Welcome, I’m glad you’re here!
I am Gretchen Spetz, registered and licensed dietitian, founder of The Functional Kitchen, a private virtual functional nutrition practice, and the creator of the GLP-1 Success Roadmap.
I am passionate about empowering people to live their most confident, compassionate and self-assured life. This work involves cultivating a mindset of self-compassion, learning to love your body, and understanding the best way to support your physiology through food, movement, and sleep. My 1:1 Dietitian Nutrition Coaching programs are designed to provide a powerful transformation fueled by little tweaks to help you gain energy, muscle mass, and a plan for your unique food framework, and say goodbye to food drama, body shaming, and feeling uncomfortable in your clothes.
My approach to nutrition starts in the kitchen, but goes so much deeper than that. Together, we will transform your mindset as we support your blood sugar, hormones, and digestive health with food and lifestyle habits.
My Journey
Like many women, I am a high achiever, type A, and highly sensitive person. This has been both a blessing and challenge to my health in ways I did not expect.
After I earned my BA from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree in public health nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, I worked in a fast-paced environment as an outpatient dietitian specializing in weight management, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune disease at two of the country's top hospitals. I was seeing some of the most challenging cases and finding success supporting the healing of my patients through nutrition. I loved helping my patients, but eventually I started to exhibit signs of fatigue and burn out and fatigue. This happens when you see 10+ patients a day and don’t get a lunch break!
When I discussed my symptoms of fatigue, weight gain and difficulty losing weight, anxiety & digestive problems with my doctor, I was told I was “normal.” I sure didn't feel normal! I felt like a shadow of my former self. I was determined to find a solution, which led me to return to my roots as a dietitian .
“I sure didn't feel normal!
I felt like a shadow of my former self.”
Enter Functional Nutrition
At this point, I started learning everything I could about this food-as-medicine approach to diet and health. Instead of using nutrition reactively to combat chronic disease diagnoses (example: cut sodium intake when you have high blood pressure), I learned to use nutrition to influence the root cause of chronic diseases.
Getting the right balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals can assist the body's natural regulation mechanisms and bring everything back into balance. This translates to you saying goodbye to unwanted symptoms.
In 2022, I was recognized as an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner (IFNCP) after completing the most comprehensive certification program in functional nutrition through the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy.
I launched my own offering and began working 1:1 with clients. I have also developed the GLP-1 Success Roadmap - a six month education and transformation program for people on GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
I am the proud mom of two girls. Motherhood was the catalyst for helping me discover functional nutrition, and I am thankful to them for this! I love staying active by lifting weights, walking, CrossFit, stand-up paddleboard, and yoga. You can catch me powering down in the evening with a cup of ginger tea and a good historical fiction book or show.
Get to Know Gretchen: Watch, or Listen to Recent Media Appearances
A Few of My Favorite Things
Check out some of my favorite functional foods, protein powders, and so much more to support your health!
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