Hi, I’m Melanie. For years, my friends and family would come to me with their health questions, knowing I was always diving into the latest research and loving the detective work in solving their health challenges. Then I got sick myself. Navigating my own chronic health issues pushed me even deeper into the research and showed me firsthand just how complex healing can be. I’ve always believed that our bodies speak in ways that deserve to be heard, and I’ve never been able to tolerate being told nothing’s wrong with you when something clearly isn’t right.

Following childbirth, my body felt like it had turned against me. Symptoms piled up, but no one could explain why. Despite multiple MRIs, ultrasounds, and visits to specialists, no one could explain the constant pulsing in my liver, the mounting fatigue, joint and pelvic pain, sinus pressure, neuropathy, weekly flu-like crashes, or the growing list of autoimmune symptoms. My labs were inconclusive. I saw more than ten specialists across different fields, but no one could explain what was happening in my body. The diagnoses were vague. My body was screaming for help. I felt very alone. Finally, through my own research, I eventually discovered I was dealing with Long COVID, mold illness, and a persistent bacterial infection.

So I looked for my own answers, devouring books on functional medicine principles, online trainings, and emerging research on the microbiome, genetics, inflammation, and detoxification. This was my first real immersion into the world of functional medicine, where symptoms are understood through systems thinking and root-cause analysis.

Then I began to formally training in integrative and holistic approaches to health through the Functional Nutrition Alliance, completing their Full Body Systems methodology, a framework that teaches practitioners to see the body as an interconnected system and trace symptoms back to their true root causes. That training helped me bring together everything I had been learning — functional nutrition, microbiome science, herbal support, and emerging research on brain and immune health — in a way that finally made sense of what my body was trying to tell me.

By adjusting my food and daily habits to what my body uniquely needed, and layering in herbal medicine and targeted natural supplements, I slowly began to unravel the inflammation and layers of imbalance, gradually restoring energy, clarity, and a better connection to my body. And I now meet so many people in that same place — people who feel unheard, dismissed, or stuck in cycles of symptoms that don’t make sense yet. That shared experience is what draws us together.

I went from barely being able to get out of bed for over a year to slowly rebuilding a life rooted in a deeper, more holistic understanding of how our bodies work, learning to be more present with myself and my healing. That experience changed everything. It opened my eyes to how many people are falling through the cracks of a healthcare system, especially here in Portugal, where environmental toxins like mold are pervasive yet rarely talked about.

Today, as a Functional Nutrition and Integrative Health Consultant, I bring together that lived experience with my background in anthropology, art, and yoga, along with a passion for food, plant medicine, and the human microbiome.

People usually find me when something in their health story doesn’t add up. Sometimes it’s a child with chronic digestive issues, parasites, or food reactions showing up as hyperactivity or aggression. Sometimes it’s a woman overwhelmed by hormonal shifts, hair loss, dry skin, or resistant weight loss. Other times it’s someone struggling with headaches, brain fog, anxiety, or ADHD patterns that no one has connected to their microbiome. What they all share is the sense that their body is speaking a language no one has helped them interpret yet.

Underneath these stories lies a deeper truth: our physiology is never random. Our genetics and the richness of our microbiome influence everything from how we detox to how resilient our immune system is, which is why two people can react so differently to the same exposure. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s the quiet, patient work of listening to your body’s story and carefully assembling the pieces.

I’ve now learned to approach health with curiosity, creativity, and a deep respect for each person’s lived experience. My passion for detective work and solving complex situations makes this work not only deeply fulfilling, but also a natural extension of how I approach life: asking questions, connecting the dots, and always searching for what lies beneath the surface.

All the knowledge I will share with you, I also live myself. Not because I aim for perfection, but because I’ve discovered what actually works for real people in today’s world. I don’t live in restriction or deprivation. Instead, I’ve learned to understand my body’s unique needs and limitations, which has brought me a deeper appreciation for food and nourishment than ever before, and that’s something you can experience too.

If you’re looking for a five-minute fix or a shortcut, I’m probably not the right person. But if you’re ready to explore the deeper layers of your physiology and understand what your body has been trying to say, we’ll work well together.

If any part of my story mirrors your own, I’d love to explore your health journey together. Your body has a story too — and it deserves to be heard.