Two big things happened in the last month. We moved our family to our new home in Lawrence Park, Toronto, and I passed my exam in becoming a certified functional nutrition counsellor.

Getting Otis and hugo set up in their new routines in lawrence park.

certification as functional nutrition counsellor

I am exhaling with satisfaction after a lot of hard work. The course was ten months long, and honestly thoroughly enjoyable. I absorbed so much new understanding about how the full body systems function, and figured out how to put puzzle pieces together and help people improve the terrain and roots of their health complaints.

I had gotten to the point in personal training where, since I always took a whole health approach, I’d be listening to clients’ symptoms and difficulties but unable to help in the way I would have liked. From cancer, to autoimmune disease, severe PMDD, fertilities issues, gut challenges, urinary difficulties, mental health challenges, the list goes on. I wanted to do more.

I now have the skills and education to help untangle some of these problems.

Functional Nutrition Counselling is now available. We begin with an extensive intake form, because everyone is unique and everything matters. Your whole health history. I then plug all of our information into a matrix so that everything is laid out in front of us, and we can start to connect dots, and build gentle solutions that will improve your whole health terrain. The process begins with a one hour meeting discussing you, your history and your experience. Once the matrix is complete, we will meet again for 30 minutes to discuss your first Action Plan. Within 3 months, we will book another follow up to discuss results from the first action plan, and apply another action plan if necessary. Many will feel big improvements from the first round.

This package of 3 sessions costs $499. Feel free to ask me anything.

On the personal front, we are nicely settled into a home with more space, a ton of light, and in the neighbourhood I never knew I needed. As a downtown and then East End dweller, Lawrence felt “too far” for me when we were house hunting from LA. But wow, what a beautiful and serene area we’ve landed in. The kids are settling in schools they love, we are surrounded by huge, fully leafed spring trees and all in all loving our new home scape.

the boys headed to their new schools in toronto

The fitness studio makes up our lower floor, with a walkout to the backyard and windows filling the space with light. I am equipped with a functional trainer (cable machine), a peloton treadmill, weights ranging 5lb-60lbs, a trap bar + bumper plates, a bosu, ball, jump ropes, agility ladder, a bench, etc.

It’s a little trainer’s paradise down there.

Happy, happy, happy.

Do I miss California sun in a week on nonstop rain? Well of course. Do I miss my food staples that I haven’t found replacements for in another country? YES. (Why can’t I find chicken sausages anywhere?!)

But these really do feel minor when contrasted with being surround by friends and family in a familiar place.

Much love, Toronto.

There are a lot of people these days who are having health issues that sit in the grey area within our healthcare system. Meaning, they cannot find root cause diagnoses by our traditional medical system, and they are sometimes suffering with symptoms, unanswered questions and little to no relief.

Functional health testing can fill that gap, by giving us significantly more insights about what is going on inside our bodies. When people are having symptoms like rashes, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, chronic fatigue, insomnia (too many to list!), often times the traditional solution is to provide a medication suppressing the symptom, without investigating the root cause.

Aubrey Christensen of Sea of Health Functional Wellness specializes in the HTMA (hair and mineral analysis) & GI Map (stool test) testing, both of which can provide a really thorough picture about what is going on inside your body. Results can indicate where the dysfunction could be COMING from, and the results lead to provided solutions to correct the dysfunction, thereby alleviating the symptoms. Having completed these tests this year, I can attest to how profoundly life-changing this awareness and knowledge can be.

Aubrey Christensen, Sea of Health functional wellness

I sat down with Aubrey to ask some questions specifically about stress and the central nervous system, which is what she focuses the bulk of her practice around since it’s such a common life and health disturbance these days.

Jessica: Why do you believe that stress and nervous system dysregulation are so integral to many modern health woes?

Aubrey: Chronic stress is one of the biggest drivers of disease and dysfunction in the body. It causes havoc to the different interconnected systems, the nervous system being one, which then creates a domino effect throughout the body.

Jessica: What are some of the more obvious physiological signs of stress or dysregulation?

Aubrey: Obvious signs are tension, muscle aches, headaches, anxiety, fatigue, digestive issues and constipation.

Jessica: What are some of the less obvious physiological signs of stress or dysregulation?

Aubrey: The lesser known signs of stress can include rashes, food sensitivities, allergies, reactive behavior or mood, hormonal changes, and autoimmune disorders.

Jessica: What do you feel are the best steps to implement when trying to find balance, or expand one’s capacity to stress?

Aubrey: A mind body approach is key for sure. I believe that talking or thinking your way out of stress won't help — the body needs to be considered and incorporated when trying to manage stress. Physiological and mental exercises done together deliver the best results.

Jessica: How does stress impact other systems such as hormonal or digestive?

Aubrey: Stress has a big impact across ALL systems in the body. When cortisol spikes and the body is in a stress response, digestion is slowed, and reproduction is not a priority.

Jessica: What sorts of imbalances are revealed in functional testing?

Aubrey: When doing functional lab testing, the following imbalances can be found: liver congestion, bacterial or fungal overgrowth, not enough good bacteria, leaky gut, hormone imbalances, improper digestion, inflammation, pathogens or viruses, oxidative stress, and more.

Jessica: When seeking to improve our health after acknowledging the impacts of high stress, would you say mental or physical exercises are more important to take on? Or a combination of both? Ie, breathwork and meditation, vs. nutritional changes / supplementation.

Aubrey: Both mental and physical exercises are important. It's key to make healthy lifestyle changes within diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management. You must make holistic changes to realize holistic improvements.

Jessica: What kind of an impact do you hope to make with your (com)passionate business?

Aubrey: I hope to make a positive impact in people's lives through adjustments to their health, providing a strong foundation for a properly functioning body. This foundation should lead to lesser symptoms, disorders and disease — and just an overall better quality of life.

Sea of Health Functional Wellness is located in Torrance, in the South Bay Area of Los Angeles county. Aubrey works both locally and virtually with her clientele. Having struggled with her own anxiety and other symptoms, she brings a relatable and compassionate approach to her work.

You can book a consultation with her here to learn more about what testing and approach you may benefit from.

Have you done functional lab testing? What was the experience like for you? Let me know in the comments.