We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Torgeson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Before becoming a functional health practitioner, I spent nearly 20 years in advertising and corporate marketing. While I had always been interested in food, health, and natural healing, my true turning point came in 2019. I was working in an incredibly stressful job, neglecting my well-being, constantly rushing, and making compromises on my health. My diet, though moderately healthy, was inconsistent; I drank too much alcohol, barely exercised, and rarely got quality sleep. Then, just months after turning 40, I found myself in a GI specialist’s office, blindsided by a diagnosis of pancreatitis and SIBO, along with the urgent need to have my gallbladder removed. Looking back, I now understand that my body had been signaling dysfunction for years, but at the time, it felt like everything was unraveling all at once.

As I lay in bed recovering from surgery, I had a moment of clarity: my lifestyle was making me sick, and I needed to change. I couldn’t keep pushing myself to the brink of exhaustion, sacrificing my health for work. I wanted to truly live, to be present for my family, and to do something meaningful. That realization set me on a new path—I dove into health coaching and nutrition, later expanding my expertise with certifications in functional nutrition and lab work.

I had always dreamed of owning my own business, and in 2021, I finally took the leap, leaving corporate work behind to focus entirely on helping others reclaim their health. My background in strategy now serves me in a different way—I take a holistic, investigative approach to each client’s health, connecting the dots between their symptoms, history, and real-time data from functional labs. By uncovering hidden roadblocks and implementing holistic lifestyle strategies, I help clients move forward in their healing journey. Witnessing their transformation is both powerful and deeply fulfilling, and I feel incredibly grateful to do this work every day.

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 came to this work because I was deeply frustrated by the lack of curiosity and real help I received from the traditional medical system when navigating my own chronic health struggles. No one seemed interested in understanding why my body was in distress—why I was experiencing dysfunctions in the first place. Instead, I was handed medications, protocols, and procedure recommendations. The “pill for an ill” approach felt like a band-aid solution, merely masking symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. I had an insatiable need to understand what was truly going on in my body, yet no one could provide meaningful answers. So, I took matters into my own hands, diving into research and learning how my body—and its challenges—were all connected.

Through years of education and training with the Functional Nutrition Alliance and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, I’ve studied how the body’s systems are meant to work and, more importantly, how they are interconnected. Everything is connected and meaningful. We are not meant to be compartmentalized into separate parts and treated in isolation, as the traditional healthcare model would have us believe. I’ve gained deeper insight into why dysfunctions arise, the root causes behind them, and the common stressors that throw the body out of balance.

I like to think of myself as a health detective—both for myself and for my clients. I work with curious, driven, health-focused individuals to uncover the hidden reasons behind their seemingly “mystery” health issues, so they can make meaningful changes and finally feel at peace in their bodies. I do this through three key areas:
1. Identifying the foods that best support their bodies for symptom relief and sustained energy.
2. Using functional lab testing to uncover hidden imbalances and guide personalized health strategies.
3. Equipping them with a long-term toolkit to prevent future health issues and maintain balance.

For example, I’ve worked with clients who struggled with chronic digestive issues for years. After multiple rounds of antibiotics prescribed by their doctors, their symptoms persisted. Through testing, we uncovered deeper root causes—mold toxicity, heavy metal exposure, or parasites—factors that conventional medicine often overlooks. If you don’t get to the root of what’s driving dysfunction, the standard treatments won’t work, and the cycle of illness continues. That’s why I believe in testing, not guessing.

Making lasting health changes isn’t easy—and it’s even harder to do alone. That’s why my work with clients is a true partnership. I spend hours immersing myself in each person’s health history, lifestyle, symptoms, and lab results. This deep investigative process helps us understand how their health reached a breaking point and what needs to be done to restore balance. We thoroughly review lab results together, connecting the dots between their symptoms and what’s happening inside their body. This process builds trust and, most importantly, provides hope. I’ve seen too many people dismissed by doctors, told their labs are “normal,” or that their symptoms are all in their head. The truth is, there is always something to optimize.

Every client receives a personalized protocol tailored to their functional lab results. This includes guidance on nutrition, rest and recovery, movement, stress reduction, and strategic supplementation. We work together over the course of six months (or longer), meeting regularly to ensure they feel fully supported while implementing changes. It’s an immersive process designed to drive real transformation. And while it requires commitment, effort, and consistency, the reward is life-changing—seeing symptoms improve, energy return, and health restored.

There are no shortcuts to wellness. Just as it can take years for the body to develop dysfunction, healing takes time too. But it is possible. My role is to be a guide and mentor along that journey, and there is nothing more fulfilling than witnessing someone reclaim their health and step into a life of vitality.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My health journey has been long, winding, and relentless. While my chronic digestive issues didn’t demand my attention until my late 30s, they trace back to mold exposure and repeated antibiotic use in my 20s.

Shortly after turning 40, I was diagnosed with SIBO, pancreatitis, and gallstones. My GI’s solution? Surgery to remove my gallbladder—deemed a “useless organ” (it’s not!) —and antibiotics for the overgrowth. Overwhelmed, I went through with the surgery. But as I recovered, I knew there had to be a better way to care for my health—one that didn’t lead to a sudden collapse.

That realization set me on a deep dive into functional health. I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and sought out a naturopathic doctor who approached healing as a partnership. We ran extensive tests—organic acids, heavy metals, parasites, food sensitivities, and more—revealing bacterial imbalances, toxins, deficiencies, and underlying stressors. I also explored acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage, and Chinese herbal medicine.

While I improved, I knew there was more work to do. Through the Functional Nutrition Alliance and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, I gained a deeper understanding of how interconnected our body systems are—and how stress plays a massive role in dysfunction. As a type-A perfectionist, I had unknowingly been in a chronic stress state, releasing cortisol that shut down key functions like digestion, hormone regulation, and immunity. Light bulb moment! I learned that many of my symptoms weren’t just “aging” or “perimenopause”—they were rooted in real, addressable stressors.

Using functional labs, I uncovered even more: parasites, mold exposure, high toxin levels, blood sugar imbalances, and impaired detoxification, all contributing to my digestive and hormonal struggles. The traditional medical model dismissed these findings, but I knew the impacts were real.

Healing isn’t about one quick fix—it’s about peeling back the layers, addressing root causes, and removing stressors while making health-supporting choices. That means a clean, anti-inflammatory diet, quality sleep, balanced movement, and ongoing functional testing. It’s not always easy, but investing in my health now means avoiding irreversible consequences later. And that’s a commitment I’m willing to make.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I had to do it all over again, I would absolutely choose functional health and nutrition. As a second career after years in corporate marketing, this work feels like my true calling. I’ve always been a foodie and fascinated by natural healing, and blending those passions with my strategic instincts, curiosity, and desire to help others is my sweet spot.

I love learning about the body and health—it’s what I geek out on. I’m a lifelong learner, always diving into podcasts, research articles, books, and certifications to expand my knowledge. What excites me most is that this field evolves with me. Right now, I focus on digestion, detoxification and perimenopause, but as I move through different life stages, I know my education and expertise will grow too. The opportunities to gain new insights and help people feel limitless, and that’s thrilling.

Unlike my corporate career, I don’t see myself counting the days until retirement. I want to do this work as long as my mind allows because I love it. The most rewarding part? Seeing the ripple effect—when people in my family, community, and beyond start making healthier choices for themselves. It’s not about me telling them what to do; it’s about them realizing they want better health. I’m just here to make the path clearer and ensure they feel supported along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicoletorgeson.com
• Instagram: nicole_torgeson_health

Image Credits

Elise Robertson