We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Luciana Godoi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Luciana, appreciate you joining us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?
My passion for functional nutrition and health began early after experiencing concerns about polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). I turned to the Integrative and Functional Medicine approach to seek the root cause of my condition and found true wellness, healing, and health. Because of my personal experiences, my aspirations for healing are global, yet my inspiration is very personal. I am passionate about educating, expanding, and fostering healing in others.
My path began at the tender age of 23 when I was abruptly diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome during a routine check-up. The Doctor advised that I was experiencing the beginning stages of endometriosis, an unfathomable situation for me at the time as I was still adapting to the American way of living, exploring my options with my college path, and working on my associate’s degree in Nursing with so much going on my personal life. The most poignant memory of this situation was the Doctor’s unprofessionalism and lack of empathy. If he said ten words, I heard only five, “it can be precancerous cysts, inflammation, and remove the left ovary.” I felt alone and completely lost, yet amazingly enough, it was at that moment I finally felt I was heading in the right direction as I have always been the person to drop what I was doing to help others.
I had zero medical experience before the time of this diagnosis, so I immediately began asking questions, researching, and obtaining all the information possible. I discovered that biological concepts intrigued me while simultaneously satisfying my learning thirst. I eventually changed my major to Biological Sciences, pre-med, and to no surprise, I became utterly fascinated with the wonders of the human body. Nonetheless, like many students without a mentor, I was overwhelmed with information and emotionally exhausted. I decided to consult an osteopathic doctor who utilized a comprehensive approach to healing and lifestyle, which helped facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health through functional foods, antioxidants, superfoods, herbal medicine, herbal supplements, digestive enzymes, stress adaptogens and many other strategies to optimizing functions in the body to support mind, body, hormones and gut microbiota. Within six months of changing my eating habits, understanding how environmental factors affect our health, optimizing all bodily functions, reversing nutritional deficiencies, and much more, there was no need to undergo additional surgeries. After personal experience, I approached the osteopathic Doctor about obtaining part-time work. I was a full-time student, working full-time as a server for an upscale restaurant, yet I still found time to get hours in at the osteopath’s office as an intern. After two months, I was hired full-time as a Health Coach, and my destiny started to unfold right before my eyes.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and moved to America at 13, the land of opportunities forcing me to learn two languages while adapting to a different culture and world. I value hard work, as it was instilled in me at a young age. As a first-generation college student, I’m incredibly grateful to have seized these opportunities, continuously do so, and live life intentionally with passion and a higher purpose for humanity. Every day, I wake up inspired to help my clients become proactive participants in their healthcare, guide my community in optimizing health and vitality, create awareness for those to see the miracles of their limitless capacity, and be the more.
Functional Medicine/Nutrition is a way of thinking, the science of creating health. It focuses on the process and understanding that everything in the body is connected to it, addressing functions and reversing dysfunctions. Remove what causes imbalance and provide what creates balance. I believe in a collaborative partnership, working closely with individuals to understand their health history, goals, and concerns. I recognize the intricate connection between the gut and various health conditions, including autoimmune disorders, digestive issues, brain fog, skin dysfunctions, and chronic inflammation. I incorporate cutting-edge science to support healing and enhance overall vitality, not including the eight years of clinical nutrition experience gained working at a trauma level 1 hospital in kidney & heart transplant, ICU, oncology, GI disorders, and maternity, which has given me more tools to my box.
Through Rupa Health University, Functional medicine testing helps detect dysfunction before disease development and customize supportive plans to increase patient success and satisfaction. I identify underlying imbalances with thorough assessments and specialized functional testing ( to name a few), using the GI-MAP® from Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory, a comprehensive stool analysis that measures gastrointestinal microbiota DNA from a single stool sample, or the MosaicDX’s (formerly Great Plains Lab) Organic Acids Test (OAT), which is a simple and efficient way to assess several metabolic pathways providing insight into imbalances and nutrient needs. I prioritize building relationships and delivering life-changing results, earning 5-star reviews on Google.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
What a great question. The word resilience is the word that most resonates with my entire life because of my ability to persist and adapt in the face of adversity and change. While I can sit here and share many stories of being resilient in the face of change, the pivotal one that changed my life was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because my work is comprehensive and above the standard of care, I don’t work with insurance and only accept direct payment and offer flexible pricing structures to meet my clients’ needs. Being licensed as a registered dietitian in Florida, I was blessed to work 2 to 3 days a week at the hospital while building my private practice, and then I worked full-time during COVID-19, providing nutrition support for critically ill patients. 90% of my clients had to put their programs on hold for all the right reasons, not including right before the pandemic started, I had to say goodbye to my actual physical location for my private practice after undergoing renovations for over a year due to water damage from a storm where the building eventually was sold. While it was rewarding to be part of a greater mission, the emotional aspect took an immense toll on my mental health.
At this time of my life, I also did not have consistency with a self-care spiritual routine, lacked fun time and play, lacked a deep connection with my ex-partner (engaged to be married), and I was sleep-deprived for many years, going through college to passing my boards while building a private practice and an online nutrition store and working part-time at the hospital. Not consistently living the life I was teaching my clients and not following my intuition caused a massive spiritual awakening. The ending of that relationship forced me to step out of my comfort zone and take ownership of my life, health, traumas, business, misalignments, and spiritual growth. When things don’t go as planned, it is simply a redirection to explore infinite possibilities and achieve greatness.
In the past two years, I met epic humans who have come into my life to teach and give me the tools I lacked as a business owner and entrepreneur and, most importantly, who taught me to establish a central foundation for living in infinite greater self-awareness, consciously create from a place of truth and love, and live with the idea that there is always more to uncover and share. As conscious creators, our job is to explore the greater capacity of life experiences in all areas to thrive optimally in our greatest and fullest authentic expression. Having a solid spiritual foundation that dictates the nature of everything we are and experience in our lives allows us to live in greater alignment with our connection to our source, the creator.
My private practice is thriving again. I left my per-diem clinical job and am getting more involved in community work, not including more time with my family, self-care, and play. I will be hosting my first international workshop/retreat on the optimization of gut health this March 2024. Regardless of age, never feel ashamed in realizing you lack tools or growth in some aspects of your life because expansion is ongoing for the rest of your life. These reference points will guide you and give clear direction on what is and is not working so you can navigate, manifest, and impact the quality of life in all areas, including your health. In this maturation process, I gained the knowledge I never received from childhood, and I have genuinely forgiven my parents, myself, and my past.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
Never! This area is growing because it takes a comprehensive approach to helping someone’s mind, body, and spirit. I have seen the growth from when I started, and it’s exciting to see more professionals expanding, whether you are a health coach, chiropractor, nutritionist, acupuncturist, nurse practitioner, dentist, etc. The pandemic shed awareness of the importance of personalized medicine and the science of biochemical individuality. It refers to each person’s unique nutritional needs based on genetics, lifestyle, and exposure to environmental stress. Moreover, there is a need for more leaders to step up and guide our community on how to optimize their health and vitality, creating a synergistic effect by showing others how to do the same.
As human beings, we have the innate responsibility to care for one another. We all possess gifts to share with our neighbors, but it is up to each of us to nurture these gifts through fruition. We all came into this earth with a purpose to fulfill, and I’m blessed and grateful to have found the path to my destiny at a young age.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://luciana.health/
- Instagram: guthealthnutritionist
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luciana-godoi-ms-rd-ldn-fmns-a486a453/
- Other: I set up a 20 min discovery call to get to know you better and build a connection! https://calendly.com/lurdnutrition/strategy-session?month=2024-02