The Golden Path-Functional and Integrative Health Coaching

26/10/2025

🔥 Why Your Body Needs Stomach Acid (HCL) — And What Happens When It’s Low

Hydrochloric acid (HCL) in the stomach is essential for healthy digestion. It’s often misunderstood — people think stomach acid is bad because of reflux, but in functional medicine we often see the opposite: not enough stomach acid.

✅ What HCL Does for You
1. Breaks Down Protein
• HCL activates pepsin, the enzyme needed to digest protein properly.
• Without it, proteins stay too large and become irritating to the gut.
2. Prevents Bacteria Overgrowth
• The stomach is supposed to be a sterile, acidic barrier.
• Low acid allows microbes to overgrow, causing bloating, gas, burping, and dysbiosis.
3. Triggers Nutrient Absorption
• Signals the pancreas and gallbladder to release digestive juices.
• Helps absorb key nutrients like B12, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium.
4. Protects Against Food Sensitivities
• Proper digestion prevents food antigens from entering the bloodstream.

⚠️ When HCL is Low → Leaky Gut Risk

Low stomach acid leads to a cascade of digestive stress:

❌ Poor protein digestion
→ Large, partially digested proteins enter the small intestine
→ Immune system sees them as foreign
→ Inflammation + food sensitivities increase

❌ Microbial overgrowth
→ Gas + pressure pushes stomach contents upward
→ Reflux even when acid is low

❌ Chronic inflammation
→ Damages the tight junctions of the gut lining
→ Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”)

💥 The Cycle: Low HCL → Reflux → Antacids → Lower HCL → More Damage

Many people are treated for reflux with acid blockers —
but that actually reduces HCL even more, worsening digestion and nutrient status.

🔑 Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid
• Bloating after meals
• Burping/acid reflux after eating
• Fatigue after high-protein meals
• Nutrient deficiencies (iron, B12)
• Hair loss, brittle nails
• Overgrowth (SIBO, candida)

✅ Supporting Healthy Stomach Acid
• Slow, mindful eating and chewing well
• Bitter foods before meals
• Apple cider vinegar or lemon water pre-meal (if tolerated)
• Functional testing + digestive support such as Betaine HCL (assessed with a practitioner)

🌟 Bottom Line

Stomach acid is not the enemy — it is your first line of defense and a cornerstone of complete digestion. When it’s too low, the entire digestive system becomes compromised, contributing to inflammation and leaky gut.

01/09/2025

27/08/2025

Packed with fiber, healthy fats, probiotics, and antioxidant-rich berries, this No-Bake Yogurt Tart is the perfect summer dessert! 🍓

Ingredients
15 medjool dates, with the pits
¾ cup walnuts
¾ cup unsalted roasted almonds
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons honey
1 ½ cups mixed berries, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries

Instructions
Add the dates to a bowl and cover with very hot water. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and cut in half, removing the pit. Grease a pie plate with butter or oil and set aside.
Add the soaked dates, nuts, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse together until the mixture is finely chopped. The mixture should hold together when pressed between your fingers.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie plate. Lightly spray your hands or the bottom of a flat dry measuring cup with nonstick spray and gently press the crust out to cover the base and the sides of the pie plate.
In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, vanilla bean paste, orange zest, and honey. Spoon the mixture into the pie plate and smooth into an even layer.
Arrange the fruit in your desired pattern. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

10/08/2025

If coffee were ‘healthy’ for us then why do you get caffeine withdrawals when you come off it? Coffee is a plant medicine and should be treated with reverence, rather than a daily necessary habit to function. Coffee sure has benefits but it is a very strong stimulant and subsequently triggers an adrenaline response in the body, over time eventually leading to adrenal fatigue and burnout, and the acceleratation of the aging process, if abused too much. Caffeine does rob the body of some minerals like magnesium and is also slightly dehydrating. There are beneficial antioxidants in the coffee plant but the trouble is, is that most of the coffee we are drinking is heavily sprayed with chemicals, and also laden with toxic mold (mycotoxins). That’s why it’s best to get organic and freshly ground whenever possible to mitigate any of that.

If a substance is truly healthy we should never have withdrawal symptoms when consumption is stopped.

Coffee can be an incredible medicine, and there are much worse things to consume that’s for sure, but personally I think it’s good to excerise restraint with it if you are addicted to it (drinking it everyday).

Coming off caffeine can be brutal. And why is that? Your liver and kidneys are having to clear out the adrenaline residue. If you are noticing bags and dark circle under eyes than quitting coffee will help ease that.

I’m not bashing coffee, after all it’s one of Gods gifts to humanity but just go easy with it and perhaps from time to time cycle off it to give your body a break. I know we all like our creature comforts, but your bank account will probably thank you too if you are guzzling one or two americanos per day.

15/07/2025

✨ July is for Self-Love – and That Includes Your Health ✨

This month, let’s flip the script.
Instead of only thinking about others, take a moment to think about you.
Your energy. Your digestion. Your sleep. Your skin. Your heart.

💛 The truth is: Your symptoms aren’t random. They’re messages.
Messages from your body asking you to listen, slow down, and dig deeper.

As a Functional Health Coach, I help you understand why you’re tired, inflamed, gaining weight, or not healing — instead of just giving it a label.

