
*Constipation and/or diarrhea
*Brain Fog
*Healing and elimination diets
*Adrenal fatigue
*Skin rashes and acne
*Joint pain
*Thyroid dysregulation
*High/low cholesterol
*Autism Spectrum Disorders
*Attention Deficit/ADHD
*Anxiety
*Depression
*Urinary Tract Infections
*Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
*Weight Management
*Cancer
*Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
*Autoimmune conditions, such as
-Addison Disease
-Celiac Disease
-Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
-Lupus
-Rheumatoid Arthritis
-Type 1 Diabetes
-Multiple Sclerosis
-Crohn's Disease
-Ulcerative Colitis
-Alopecia
-Psoriasis
*Syndromes, such as
-Chronic Fatigue
-Irritable Bowel
-Fibromyalgia
-Raynaud's
-Interstitial Cystitis
*Bacterial Overgrowth, such as
-SIBO
-Yeast
-Parasites