For IRH Alum Lauren Curry, making sure she’s fueling her body with the right foods to reach her goals has always been important. As a competitive athlete in high school and college, she was so interested in optimizing the connection between what she ate and how she performed, that she went on to receive her BS in Nutrition Science, Biochemistry from UC Davis.
Unfortunately, by the time she graduated from college, she was having second thoughts. What she learned while getting her degree wasn’t aligning with what she believed to be the core principles of good health – such as focusing on natural, whole foods as opposed to artificial foods like aspartame.
Lauren still wanted to support individuals along their health journey and decided nursing would give her the opportunity to make a greater impact in people’s lives. Within a few years, she was working full-time as an ICU nurse in one of the top hospitals in the country. She loved everything about it, especially the difference she was able to make for her patients and their families. One thing Lauren didn’t love, however, was the toll the long hours and frantic pace were taking on her own health.
It didn’t take long for Lauren to experience a number of concerning symptoms, which she now recognizes as thyroid imbalance, that sent her to doctor after doctor. Unfortunately, her symptoms – including low resting heart rate, hair loss, skin issues, and bloating, to name a few – persisted. It wasn’t until she met a functional nutritionist while living and working in London that she realized she had found what she was looking for when she originally set out to get her degree in nutrition. She finally felt heard, seen, and supported and was thrilled to know that there were tangible steps she could take to get to the root cause of her symptoms and restore balance in her body.
Fast forward to today and Lauren has built a successful 1:1 practice, Your Balanced Belly, while continuing to work as an ICU nurse. When we caught up with Lauren, she shared that “The Institute of Restorative Health changed my life and changed my practice”, noting that she finally feels equipped to create the change she wishes to see in the world by helping bridge the gap between conventional medicine and functional nutrition therapies.
Determined to influence a shift towards more preventive practices across the healthcare landscape, Lauren leverages the evidence-based skills and practices she learned from IRH to educate and empower her patients and clients in their decision-making:
In the ICU setting, Lauren works to make sure patients are aware of the range of therapies available to them. She notes that, in certain situations, critical care interventions are most appropriate; however, she strives to ensure that patients and their families understand all of the options scientifically-proven to help improve their outcomes. She also openly shares her experiences in healing as well as those of her clients in an effort to complement the critical care they’re receiving with more preventative measures they can incorporate into their lifestyle on an ongoing basis after they leave the ICU.
In her 1:1 practice, Lauren is working to make functional nutrition therapy more accessible to individuals and families. Having worked in hospitals located in a variety of socio-economic settings, she’s seen first-hand how income levels affect health outcomes. Determined to change, Lauren is dreaming up new ways of offering functional nutrition support to help reduce the financial commitment required while making sure individuals get the foundational support they need to make meaningful changes in their health and wellbeing.
Lastly, Lauren prides herself in supporting her clients along what is often a complex journey, regardless of which route(s) they decide to pursue. She feels strongly that IRH has given her the evidence-based know-how she needs to partner with her clients and their other healthcare providers on what is often a long, winding journey and believes this collaborative nature is key to future success of our healthcare system.
“The Institute of Restorative Health is one of the best courses I’ve ever taken. And, the IRH organization is one of the best I’ve worked with – they are very collaborative with the medical field” says Lauren, citing the impact the course has had on her ability to merge her passions for nursing and nutrition. “It’s given me so much confidence to share both sides of my work.”
When asked what advice she would give to other practitioners starting out, Lauren noted that it’s important to just start. Whether you are a nurse looking to explore new healing therapies or a chiropractor looking to improve client outcomes, Lauren shared a few principles she attributes to her success:
Take the time to make your client feel seen, heard, and understood: This is one of the most important factors in being successful with a client and is also critical to helping bridge different schools of thought your client may be experiencing. Once you fully understand your client’s situation and take the time to honor that, you can avoid the trap of thinking in absolutes or “this is the only way” and instead focus on what next steps are most appropriate for the client in front of you.
Share as you learn: Lauren attributes the growth in her private practice to her consistency on social media. She made a concerted effort to share small, bite-sized information – such as “benefits of bone broth” or “why you should take three deep breaths before you eat” – as she learned it, which not only helped her better understand the information, but it caught the attention of people she didn’t expect which, eventually led to clients and referrals.
Focus on the client in front of you: When just starting out, Lauren’s first clients came from social media. Today, all of her clients are referrals. She recommends focusing on building trust with your clients and focusing on their unique journey. “If you can heal one person, they’ll bring five of their friends,” says Lauren.
