We recently connected with Paula Sturm and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Paula thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my business really came from my own lived experience. For most of my life, I struggled with allergies, gut issues, food sensitivities, and the feeling that my body was more reactive than it “should” be. I knew what it felt like to be uncomfortable in your own body, to not have clear answers, and to feel like you’re constantly trying to figure out why you don’t feel well.

The year before I started my business, my health took a major turn. I discovered I had a parasite and mold exposure, and it completely threw my system for a loop. My digestion, energy, immune system, and overall sense of well-being were all impacted. It was one of those seasons where you realize how deeply your health affects every part of your life: your mood, your confidence, your work, your relationships, and your ability to feel safe in your own body.

But working through that experience also changed everything for me. As I learned how to support my body through nutrition, functional lab testing, supplements, lifestyle changes, and a deeper understanding of root causes, I began to see healing in a completely different way. It was no longer just about “eating healthy.” It was about understanding the whole person: the gut, immune system, hormones, stress response, environment, genetics, and nervous system. That personal experience became the foundation for Radically Nourished.

When I started my business, I wanted to help people who were falling through the cracks. So many of my clients had already been to multiple doctors, had been told their labs were “normal,” or had tried generic diets and supplement protocols without lasting results. They knew something was off, but they didn’t have someone helping them connect the dots.

The logic of the business made sense to me because I could see a very real gap. People with chronic gut issues, autoimmunity, hormone imbalances, food sensitivities, and complex symptoms needed more than a basic meal plan. They needed someone who could look at the bigger picture, personalize the approach, and help them understand what their body was trying to communicate.

What excited me most was the possibility of helping people feel seen. I knew what it felt like to be overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated by your own body, so I wanted to create a practice where clients didn’t feel dismissed or rushed. I wanted them to feel like there was a path forward, not through extreme restriction or chasing every symptom, but through education, strategy, and compassionate support.

In the beginning, my work was very focused on functional nutrition, lab testing, gut health, supplements, and root-cause support. That is still a big part of what I do, and I deeply value that work. But over time, I started noticing something important: many of the people I worked with were not just dealing with food or lab issues. They were also dealing with chronic stress, trauma, nervous system dysregulation, perfectionism, fear around food, and a deep disconnection from their bodies.

I began to see that some clients didn’t need a more intense protocol. They needed to feel safe enough in their body to actually receive the support. They needed regulation before optimization. That realization is a big part of what I’m transitioning into now. My work is evolving into a more trauma-informed, nervous-system-centered approach that blends functional nutrition with yoga therapy, somatic tools, mindset work, and lifestyle support. I still believe in labs, nutrition, and supplements, but I no longer see them as the whole picture.

Now, I’m most excited about helping people rebuild self-trust. Not just giving them another plan to follow, but helping them learn how to listen to their body, nourish themselves consistently, regulate their stress response, and create health in a way that feels sustainable.

So the business started from my own health journey, but it has grown into something much bigger. It started as a way to help people get answers, and it’s becoming a way to help people come back into relationship with their bodies. And that feels like the deeper work I was always meant to do.

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’m a functional medical nutritionist, registered dietitian, and the founder of Radically Nourished. My work centers around helping people with complex health issues: especially gut problems, autoimmunity, hormone imbalances, food sensitivities, inflammation, fatigue, and nervous system dysregulation. I want to help them understand what their body is trying to communicate and create a realistic path toward healing.

I came into this work through both professional training and personal experience. I’ve struggled with allergies, gut issues, and food sensitivities for much of my life, so I understand how frustrating it can be to live in a body that feels reactive or unpredictable. The year before I started my business, my own health was thrown into a huge loop after discovering I had a parasite and mold exposure which affected my digestion, energy, immune system, mood, and overall well-being. That experience gave me a much deeper level of empathy for the clients I now work with, because I know what it feels like to not have clear answers, to feel overwhelmed by symptoms, and to wonder if you’ll ever feel like yourself again.

That period also changed the way I saw health. I realized that nutrition is so much more than calories, macros, or “eating clean.” Food matters deeply, but so does gut health, hormones, inflammation, genetics, stress, trauma, sleep, environmental exposures, mindset, and the nervous system. The body is not a collection of separate parts, it’s an interconnected system, and when one area is struggling, it often affects everything else.

Through my practice, I offer personalized nutrition support, functional lab testing, supplement guidance, lifestyle strategies, and nervous system support for people who often feel like they have fallen through the cracks of conventional care. Many of my clients have been told their labs are “normal,” even though they know something is off. Others have tried strict diets, complicated supplement protocols, or one-size-fits-all health plans without getting lasting results.

