Heal and rebalance with
a root-cause approach

 

Hi, I’m Robin

I’m a functional nutritionist helping people improve their health using nutrient-dense whole foods and a holistic, root-cause approach. 

I work with people with chronic health conditions, and my specialties include digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, and what’s commonly referred to as “women’s health,” i.e. period problems, pelvic pain, hormone imbalances, fertility issues, PCOS, endometriosis, and more. I work with clients from all over the country, of any gender, over video chat or phone.

I'm Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition (BCHN) through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP), among other certifications. My pronouns are she/her/hers and I live in the Hudson Valley in New York.

 
 

My approach

Always holistic, always bio-individual

We help our clients harness their body’s innate capacity to rebalance and heal through nutrition and lifestyle interventions, coaching, and targeted lab testing. We’re dedicated to a true root-cause, whole-person approach.

  • Functional nutrition is also known as functional medicine nutrition. It's an offshoot of functional medicine, and it’s informed by the same principles. Functional nutrition:

    • Recognizes the interconnectedness of all systems in the body

    • Seeks to restore optimal health and function

    • Addresses the underlying causes of illness instead of only the symptoms

    • Embraces the importance of bio-individuality and personalized nutrition

    • Emphasizes a therapeutic partnership between the client and practitioner

    • Is evidence-based

    In clinical terms, utilizing a functional approach means being a health detective. It means constantly asking why something might be happening in the body, and slowly but surely peeling back multiple, onion-like layers to get at the root causes of symptoms or diseases.

  • Root causes are typically multifactorial and can include things like stealth infections, lack of nutrients, impaired digestive function, trauma and nervous system dysregulation, hormonal imbalances, environmental toxins, and inflammation. 

    We believe there are also systemic root causes to unpack when it comes to our health, like racism and discrimination, diet culture, patriarchy, and capitalism—just to name a few. (In fact, it’s my position that the functional medicine community and the holistic wellness world need to do a lot better at acknowledging and addressing these social determinants of health; you can read more about my commitment to dismantling the systemic barriers and oppressive structures that are detrimental to health here.)

    For example, say you're having irregular periods. When viewed through a functional lens, we see a symptom like that as the body’s way of communicating that something needs attention. Instead of artificially "regulating" your menstrual cycle with birth control pills and leaving it at that, taking a functional approach means asking why your period is irregular in the first place, and that could be for any number of reasons, like PCOS, blood sugar dysregulation, stress or trauma, overtraining, undereating, or nutrient deficiencies. We first try to identify the underlying issues that are causing symptoms and then work to implement a plan to address them.

  • Functional practitioners are always looking at the big picture, not just specific symptoms. We take into account the entire individual and their unique life circumstances, background, and biochemistry in order to piece together a larger context that determines our plan of action. The result is that two people with the exact same symptoms or diagnosis could require two very different nutrition plans. 

    That’s what a bio-individual approach really comes down to, and that’s why the functional nutrition counseling process takes time to unfold—because we’re not trying to simply suppress a symptom; we’re working together to figure out how to give your body what it needs to heal on its own, from the inside out, whenever possible. 

    We’re here to provide guidance and support for our clients, but ultimately, they’re the ones in the driver’s seat making changes and doing the work to feel better—which is why a functional, bio-individualized approach can be so empowering!

 

My Values

  • Non-judgment

    Holding space for my clients without imposing my own values or beliefs on them

  • Holism

    The understanding that everything is deeply interconnected and must be considered in its larger systemic context—i.e. as an ecosystem rather than isolated parts, whether we’re talking about the human body or in a broader context, such as social determinants of health

  • Inclusivity & accessibility

    Serving a diverse array of clients from a variety of backgrounds

  • Social justice & anti-oppression

    Challenging my own biases as well as the injustices perpetuated by systems of power, and supporting the redistribution of resources more equitably across society