We’re continuously inspired by the change Restorative Health Practitioners are making each and every day. And, with the ongoing increase in chronic disease, we believe it’s never been a more important time to understand the breadth of options available to you as a health professional. If you haven’t already, be sure to apply for our Level 1 class – Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. With the right tools, you can change the way health is delivered – just like Lauren and our elite group of Restorative Health practitioners.
Lauren Curry is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Restorative Health Practitioner, and ICU Nurse. In addition to continuing her work with ICU patients, Lauren runs Your Balanced Belly – a private practice dedicated to helping clients get to the root cause of their digestive dysfunction and chronic fatigue. You can also find Lauren on Instagram at @yourbalancedbelly.
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FAQ
These frequently asked questions expand on the key concepts explored in Lauren Curry’s story and provide additional context for practitioners interested in collaborative, evidence-based functional nutrition care.
Who can benefit from integrating conventional medicine and functional nutrition?
Practitioners across healthcare disciplines can benefit from integrating conventional medicine with functional nutrition when supporting clients through both acute care and long-term health. Lauren highlights nurses, chiropractors, and other health professionals as examples of practitioners who can use evidence-based nutrition strategies alongside their existing clinical work.
Why is collaboration between conventional medicine and functional nutrition important?
Collaboration allows practitioners to support clients with both appropriate medical care and preventive lifestyle strategies. Lauren emphasizes partnering with clients and other healthcare providers to improve outcomes while respecting each discipline’s role in patient care.
How can practitioners help bridge the gap between conventional medicine and functional nutrition?
Practitioners can bridge the gap by educating clients about available evidence-based options while collaborating with other healthcare providers. Lauren describes using both critical care interventions and functional nutrition principles to help clients make informed decisions throughout their healthcare journey.
What role does preventive care play alongside conventional medical treatment?
Preventive care can complement conventional treatment by helping clients incorporate sustainable lifestyle practices after acute medical care. Lauren shares that while critical care is appropriate in many situations, ongoing preventive measures can continue supporting health after discharge.
What symptoms led Lauren to explore functional nutrition?
Lauren sought functional nutrition after experiencing persistent symptoms that included low resting heart rate, hair loss, skin issues, and bloating. She shares that despite consulting multiple doctors, she did not find answers until working with a functional nutrition practitioner.
How did functional nutrition influence Lauren’s clinical approach?
Functional nutrition gave Lauren confidence to combine her nursing background with evidence-based nutrition strategies. She explains that this approach allows her to educate clients while working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals.
How can practitioners make functional nutrition more accessible to clients?
Making functional nutrition more accessible may involve developing care models that reduce financial barriers while still providing foundational support. Lauren describes exploring ways to help more individuals and families access functional nutrition services regardless of socioeconomic circumstances.
Why is making clients feel seen, heard, and understood so important?
Helping clients feel seen, heard, and understood builds trust and supports individualized care. Lauren believes this approach also helps practitioners avoid rigid thinking and instead focus on the most appropriate next steps for each client.
How can practitioners grow their practice while continuing to learn?
Sharing practical, educational content consistently can support both professional growth and client education. Lauren credits regularly posting simple health concepts on social media with increasing her confidence, expanding her knowledge, and eventually generating referrals.
What is the best way for new functional nutrition practitioners to build referrals?
Building trust with each client is the strongest foundation for referral growth. Lauren explains that by focusing on the individual in front of her and supporting their unique journey, referrals naturally became the primary source of new clients.
How can nurses incorporate functional nutrition into their practice?
Nurses can incorporate functional nutrition by educating patients about evidence-based lifestyle strategies while continuing to provide appropriate conventional care. Lauren demonstrates this by supporting ICU patients during hospitalization and encouraging preventive health practices after discharge.
What advice does Lauren give practitioners who are just getting started?
Lauren’s advice is simple: start where you are and continue learning as you go. She encourages practitioners to focus on their clients, share what they are learning, and build confidence through consistent practice and education.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margaret Floyd Barry, FNTP MRHP is owner and Executive Director of the Institute of Restorative Health. She’s a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, educator, and real food advocate. Through years of experience working with the most complex client cases, including reversing her own autoimmune condition, Margaret uses a powerful system for restoring health by addressing the root cause of illness.
Today, Margaret teaches fellow practitioners the same proven system she uses to get her clients life-changing results through the Institute of Restorative Health – a two-year comprehensive functional nutrition certification program for qualified health professionals. Margaret also runs Restorative Corporate Wellness, a team of Restorative Health Practitioners facilitating health transformations with corporate clients. She is the author of Eat Naked and its follow-up cookbook The Naked Foods Cookbook. She’s also the host of the Clinician’s Corner podcast, where she interviews some of the world’s top experts in the fields of functional health and nutrition.