The problems I help solve are often layered. Someone may come to me for bloating, constipation, food sensitivities, weight loss resistance, fatigue, hormone issues, or autoimmune symptoms, but underneath those symptoms there is often a bigger story. We may be looking at gut dysbiosis, poor digestion, nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar imbalances, stress physiology, unresolved inflammation, mold or toxin exposure, dysregulated nervous system patterns, or a body that has been in survival mode for a long time.

What sets my work apart is that I don’t just look at symptoms in isolation. I help people connect the dots. I use a functional, root-cause lens, but I also bring in a very compassionate, trauma-informed perspective. I’ve learned over the years that many people do not need a more extreme protocol. They need a safer, more sustainable way to support their body.

In the earlier years of my business, my work was very focused on functional nutrition, gut healing, labs, supplements, and food strategy. That work is still very important to me, and it remains a core part of what I offer. However, my approach has been evolving. I’m now transitioning into a more integrated model that blends functional nutrition with nervous system regulation, yoga therapy, somatic practices, and mindset work.

The reason for that transition is because I kept seeing the same pattern: many clients knew what they “should” do, but their body was too overwhelmed, stressed, shut down, or dysregulated to follow through consistently. They weren’t failing because they lacked discipline. Their nervous system was often stuck in protection mode.

That changed how I practiced. Now, I believe healing often has to begin with regulation before optimization. Before we ask the body to detox, restrict, push harder, change everything, or follow a complicated protocol, we have to ask: does this person have enough safety, capacity, nourishment, and support to actually heal? That is the work I’m most excited about now, helping people rebuild trust with their body. Not just giving them another plan, but helping them understand their patterns, listen to their symptoms, regulate their stress response, nourish themselves consistently, and make changes that feel doable in real life.

My services may include nutrition counseling, functional lab interpretation, supplement protocols, gut and hormone support, genetic insights, yoga therapy, breathwork, nervous system education, and mindset-based tools. Depending on the client, our work may be very practical and food-focused, or it may be more centered around stress, emotional patterns, body awareness, and rebuilding safety.

I think what makes Radically Nourished different is the blend. It’s not just clinical nutrition. It’s not just functional medicine. It’s not just nervous system work. It’s the integration of all of those pieces in a way that honors the whole person. I’m most proud of creating a space where people feel seen, heard, and not judged. So many of my clients have spent years feeling dismissed or confused by their bodies. I’m proud that I can help them feel like there is a path forward, one that is personalized, grounded, and compassionate.

I’m also proud of the way my work continues to evolve. I’m not interested in forcing people into rigid health formulas. I’m interested in helping people create a relationship with their body that feels more honest, supportive, and sustainable.

The main thing I want potential clients, followers, and readers to know is that Radically Nourished is not about perfection. It’s not about restriction, fear, or chasing every symptom. It’s about learning how to support your body with curiosity, strategy, and compassion. Your symptoms are not random. Your body is not broken. And healing does not always require doing more, pushing harder, or following the most intense protocol. Sometimes the deeper work is learning how to slow down, listen, nourish, regulate, and rebuild trust with yourself.

That is the heart of my work.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One story from my journey that really illustrates resilience is the period right before I officially started my business.

I had already created the name Radically Nourished and was preparing to step into the next chapter of starting my own practice. Then, almost right at that threshold, my own health was thrown into a huge loop. After struggling with allergies, gut issues, and food sensitivities for much of my life, I discovered I had a parasite and mold exposure that significantly impacted my body.

The timing was interesting because I was about to begin helping other people with complex health issues, and suddenly I found myself in a very humbling and personal health crisis of my own. It was not just a mild setback. I had two fainting episodes that landed me in the ER, and that was terrifying. When your body becomes unpredictable like that, it can shake your sense of safety and confidence. I remember feeling overwhelmed and confused, but also very aware that I had to keep looking for answers.

That experience affected so many parts of my life: my digestion, energy, immune system, mood, and overall sense of stability but it also became a defining moment in how I would approach my work. I had already known I wanted Radically Nourished to be about more than basic nutrition advice but going through that illness helped me understand, on a much deeper level, what it feels like to be the person searching for answers. It helped me understand the fear, frustration, and exhaustion that can come with chronic or complicated symptoms.

