Patient Profile

Patient Profile
by Nichole Kunkel, RN, BSN

In the spring of 2011, a young female in her early 30’s visited the Riordan Clinic seeking a life change through nutrition. Initially, she decided to take the first steps towards change by going through our HCG program in attempt to learn to eat better. During consultations, she quickly realized a supplemental nutrition change was also needed in her diet.

In the past, this patient had been diagnosed with Irritable BowelSyndrome with a possible missed diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Due to an inflamed gut, her body did not absorb many essential nutrients well. Vitamin C and probiotics were immediately prescribed. An excellent antioxidant that helps cleanse the gut so it can kill bad bacteria and viruses, vitamin C also decreases inflammation while boosting
the immune system. Good probiotics, with high specific culture counts, aid in building the good bacteria the gut needs for proper digestion. The gut is the body’s second brain. Without a healthy gut, the body cannot be told how to function properly.

After only a couple of weeks on probiotics, the patient experienced tremendous change in her overall gut and body wellness and function. In the past her gut could not handle any vitamin C at all, let alone other supplements. The probiotics built up the normal flora (the good bacteria) in the gut to properly digest foods and nutrients. This allowed for essential nutrients that were deficient to be absorbed, which quickly improved the overall function of her body.

By seeing and experiencing first-hand the importance of gut function and the role it plays in the overall well-being of the body, this patient began introducing the practices she learned here, at the Riordan Clinic, within her practice as a veterinarian. She quickly witnessed the same positive improvements within the health of the animals she treated.