This week, we’re delighted to introduce you to one of our graduates and diversity scholarship winner, Nida Ghazanfar, NTP, RHP.
After obtaining her Bachelors in Commerce from the DA Degree College in Pakistan, Nida followed her passion for health and wellness and studied at the Nutritional Therapy Association. She has been in practice for nearly three years, helping clients all over the world with complex digestive issues and hormonal struggles. As her practice took off, she developed a deep interest in gut health and hormones, and enrolled with the Institute of Restorative Health to learn more about objective testing. As a recent Level 1 graduate, she is already seeing far reaching results in her clients’ health. Her practice, Apple Flavoured Oranges, specializes in PCOS, diabetes, and digestive dysfunction.
To learn more about Nida and her practice, visit https://www.appleflavouredoranges.com/.
How are you using the skills you learned through IRH?
Supporting clients with their digestive issues like IBS, constipation, acid reflux and food sensitivities. Addressing autoimmune diseases.
What’s your superpower when it comes to working with clients?
My super power would be; the ability to relate with my TTC (trying to conceive) community. As someone who has had struggles with fertility, I know all too well what it’s like to have multiple miscarriages and constantly see a negative pregnancy test time and time again. Empathy is my superpower!
What’s one fun thing most people don’t know about you?
I love doing different Escape Rooms and playing board games!
How do you spend your time when not seeing clients?
When not seeing clients I am spending time with my boys (1 year old and 5 year old) and my husband. I enjoy baking with the kids and spending time in nature. For ‘me time’ I read nutrition related books and ride my bike!
Can you share a success story from your practice?
I recently had a client with severe seasonal allergies, an elevated inflammation marker C-Reactive Protein (even from a conventional standpoint), IBS-diarrhea and amenorrhea. She was a busy mom of young kids who was also looking to lose weight and coming off the pill.
In 4 months of working together her inflammation marker came down to near zero! Her cycle has returned and regulated (now it’s every 32 days). Her seasonal allergies are GONE! She used to wake up with a stuffy nose and runny eyes everyday during the spring and summer time.
Her diarrhea subsided and she started having a good understanding of how the food she eats affects her digestion, bowel movements and mood. She was able to get off the sugar roller coaster and manage stress more effectively.
What did it mean to you to win the April 2021 diversity scholarship?
I felt honored to be selected for the Diversity Scholarship. It went on to become a major deciding factor for whether I truly wanted to invest in the program, since at the time I had a 7 month baby mostly dependent on me for his nutritional needs. As a mom of two, working part-time, winning the scholarship gave me the nudge to go for it and I am SO GLAD that I did. The program was absolutely amazing and it became something I looked forward to, in between diaper changes and feeding sessions. I am also thankful to the IRH team for helping me present Functional Nutrition to my Pakistani Community and initiating a scholarship program that values inclusivity! I hope that with the IRH training I can further my practice and career.
Where do you want to go from here, in your practice and your studies? What area of nutrition are you eager to dive into next?
I want to go Full Time with my online practice by the middle of next year (2022) if my older boy is able to continue school full time. In the future, I would love to make Hormones my niche! Since I work with a lot of women with varying degrees of hormonal issues, I would love to dive into the next course; Mastering the Art and Science of Hormones offered by IRH. Nutrigenomics is another field that really piques my interest.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In the next 5 years I see myself having a thriving online practice, taking clients from all over the world. I would also love to create a course on Functional Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals, especially keeping Pakistani Healthcare Professionals in mind.
Inspired by Nida’s journey to pursue gut health? Click here to learn more about Mastering the Art and Science of Gastrointestinal Healing.
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FAQ
These frequently asked questions expand on the key themes from Nida Ghazanfar’s practitioner journey and highlight how restorative health practitioners apply gastrointestinal and functional nutrition principles in clinical practice.
Who can benefit from advanced training in gastrointestinal healing?
Practitioners who work with clients experiencing digestive concerns, hormonal challenges, autoimmune conditions, or other complex health presentations may benefit from advanced gastrointestinal education. In this profile, Nida pursued additional training to deepen her understanding of objective testing and better support her clinical work.
Why do restorative health practitioners often focus on gut health first?
Gut health frequently serves as a foundational area of focus because digestive dysfunction commonly overlaps with other health concerns. Nida’s practice emphasizes digestive health while also supporting clients with hormonal conditions, metabolic concerns, and autoimmune diseases.
What is objective testing in functional nutrition?
Objective testing refers to using measurable clinical data to help guide assessment and monitor progress. Nida enrolled in additional training specifically to expand her knowledge of objective testing and applies those skills in her practice.
Which digestive conditions does this practitioner commonly support?
Nida commonly works with clients experiencing digestive dysfunction. According to this profile, these include:
- IBS
- Constipation
- Acid reflux
- Food sensitivities
How can digestive health influence hormone-related concerns?
Digestive and hormonal health often coexist in clinical practice. Nida specializes in both digestive dysfunction and hormone-related concerns, including PCOS, fertility challenges, and amenorrhea, reflecting the interconnected nature of these presentations.
What role can inflammation markers play when monitoring client progress?
Inflammation markers can provide an objective way to evaluate changes alongside symptom improvement. In the featured case study, the client’s C-reactive protein decreased substantially over four months while multiple symptoms also improved.
Can improvements in digestive health occur alongside changes in other symptoms?
Yes. The featured client experienced improvements across several areas during care, including digestive symptoms, menstrual regularity, seasonal allergies, stress management, and dietary awareness. This case illustrates how multiple health concerns may improve together during an individualized care plan.
How can helping clients understand food-symptom relationships improve outcomes?
Helping clients recognize how food affects their symptoms may support better self-management. In this case, the client developed a clearer understanding of how food influenced digestion, bowel movements, and mood, while also reducing reliance on sugar.
Why is empathy an important clinical skill in functional nutrition?
Empathy helps practitioners build trust and better understand a client’s experience. Nida describes her personal fertility journey as strengthening her ability to relate to individuals trying to conceive and support them throughout their care.
Why do some practitioners choose to specialize in both gut health and hormones?
Many practitioners observe overlap between digestive and hormonal concerns in clinical practice. Nida’s experience working with women experiencing hormonal issues inspired her to pursue additional education in hormone-focused care after completing gastrointestinal training.
How can advanced practitioner education influence clinical practice?
Continuing education can expand clinical knowledge and increase practitioner confidence. Nida reports using skills from her IRH training to support clients with digestive issues and autoimmune diseases while pursuing additional specialization in hormones and nutrigenomics.
Why do practitioners continue their education after beginning clinical practice?
Many practitioners pursue advanced education to deepen expertise in specific clinical areas and better serve increasingly complex client populations. In this profile, Nida sought further education in objective testing, hormones, and nutrigenomics as her practice continued to grow.
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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.
