Low energy, digestive issues, stubborn weight changes, and symptoms that never fully resolve don't always have one clean explanation. Your hormones, metabolism, gut health, stress, and daily habits all play a role in how you feel and function.
My approach is about understanding what's contributing to your symptoms, so your body has what it needs to function well.
Functional Nutrition for Women’s Health, Digestion, and Metabolic Wellness
Weight changes, digestive discomfort, fatigue, and metabolic concerns can be influenced by a complex combination of factors.
Functional nutrition helps connect the dots between your symptoms, physiology, nutrition, and lifestyle to create a personalized approach that supports lasting health.
You deserve real answers
GLP-1 Nutrition Support
For those using or considering GLP-1 medications.
Support your body through your GLP-1 journey with personalized nutrition that prioritizes muscle preservation, digestive health, adequate nourishment, and a healthier relationship with food.
Weight Management & Metabolic Health
For those struggling with weight changes or metabolic concerns.
Understand the factors influencing your weight and metabolism while building sustainable nutrition, movement, and lifestyle habits that support your health and long-term goals.
Digestive & Gut Health
For those navigating persistent digestive symptoms.
Explore potential contributors to bloating, constipation, food sensitivities, and irregular digestion through an individualized approach that supports digestive function and helps you feel more comfortable in your body.
Women’s Health & Hormone Support
For those navigating hormonal changes and women's health concerns.
Explore the factors influencing your menstrual cycle, energy, mood, and metabolism through personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support your health at every stage of life.
When You're Doing All the Right Things, But Still Don't Feel Your Best
You've put in the effort. Now it's time for an approach that considers the whole picture.
The women I work with are often highly motivated and health-conscious. They're making healthy choices, staying consistent with their habits, and doing their best to take care of themselves. Yet they're still navigating:
Stubborn weight changes or difficulty losing weight
Bloating, constipation, or digestive discomfort
Ongoing inflammation or chronic health concerns
Fatigue and low energy
Blood sugar fluctuations and cravings
Hormonal and metabolic concerns
Your health is shaped by how your nutrition, physiology, lifestyle, and environment interact. Understanding those interactions can point us toward what's actually contributing to your symptoms, rather than guessing at another generic fix.
Meet Stephanie Hands, MS, CNS, NBC-HWC
Certified Nutrition Specialist | Functional Nutrition Expert | Health Advocate
You deserve a thoughtful, personalized approach to your health. One that considers the whole person and helps you better understand the factors influencing how you feel and function.
My work combines clinical nutrition, functional assessment, and health coaching to connect the dots between your symptoms, health history, nutrition, and lifestyle.
With a Master's in Applied Clinical Nutrition and training in health coaching, I take an evidence-informed approach to understanding your unique physiology. Through comprehensive health assessments, targeted testing when appropriate, and individualized nutrition strategies, we'll explore potential contributors to your health concerns and identify meaningful opportunities for change.
My goal is to help you understand your body, feel confident in your health decisions, and build sustainable habits that support your well-being for years to come.
Together, we'll turn information into understanding and understanding into meaningful, lasting change.
Client Praise
"This is the first time something has actually felt sustainable and made sense for my body. Instead of restriction, I've learned how to eat in a way that supports my metabolism, energy, and overall health."
Tia A.
"Stephanie is amazing at listening and coming up with a comprehensive plan using a holistic approach. She's an expert at getting to the root of an issue. Working with her has changed my life for the better and I’m looking forward to continuing on this journey to better health.”
Holly W.
"Since working together, I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of my patterns around food and the burnout that was driving them. You’ve helped me shift away from looking for quick fixes and instead focus on building sustainable habits by addressing foundational pieces like sleep, movement, and consistent meals.”
Holly F.
A Functional Nutrition Approach to Understanding the Root Cause
Your symptoms tell a story. My approach is designed to help you connect the dots.
When symptoms persist despite your best efforts, it usually means more than one system is involved. Through comprehensive assessment, targeted testing when appropriate, and personalized strategy, we look at:
Blood sugar regulation and metabolic health
Digestive function and gut health
Nutrient deficiencies and imbalances
Hormonal health
Immune function and inflammatory processes
Energy production and chronic fatigue
Stress, sleep, and nervous system health
From there, we build a plan around what we actually find, addressing your physiology and your day-to-day life, not a generic template.
Functional Lab Testing
“Normal” does not equal optimal.
When you're experiencing persistent symptoms despite making healthy choices, additional information may help us better understand what's contributing to how you feel. Depending on your symptoms and goals, we might explore testing such as:
Comprehensive stool testing — looks at gut microbiome balance, digestive function, and markers of inflammation, useful for bloating, digestive discomfort, and food sensitivities.
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) — tracks your blood sugar in real time over one to two weeks, showing how your body actually responds to specific foods, stress, sleep, and exercise.
DUTCH hormone testing — a detailed look at estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and their metabolites, for a clearer picture of hormone balance than a standard blood panel alone.
Not every client needs every test, and no single result tells the whole story. Lab results are most useful when interpreted alongside your health history, symptoms, and goals, which is why we'll always talk through what testing (if any) makes sense for you.
Your Personalized Path to Better Health Starts Here
Understanding your body is the first step toward meaningful, lasting change.
Whether you're new to functional nutrition or have spent years searching for answers, my process is designed to help you gain clarity about your health and create a personalized path forward.
We begin with a comprehensive consultation to explore your health history, current symptoms, nutrition, lifestyle, and previous lab work. Together, we'll connect the dots and identify potential factors influencing how you feel and function.
During our initial consultation, we'll:
Explore your health history: Review your symptoms, medical history, current concerns, and health goals.
Connect the dots: Examine how your nutrition, physiology, lifestyle, and environment may be influencing your health.
Review what you've already tried: Understand what's worked, what hasn't, and where there may be opportunities for a different approach.
Identify your priorities: Determine which areas of your health need attention and where to begin.
Create a personalized path forward: Outline initial nutrition and lifestyle strategies, along with recommendations for additional testing when appropriate.
You'll leave with greater clarity about your health, actionable next steps, and a plan tailored to your unique needs and goals.
This is where we begin turning understanding into action and building the foundation for sustainable change.
The Gut–Blood Sugar Connection: 5 Signs Your Symptoms Might Be Related
If you're bloated, exhausted by mid-afternoon, and stuck despite doing "all the right things," there may be a common thread you haven't been told about: your gut and your blood sugar are deeply connected - and when one is off, the other usually follows.
This free guide walks through:
5 signs your gut health may be affecting your energy and blood sugar
Why "normal" labs don't always mean everything's fine
What real-time data (like a CGM) can reveal that a bloodwork panel alone can't
Simple steps you can take this week to begin reclaiming your energy