  • Intersectionality & solidarity

    Acknowledging that our various overlapping and interconnecting social categorizations (such as race, class, and gender) play a large role in determining the systemic barriers we may face, and thus necessitate mutual support of one another

  • Community care

    Using whatever power, privilege, or resources available to me to contribute to the wellbeing of my wider community

  • Trauma-aware care

    Recognizing that trauma can manifest in myriad ways and play a role in an individual’s health and wellbeing (and recognizing the necessity of referring out to specially trained trauma-informed providers when appropriate)

My Story

 
 
 

Food has always been important to me. I love cooking, I love eating, and I love feeding other people. For most of my life, I took it for granted that I was more or less on the right track when it came to my health—until I was suddenly sidelined by a serious health crisis and forced to turn to diet, lifestyle, and alternative therapies to heal myself.

In my late twenties, I started experiencing symptoms of a painful bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. Chronic pain, bloating, fatigue, frequent and painful urination, achy joints, and other unpleasant symptoms quickly became a part of my everyday life. 

Interstitial cystitis can feel like a urinary tract infection that never goes away. I went to my doctor hoping for answers, but I didn’t get much help. Antibiotics didn’t work, tests were inconclusive, and I was pretty much told I’d just have to live with it.

That’s when I got serious about a more holistic approach and discovered functional medicine, an integrative, systems-based approach to healthcare that recognizes the biochemical individuality of each person and focuses on restoring the body’s innate capacity to heal and resolving underlying root causes rather than just treating symptoms.

Functional medicine offered me hope, and it introduced me to a whole network of people who were successfully managing and even reversing chronic conditions and autoimmune diseases. Most impressively, they were doing it primarily through diet and lifestyle.

I decided to apply what I was learning by drastically changing my diet and pretty immediately started to notice a difference. Eventually found myself feeling better than I had even before I got sick, and I realized that when it comes to health and healing, we often overlook one of the most basic tools available to us on a daily basis: food.

My experience left me feeling empowered but also questioning the conventional wisdom around nutrition and healthcare, as well as the way the wellness industry tends to frame illness and health through the problematic and overly simplistic lens of “personal responsibility.” I knew I wanted to learn more about all things health-related, but from a perspective that resonated with my values and experience. Most of all, I wanted to be able to educate people on how the food we eat can affect us in more profound ways than we’re taught to even consider. 

With those goals in mind, I transitioned from my background in the arts and photography to a career in nutrition. I obtained my first certification (Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) almost a decade ago, and have completed various certifications and trainings since then. 

As someone who loves to learn and who’s always looking for new clinical skills and tools, I’m constantly pursuing continuing education, mentorships, seminars, and further studies with leaders in the field of functional medicine, functional nutrition, naturopathic medicine, and women's health, as well as trainings and coursework related to my commitment to prioritizing social justice, anti-racism, and inclusivity in the wellness world.

I also consult on cases for other nutrition practitioners and offer mentorship sessions to folks starting out in the field of functional nutrition or considering various functional nutrition programs and certifications.

Credentials & Trainings

 

Robin Randisi, BCHN, (F)NTP, RWP

  • Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals

  • Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner certification through the Nutritional Therapy Association

  • Restorative Wellness Practitioner, certifications in functional lab testing (Levels 1-3) through Restorative Wellness Solutions

  • Complex Homeopathy for Chronic Illness with Dr. Ginger Nash

  • Functional medicine mentorship and training with Gut Honest Truth Academy

  • Funk’tional Nutrition Academy 14-month functional medicine certification with Erin Holt

  • Full Body Systems functional nutrition training through The Functional Nutrition Alliance and Andrea Nakayama

  • Women’s Health Coaching Apprenticeship with Nicole Jardim

  • Women’s Health Coaching training through the Integrative Women’s Health Institute and Dr. Jessica Drummond

  • Mastering Functional Blood Chemistry, Mastering the Thyroid, and Functional Endocrinology seminars through Apex Energetics

  • Certification in bioenergetics and bioresonance testing (in progress)