We were lucky to catch up with Melanie Murphy Richter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I was 24 years old, when my world changed forever. I was in the middle of the street, walking home from lunch, when my bowels lost all control. Without any warning, I had diarrhea right there, in broad daylight, fully-clothed, in the middle of a busy and crowded street. It was a real-life version of the scene from Bridesmaids, except it was anything but funny. Little did I know that this exact moment would be one of the greatest gifts of my career, and of my life. Let me explain.

I had been living with fairly severe IBS-D (irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea dominant) for nearly three years at that point, rarely having a normal bowel movement. I was wearing about 25 pounds of inflammatory weight that I couldn’t kick, my hormones were running haywire, my moods were swinging like a pendulum in a storm, I was beginning to fear food because everything seemed to cause me digestive problems, and my self-confidence was already in the can. I had seen every Western doctor under the sun (allergists, gastroenterologists, general practitioners, you name it), who all came to the same conclusion: “Everything looks fine, but you have IBS. This is just your new normal.” I had succumbed to this prescribed bleak way of life, and found myself in a low-grade depressive state, even before the whole diarrhea-in-the-middle-the-street fiasco.

I knew this couldn’t be normal, but no one could give me answers, much less the people (doctors) who I felt should know how to help me. I felt helpless and hopeless.

But, this Bridesmaids moment – this incredibly horrific experience – was the moment that ignited a change. After ugly crying for several hours, a divine moment of clarity hit me with the hard facts: I was only 24 years old, for crying out loud! I was NOT going to live like this forever. If no one was going to help me, I was going to help myself. Period.

I was always drawn to nutrition and food healing, so I decided to start there. I found a food sensitivity test based out of Italy (these tests weren’t as widespread as they are now). I began by removing the foods that came back as inflammatory for my body, resolving about 70% of my symptoms which, at the time, was a huge relief. This was the first time in nearly half a decade that I caught a glimpse of what “normal” could be like. I became obsessed with resolving 100% of my issues and made it my personal, and eventually professional, mission.

I visited a Naturopathic Doctor who ran much more sophisticated testing and began putting the pieces of my unique puzzle together. We began overhauling my diet once again, this time through an intensive elimination diet as well as homeopathics and supplements to further heal my gut and my body. Slowly but surely, I became whole again. My bowels started to normalize, my moods became more stable, my periods regulated over time, and those 25 pounds of inflammation melted off of me like ice cream in the desert sun.

By the time I was 26, I was a completely different woman. I had a different body, a joyful outlook on life, and new calling. I knew I couldn’t keep all of this newfound knowledge (and results) a secret. I had to help other people who were struggling. I had to make this my career.

I quit my very lucrative job, went back to school to get my Master’s in Nutrition Science and became a Registered Dietitian, and began studying under other holistic and alternative practitioners who were using herbs, homeopathics and nutraceuticals to help heal their patients. I soaked in their knowledge like a sponge.

For the past four years, I have been helping patients with unresolved, and seemingly hopeless, digestive problems get their bodies and their lives back. I provide a bridge between the science behind Western medicine and holistic, ancient remedies to provide the best of both worlds. I turned one of the crappiest days of my life (pun intended), into an entire career.

I’ve helped countless individuals and was recently recognized as the 2023 “Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year” by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I am the California Ambassador for the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Nutrition (DIFM), and an instructor at the University of Irvine, teaching first year nursing students and other healthcare practitioners the effects of nutrition physiology through the lifespan.

I have dedicated my life to helping other people heal their bodies so that they can live their fullest, most joy-filled lives. And now, whenever I work with a patient who is embarrassed, hopeless, and exhausted from their unresolved health and digestive issues, I say “welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.”

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Melanie Murphy Richter, MS RDN. I am a Wholistic Dietitian with my Master’s in the Science of Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity from USC. I founded Wholistic Ritual in 2019, a private practice aimed at helping my patients uncover their unique balance in health and joy through food and intimate self-exploration.