My resilience during that time was not about pretending I was fine or forcing myself to push through. It was about continuing to advocate for myself, listen to my body, learn what I needed to learn, and take the next step even when the path felt unclear. In a way, that season became part of my initiation into the work I was about to do. It didn’t create the business, but it gave the business more depth, more compassion, and more purpose. It helped me see that people don’t just need protocols. They need to feel seen. They need someone who can help them connect the dots but also understand the emotional toll of living in a body that feels unpredictable.

That experience shaped the foundation of Radically Nourished and continues to shape the way my work is evolving now. I still believe deeply in functional nutrition, lab testing, food strategy, and supplement support, but I’m also integrating more nervous system support, yoga therapy, somatic practices, and trauma-informed care because what I’ve learned is that healing is not just about fixing symptoms, it is also about helping someone rebuild trust with their body.

For me, resilience has meant taking one of the scariest and most humbling seasons of my life and allowing it to deepen my purpose. It taught me that the work I was stepping into was not just professional, it was personal! I think that is part of what allows me to meet my clients with so much compassion today.

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

One of the biggest pivots in my business has been evolving from a primarily functional nutrition practice into a more trauma-informed, nervous-system-centered approach to healing.

When I first started Radically Nourished, my work was very focused on functional nutrition, lab testing, gut health, food sensitivities, hormones, autoimmunity, and supplement support. I still deeply value those tools, and they continue to be an important part of my practice. However, over time, I began noticing a pattern with many of my clients.

A lot of people came to me after trying everything. They had done elimination diets, taken supplements, run labs, followed protocols, and tried to “do everything right” and many of them were still struggling. Some were overwhelmed by all the health information they had been given. Some were afraid of food. Some were disconnected from their bodies. Some were so stressed, anxious, dysregulated, or had a history of trauma where even the best nutrition plan felt hard to follow.

That was the point where I started realizing that the missing piece was not always more information or a more advanced protocol. Sometimes the missing piece was safety. I began to see that when someone’s nervous system is in survival mode, the body may not respond well to aggressive healing strategies. Strict diets, detox protocols, intense supplement plans, or constant symptom tracking can actually become another source of stress. For some clients, trying to heal became one more thing their body had to brace against. That realization changed the way I practice.

I started asking deeper questions. Not just, “What foods are triggering this person?” or “What labs are off?” but also, “Does this person feel safe in their body?” “Do they trust their body?” “Are they able to slow down enough to notice what they need?” “Is their system regulated enough to receive the support we are giving it?” That is where the pivot began.

My work now blends functional nutrition with nervous system regulation, yoga therapy, somatic practices, breathwork, mindset work, and a trauma-informed lens. I still use food, labs, supplements, and lifestyle strategies, but I approach them differently. Instead of assuming that healing comes from doing more, I help clients build the capacity to support themselves in a way that feels sustainable.

A big part of my work now is helping people move from fear and control into connection and self-trust. Many clients have spent years feeling like their body is the enemy. They feel betrayed by symptoms, confused by food reactions, or frustrated that they cannot follow through with the things they “know” they should do. I want to help them understand that their body is not broken, often, it is protective. It is adapting to stress, trauma, inflammation, depletion, or overwhelm.

That shift has been really meaningful for me because it feels more honest and more complete. Functional nutrition is powerful but I no longer believe it should be separated from the nervous system, emotions, trauma patterns, and lived experience of the person sitting in front of me. The pivot has also helped me create a more compassionate and realistic approach to healing. Instead of pushing people into strict protocols, I help them regulate first, stabilize their habits, reconnect with their body, and then make more targeted nutrition and lifestyle changes from a place of safety rather than fear.

What I’m most excited about now is helping people understand that healing does not have to be extreme to be effective. Sometimes the most powerful work is learning how to slow down, breathe, eat consistently, sleep better, feel your body, notice your patterns, and begin trusting yourself again.

This pivot has made my work feel more aligned with who I am and what I believe people truly need. I still love the science, the labs, the nutrition, and the strategy. I also know that people are not protocols, they are whole human beings with nervous systems, stories, emotions, and bodies that have often been doing their best to protect them.

That is the direction Radically Nourished is moving in now: a blend of functional nutrition, nervous system support, and trauma-informed care that helps people heal in a way that feels grounded, compassionate, and sustainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://radicallynourished.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radically_nourished/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radicallynourished
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-sturm-rd-fmn-cgn-cfsp-157939a4
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@radicallynourished2574

Image Credits

Katrina Marie Photography