“I didn’t feel seen or heard by my doctors.”
This is what propelled Cecilia Blanco into the world of functional nutrition.
A graduate of Boston University’s College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Cecilia has always had an interest in health. While she studied speech-language pathology in school, she became known amongst friends and family as an expert in fitness and nutrition and – within a few months of graduating – built her own personal training business where she was coaching individuals on how to achieve peak fitness performance and helping them optimize their nutrition…or, so she thought.
On the outside, everything looked great – Cecilia was as fit as ever, was successfully competing in bikini competitions, and running a thriving business. But, it wasn’t long until Cecilia’s health started to deteriorate. By the time she turned 24, she had a whole host of frustrating symptoms including acne, hair loss, uncontrollable bloat, and extreme exhaustion. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong – “I was eating spinach, broccoli, and chicken breast. I was working out regularly. I was doing all the things I thought I should be doing.”
Cecilia knew something was wrong and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She tried cutting out gluten, but didn’t see any real results. She decided to forgo dairy, but that didn’t make a big difference. She enlisted the help of her doctors, but that didn’t get her far…
“To them, I looked healthy. I was young and in shape, so they refused to dig deeper or do any real testing. It was at this point I started to explore nutrition from a more functional lens.”
Cecilia’s first step was to enroll in the Nutritional Therapy Association’s NTP certification program. She started to apply what she was learning right away and, by the time she finished the program she was starting to experience some positive results. “I realized that my focus on nutrition had been on manipulating my physique, but now I was learning how to use food to actually support my body.”
Still, Cecilia felt something was missing and, motivated by her science-based background, she enrolled in the Institute of Restorative Health in an effort to get to the root cause of her health issues as well as those of her clients.
“NTA taught me how macronutrients work. IRH taught me how the body as a whole – and all the systems within it – work together, which allowed me to connect the dots and help me and my clients actually heal.”
When asked what the biggest impact her IRH training has had on her practice, Cecilia notes that it is hands down testing – specifically, the way IRH taught her to read and comprehend the testing and how to act on the results. “I knew that being able to test and identify exactly what was going on inside my body would be key to my own healing journey and, after completing IRH, I can say with confidence it was. I also saw a discrepancy in my clients who were doing testing vs. those who weren’t. Every client I ran a GI-MAP test on was getting better, quicker. Today, I run testing on all of my clients – no exceptions.”
Determined to help more individuals get better results, Cecilia set out to make these powerful healing practices more accessible to others – which is when The Healthy Gut Club was born. “I always had a vision that I wanted to serve more people, more than I could handle as an individual practitioner. And, I really wanted to create a space where women who were not being seen or heard by their doctors could get the support they need and deserve.”
Focused on gut and hormone health, The Healthy Gut Club offers two keystone programs – their foundational 6-month gut healing program, which leverages GI-MAP testing to help identify and address the root cause of gut imbalances, and their 3-month proactive program, which incorporates comprehensive blood panels and salivary tests to offer more preventative support. Each client works 1:1 with a dedicated IRH-certified practitioner to follow a personalized protocol. And, all clients have access to The Healthy Gut Club community. “This is really the best part as the healing journey can be really isolating. Our community support is in addition to 1:1 work with practitioners, so our clients can get perspective and support from others and don’t have to travel their healing journey alone.”
This approach allows The Healthy Gut Club team to provide a greater level of 1:1 support to members than a traditional practitioner/client relationship. Backed by a team of 12, including 7 practitioners, Cecilia has found The Healthy Gut Club model has been so successful because it naturally creates more accountability and improves client compliance. “Our goal is to offer a really high-touch, engaging experience during our programs so that our clients don’t need us at the end of the 6-months – at that point, we want them to be thriving.”
Another key difference in The Healthy Gut Club model is its commitment to making this work more affordable to clients. Clients are able to opt for payment plans over the course of 12 months, inclusive of all testing and practitioner costs. “I really wanted to make this a more affordable solution – something that everyone, regardless of their income or stage in life, could access.”
When asked what the future holds, Cecilia is looking forward to continuing to grow The Healthy Gut Club team so they can serve more people. Additionally, the team will be introducing a scholarship opportunity next year as another way to give back to the community and help more individuals heal.
“For me, this work isn’t just about getting rid of symptoms. It’s about improving one’s quality of life. With The Healthy Gut Club, I look forward to being able to provide that for thousands of more people.”
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FAQ
These frequently asked questions expand on key clinical and practice concepts illustrated in the case study and care model described in this article.
Who is the ideal client population for a functional nutrition approach like this?
Clients with unresolved symptoms despite appearing “healthy” are ideal candidates for a functional nutrition approach. This often includes individuals experiencing issues like fatigue, bloating, acne, or hair loss who have not received answers through conventional care.
Why do some clients feel overlooked in conventional healthcare settings?
Clients may feel overlooked when their symptoms are dismissed due to normal outward appearances or lack of diagnostic findings. This can delay deeper investigation into root causes and limit access to appropriate testing or support.
What distinguishes a functional nutrition approach from conventional nutrition coaching?
Functional nutrition focuses on supporting the body’s systems and identifying root causes rather than only manipulating diet for appearance or performance. It emphasizes how systems interact and how nutrition can be used therapeutically.
How does a systems-based framework improve clinical outcomes?
A systems-based framework allows practitioners to connect symptoms across multiple body systems. This leads to more targeted interventions and a clearer understanding of underlying dysfunction.
What role does functional testing play in client outcomes?
Functional testing helps identify internal imbalances that are not visible through symptoms alone. In this model, testing was associated with faster and more consistent client improvements.
Benefits include:
- Provides objective data
- Guides personalized protocols
- Improves practitioner confidence in decision-making
When should practitioners consider using GI testing like GI-MAP?
GI testing should be considered when clients present with persistent digestive or systemic symptoms. It can help uncover root causes of gut dysfunction that may not respond to generalized interventions.
What are common early signs of gut-related dysfunction?
Common early signs include bloating, fatigue, acne, and hair loss. These symptoms may appear unrelated but can reflect underlying gut imbalances.
Why might dietary eliminations alone fail to resolve symptoms?
Dietary eliminations may not address deeper root causes driving symptoms. Without identifying underlying imbalances, removing foods may have limited impact.
How does personalized protocol development improve client results?
Personalized protocols target the specific imbalances identified through testing and assessment. This leads to more efficient and effective outcomes compared to generalized plans.
What is the benefit of combining gut and hormone-focused care?
Combining gut and hormone support addresses interconnected systems that influence overall health. This approach allows for more comprehensive and sustained improvements.
How does a high-touch, structured program model impact client compliance?
High-touch programs improve compliance by increasing accountability and engagement. Ongoing support and structured interactions help clients stay consistent with protocols.
What role does community support play in client outcomes?
Community support reduces isolation and enhances motivation during the healing process. It provides additional perspective and reinforcement alongside practitioner guidance.
How can practitioners scale care without sacrificing personalization?
Practitioners can scale by combining 1:1 care with team-based support and structured programs. This allows for individualized protocols while increasing capacity to serve more clients.
What is the long-term goal of a functional nutrition program like this?
The goal is to help clients achieve independence and sustained health improvements. Programs are designed so clients no longer need ongoing support after completion.
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Cecilia Blanco is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Restorative Health Practitioner, and CEO & Founder of The Healthy Gut Club. You can also find Cecilia on Instagram at @thehealthygutclub.
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.