I specialize in conditions and symptoms that root back to the gastrointestinal tract. I use specialty laboratory testing, food, herbs, supplements and homeopathics to create personalized health protocols for my patients. I work with patients who have chronic digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux. I also work with patients whose original GI symptoms have morphed into other conditions such as anxiety, depression, autoimmune conditions, infertility, hormonal imbalances and more.

I bridge the gap between the science of Western medicine and the science of ancient medicine practices to help patients achieve health in all aspects of their life: first in their bodies, then in their minds and mindset around life, as well as in their relationships, their work, and more. I help patients who are interested in actually knowing their body’s language, understanding how they work, and are ready to finally start taking action on their health to feel better… and for good.

What makes me the most proud and brings me the most joy is witnessing a patient courageously confronting their own physical, mental and emotional hurdles so that they can see themselves more clearly, love themselves more fully, and find the longest lasting health in their beautiful bodies.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

We are all led to believe that health is achieved through two things: diet and exercise. If we eat our veggies and run a few miles, we’ll have the body (and bodily functions) of our dreams!

While we’d all love to believe in this miracle equation, it’s actually a myth. Health is a lot more complicated than cauliflower and crunches.

Most people think of a healthy diet as lots of veggies, lean meats, and water, water, water. And when it comes to fitness, many of us live by the mantra of “the more the merrier,” enrolling ourselves in certain bootcamp fitness clubs, running, HIIT-training, and lifting heavy weights. Even when our weight stays stagnant, our mood and hormones are hot and cold, and our digestion tracts are all kinds of messed up, we stay on track with what we *think* is healthy.

If you’re reading this right now and thinking: “That is totally me!” Don’t worry, that was me too. I was doing everything “right” but my body didn’t feel right and I was incredibly unhappy. So, what was I missing? What are you likely missing?

While this is a loaded question with at least 100 different possible answers, the truth is this: not all foods function the same way in all people, exercise isn’t always going to help, and most of the time, our body needs additional supplementation and herbal/medicinal help to get us on the path to recovery.

This is where I come in!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Many of my patients come to me having been diagnosed with or suspect that they have IBS. They often experience painful bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, inflammatory weight gain, or a mix and match of both. IBS diagnoses are all too common. Over 48 million Americans are thought to suffer from, what they think as, this “catch-all” disease with no real cure. And yet, nearly 75% of these people don’t have a formal diagnosis, but are suffering all the same.

Through my work with IBS-diagnosed patients, I’ve realized that many also experience varying degrees of anxiety, depression and hormonal imbalances (like irregular periods, acne, eczema and more). So is this just a coincidence? Or is there something else going on? With the body, everything is related and interconnected.

One very common root cause of digestive problems is a result of an overgrowth of aspergillus mold in the gut. Yes, it’s true. Many IBS patients are often suffering from moldy guts from breathing in mold spores in the air. This is especially true for people who live in houses with water damage (or who spend time in places with mold or water damage), and/or people who live near the coast or in rainy places. And what else does a moldy gut contribute to besides constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and GERD? You guessed it: anxiety, depression, and hormonal imbalances.

When I first made this connection after testing many of my patients with specialty laboratory tests, I knew that I needed to pivot and expand my approach to ensure that I was also supporting hormonal and neurological pathways during the healing process. If you don’t look at the whole picture and take a comprehensive approach, you might inadvertently tip the scales in the opposite direction and cause a different issue that we’d have to resolve later.

So, I’ve adopted several nutritional hormone plans to integrate into my healing protocols like seed cycling, for instance, to balance and regulate the menstrual cycles of my female patients. I’ve designed other protocols for both male and female patients alike that support neurotransmitter pathways for a more effective circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) and to also benefit the production of our feel-good hormones (serotonin and dopamine) that help them feel balanced and calm. When you have been feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed due to mold-induced nutritional deficiencies, it can be very challenging to stay on the healing path. So this piece of the puzzle is a huge step in helping my patients feel supported and motivated to continue.

As a practitioner, I am constantly learning from my patients and making new connections. Being able to pivot when you learn new information is a critical component to growth and expansion, and also ensures that I continue to be the best healthcare partner to my patients that I can possibly be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melaniemurphyrd.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthnmellness/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniegmurphy/

Image Credits
Karl Richter