Full Body Systems Graduate Spotlight: Hana Renee

Today I’m super excited to introduce you to Hana. Hana is a health coach who gained the confidence to flip her stress over complex clients on its head!

The Functional Nutrition Lab team did a short interview with Hana to learn more about her excitement about her practice. Read on to learn more about Hana’s success and how it can be yours too!

FNL: What did you struggle with before taking Functional Nutrition Lab’s Full Body Systems?

Hana: I would say confidence in knowing what to do when the easy stuff (eating real food, exercise, sleep, etc) didn’t work. I was, and continue to be, drawn to working with folks who have complex issues.

However, before FNL if a client walked into my office who had already done a lot of cleanup I really didn’t know what to do. On the flip side, if I helped someone do the initial clean up and their symptoms didn’t improve (or…got worse) I would be incredibly stressed out and totally lost on what to do next.

FNL: How has that changed since FBS?

Hana: I have more confidence, I am more comfortable working with complex cases, and I feel stronger when talking to doctors.

When my father had a recent heart attack I was comfortable taking a leadership role on his healthcare team. I was comfortable talking to his doctors and nurses, requesting copies of blood work, working with his functional nurse practitioner on additional testing, all while helping him develop an anti-inflammatory protocol that fit his unique needs (both personally and biochemically).

My father is not the only person I’ve had this experience with, it’s just fresh for me right now.

I’ve stepped up in communication with doctors with multiple clients and developed the skill to step back and see the bigger picture with those complex cases.

FNL: How has your practice changed?

Hana: I’ve started writing more. I feel like I have the depth of knowledge to write a newsletter without it taking 8+ hours.

I’ve picked up some corporate wellness education gigs. I speak monthly either via online platforms or at local health food stores. I doubled my rates.

And…I’m seeing fantastic results with my clients and retention with those who need longer support.

I’d say one of the biggest shifts I’ve seen is that my clients trust me.

FNL: Can you share a recent big ‘win’ that you’ve experienced?

Hana: Wow, I just signed another client. That’s three in just 2 weeks (which considering I was on the 1 every couple of months train for a while feels like a lot).

I’ve got three more potential clients in the wings and if they all sign up I’ll have to start a wait-list. CRAZY.

The best part about all of this is that a lot of these cases would have been quite intimidating in the past (chronic soft tissue injuries, MS, chronic candida, etc.) and now, they are still intimidating, but this community gives me the confidence to practice and learn at the same time. It feels amazing!

And here’s one recent experience I want to share…a yoga student of mine was describing a condition he is struggling with. I’d never heard of the condition he was talking about however, after asking him a few questions, I said, “it sounds like inflammation could be a big factor here.”

He looked at me like I’d performed a magic trick and replied, “my doctor said this condition is a result of chronic inflammation.”

It was in that moment that I realized the power of Full Body Systems and Andrea’s approach to teaching. By having a deep understanding of food and physiology, and how those two come together, we can help guide our clients to optimal health. I’ve gained such confidence by realizing I do not need to be the expert on every condition out there. Using the tools that Andrea teaches and listening deeply to our clients is truly the way we DO CHANGE!

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.