Meet Connie
Certifications:
Degrees:Bachelors of Medical ScienceSpecialties:
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My Story
I began noticing slight changes to my health late in high school - fatigue, brain fog, and extreme coldness. My mom had me get my thyroid checked, and it was borderline according to the doctor who decided to do nothing about my hormone levels. Between the ages of 18 and 21, my fatigue became worse and worse to the point where I was falling asleep shortly after dinner every night. Upon consulting a doctor at the student clinic in college, it was discovered that my thyroid levels were extremely low. I was given a thyroid medication in addition to an anti-depressant to correct my anxiety symptoms.
All seemed well for a period until I started to have other symptoms pop up which the MD’s were more than willing to assign drugs to. I eventually found myself on over ten different drugs that I was taking daily coupled with three more for as needed situations. These drugs were meant to handle not only thyroid and anxiety, but also depression, weight gain, asthma, allergies, and ovary pain. By the age of 33, I was 287 pounds, had a very limited diet, food was going straight through me, I had painful cystic acne, migraines, and was doubled over in pain every month during ovulation.
After experiencing digestive problems for two years and unable to figure out what foods were a problem, I decided to seek out medical specialists. I spent the next year going from one doctor to the next without finding any answers. Finally, I went back to my primary care physician for more bloodwork. She found an iron deficiency and put me on an overdose of iron; she “accidentally” gave me the wrong dose – 975mg. Yikes! This further damaged my gut causing a lot of abdominal pain. I was pretty frustrated with the medical community at this point.
A friend referred me to Dr. Darren Schmidt in Ann Arbor to try out the natural approach. Within a couple of weeks of taking a single supplement, my diarrhea was so much improved that I sat up and took notice. This was the first inkling of hope I had in years. Dr. Schmidt was able to correct my nutritional deficiencies with whole food nutrition, and one by one my symptoms went away. I was pleased that my digestion and acne improved, but I was shocked when my asthma and allergies went away as well. I had increased energy, improved brain function, my digestion was better, my mood had stabilized, and I was able to come off almost all my medications.
The final tipping point for my success was when I cut out sugar intake, and the pounds began melting away. The first two and a half months after I stopped eating sugar I lost 45 pounds. And over the course of the next year and a half, I lost a grand total of over 110 pounds. This was the point when I sat Dr. Schmidt down and asked him how I could learn this muscle testing technique that he did so well. I started assisting him in the office as a Patient Advocate while studying and training to become a practitioner myself.
I had originally gone to school for Biochemistry. I was pre-med and had planned on pursuing an MD/Ph.D. for a future in biomedical research. However, after experiencing first-hand how real food can heal the body, I knew I needed to shift my direction. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to study under Dr. Schmidt. He has been a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful mentor. I began seeing clients in Ann Arbor in 2012. And I opened my doors here in Holland in 2016. I studied a year and a half with Ulan Nutritional Systems and am Advanced Clinically Trained in Nutrition Response Testing and Designed Clinical Nutrition, and now am completing my doctorate in Naturopathy. I very much enjoy what I do. I love figuring out what people are struggling with and helping them reclaim their lives.
All seemed well for a period until I started to have other symptoms pop up which the MD’s were more than willing to assign drugs to. I eventually found myself on over ten different drugs that I was taking daily coupled with three more for as needed situations. These drugs were meant to handle not only thyroid and anxiety, but also depression, weight gain, asthma, allergies, and ovary pain. By the age of 33, I was 287 pounds, had a very limited diet, food was going straight through me, I had painful cystic acne, migraines, and was doubled over in pain every month during ovulation.
After experiencing digestive problems for two years and unable to figure out what foods were a problem, I decided to seek out medical specialists. I spent the next year going from one doctor to the next without finding any answers. Finally, I went back to my primary care physician for more bloodwork. She found an iron deficiency and put me on an overdose of iron; she “accidentally” gave me the wrong dose – 975mg. Yikes! This further damaged my gut causing a lot of abdominal pain. I was pretty frustrated with the medical community at this point.
A friend referred me to Dr. Darren Schmidt in Ann Arbor to try out the natural approach. Within a couple of weeks of taking a single supplement, my diarrhea was so much improved that I sat up and took notice. This was the first inkling of hope I had in years. Dr. Schmidt was able to correct my nutritional deficiencies with whole food nutrition, and one by one my symptoms went away. I was pleased that my digestion and acne improved, but I was shocked when my asthma and allergies went away as well. I had increased energy, improved brain function, my digestion was better, my mood had stabilized, and I was able to come off almost all my medications.
The final tipping point for my success was when I cut out sugar intake, and the pounds began melting away. The first two and a half months after I stopped eating sugar I lost 45 pounds. And over the course of the next year and a half, I lost a grand total of over 110 pounds. This was the point when I sat Dr. Schmidt down and asked him how I could learn this muscle testing technique that he did so well. I started assisting him in the office as a Patient Advocate while studying and training to become a practitioner myself.
I had originally gone to school for Biochemistry. I was pre-med and had planned on pursuing an MD/Ph.D. for a future in biomedical research. However, after experiencing first-hand how real food can heal the body, I knew I needed to shift my direction. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to study under Dr. Schmidt. He has been a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful mentor. I began seeing clients in Ann Arbor in 2012. And I opened my doors here in Holland in 2016. I studied a year and a half with Ulan Nutritional Systems and am Advanced Clinically Trained in Nutrition Response Testing and Designed Clinical Nutrition, and now am completing my doctorate in Naturopathy. I very much enjoy what I do. I love figuring out what people are struggling with and helping them reclaim their lives.