Together, we:
✔ Read your blood work with a functional lens
✔ Rebuild your foundation through food, targeted supplements & lifestyle
✔ Reconnect you with your own body’s wisdom

💫 My journey back to health began when I started listening to what no one else was seeing.

Ready to start yours?

👉 Book a free clarity call via the link in bio
Let’s walk your Golden Path — back to vibrant, whole health.

17/06/2025

01/06/2025

💫 From Pain to Purpose: My Journey to Healing

There was a time in my life when I felt invisible—like I was screaming inside a soundproof box. I was in pain, exhausted, and constantly being told, “You’re fine.” But I wasn’t fine. And deep down, I knew it.

I know what it’s like to go from doctor to doctor, desperate for answers, only to be dismissed or handed another prescription that didn’t help. For years, I felt like I was just surviving. Until the day I almost didn’t.

On September 11, 2001, while the world was focused on one tragedy, I was living another. Hospitalized with toxic mega colon, severely dehydrated, and too weak to lift my head, I had reached the end of my rope—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Years of chronic illness, unanswered questions, and unrelenting symptoms had stripped me of my strength.

I was a young mother, clinging to life while sitting on the bathroom floor trying to breastfeed. I was a woman whose pleas for help were met with silence, or worse—dismissal. I was told it was in my mind. But I knew better.

After surgery to remove my colon, I lay in a hospital bed with tubes in every direction. I should have been defeated. But something inside me said, “You’re not done.”

That whisper became my roar.

I started listening to the one voice that had never lied to me—my body. It led me to Functional Medicine, to years of research, study, and healing. I realized I had to become my own advocate—and eventually, an advocate for others.

🧬 I discovered that the root of my illness wasn’t just in my gut, but in the system that failed to treat me as a whole person.
🧠 I learned that 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut—no wonder I felt emotionally broken without a colon.
💡 I connected the dots between a lifetime of seemingly unrelated symptoms and a root cause no one had ever investigated.

Today, I am no longer the desperate woman in the hospital. I am thriving. I am alive because I refused to stop listening to my body.

I have turned my pain into purpose—and now, I guide others along their own healing path.

⸻

🌿 The Golden Path Exists Because I Lived the Other Way

Through my practice in Functional and Integrative Health Coaching, I now support people just like you—those who have been told they’re fine when they’re not. Those who feel unheard. Those who are ready for real healing.

I combine the best of science, personalized functional testing, and compassionate, client-centered care to help you uncover the root cause of your symptoms—not just mask them.

✨ If there’s one thing I want you to take from my story, it’s this:

You are not broken. You are not alone. And healing is possible.

Let’s walk your golden path together.
You deserve to feel vibrant, empowered, and fully alive.

With love,
Luana
🌿 Integrative & Functional Health Coach
💛 The Golden Path

27/05/2025

🌀 Step 3: Heal the Gut, Heal the Body 🌀

Over 70% of your immune system lives in your gut.
Your mood, energy, skin, hormones—even your sleep—are directly impacted by the health of your digestive system.

That’s why Step 3 on The Golden Path is all about gut healing.
We use your functional lab data to uncover hidden imbalances—like dysbiosis, leaky gut, or stealth infections—and create a step-by-step protocol to restore balance and resilience.

✨ What Step 3 unlocks:
✔ Relief from bloating, brain fog, constipation, and cravings
✔ Stronger immunity and clearer skin
✔ A solid foundation for long-term healing

💛 When your gut heals, your entire system comes back into harmony.

Drop a 🌀 in the comments if your gut has been calling for help.

26/05/2025

🍎 Step 2: Nourish to Flourish 🍎

Once we’ve uncovered what your body truly needs, it’s time to give it the fuel it deserves.

Step 2 on The Golden Path focuses on nutritional healing—using food as information, not just fuel. Through your functional blood chemistry results, we’ll create a nutrition plan that supports your body’s unique needs.

No one-size-fits-all diets. No fad trends. Just nourishment aligned with your body’s healing rhythm.

✨ What Step 2 brings you:
✔ Personalized nutritional guidance
✔ Support for inflammation, energy, gut health, and hormone balance
✔ A relationship with food that feels empowered, not restricted

💛 True nourishment doesn’t feel like punishment—it feels like coming home to yourself.

Drop a 🥑 if you’re ready to nourish your body with love and intention.

24/05/2025

🌟 Step 1: Laying the Foundations of Healing 🌿

Welcome to The Golden Path — where healing begins with knowledge, and transformation is nurtured by connection.
Step 1 in our 12-step journey to vibrant health is all about building a strong foundation. That means understanding where you are and what your body is telling you.

Through Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis and a personalized health coaching approach, we uncover the story your body has been trying to tell for years. No guesswork. Just science, compassion, and clarity.

✨ This is where healing begins:
👉 Gaining insight into your unique biochemistry
👉 Identifying the real why behind symptoms
👉 Reclaiming your power with awareness

Are you ready to take the first step on your golden path to wellness?

💛 Drop a 🌿 in the comments if this speaks to you — and tag a friend who’s ready to heal from the root.

07/05/2025

The Health of your body starts in the mouth.
Dentist are finally getting on board with the importance of non toxic toothpaste.
Oral microbiome is as important as gut microbiome simply because digestion begins in the mouth.
Checking the ingredients in toothpaste is paramount.
Is toothpaste even necessary?

170.5K likes, 3479 comments. “THE 3 WORST THINGS!😳🦷”