My work as a Functional Nutrition Practitioner is grounded in both scientific research and lived experience, drawing from functional medicine, integrative medicine, and orthomolecular principles, enriched by my background as a certified yoga instructor.

My interest in healing others, stemmed from my own healing journey postpartum: After a long traumatic birth experience, I developed Long COVID, mold illness, and a persistent antibiotic-resistant infection. Despite a series of MRIs, ultrasounds, and specialist visits, no one could explain the constant pulsing in my liver, my mounting fatigue, joint and pelvic pain, sinus pressure, neuropathy, weekly flu-like crashes, or an expanding list of autoimmune symptoms. Labs were inconclusive. Diagnoses were vague. And yet, my body was screaming for help.

So I turned inward—and outward—toward the healing traditions and frameworks that honor the body’s complexity. I devoured books, functional nutrition training, and emerging research on the microbiome, genetics, inflammation, and detoxification. With herbal medicine, healing foods, and targeted natural supplements, I slowly began to unravel the inflammation and layers of imbalance, restoring energy, clarity, and connection to my body. I went from barely able to get out of bed to rebuilding a life rooted in strength and presence. That experience changed everything. It showed me how many people are falling through the cracks of the healthcare system—especially here in Portugal, where environmental toxins like mold exposure is pervasive and rarely discussed.

Beyond environmental influences, I’ve come to see how our genetics and the richness of our microbiome shape our ability to heal, from our detox capacity to our immune resilience to the various symptoms we each experience from the same toxic exposures. Healing isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey—it’s the quiet, patient process of listening to your body’s story and carefully assembling the pieces.

Coming from the U.S. and having lived in several countries around the world, I bring a global, cross-cultural lens to everything I do. With a background in anthropology, visual storytelling, and entrepreneurship—including six years running my own tech startup in community building—I approach health with curiosity, creativity, and a deep respect for each person’s lived experience. That same philosophy informs both my healing practice and my work as Co-founder of Cultivate, a Brazilian-Japanese restaurant in Lisbon rooted in local, sustainable, and health-conscious ingredients, where we create intentional, communal meals that celebrate the healing power of food and connection.