Hi, I am Martina Pignatone
I am a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, specialised in using Nutrition and Lifestyle modification (stress management, sleep optimisation, light exposure etc.) in order to restore and optimise physical and mental health.
My backgroud is in Psychology, as I got my Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Rotterdam and then pursued a Master in Novel Therapies for Psychiatric Disorders.
I unfortunately realised that the majority of patients still had a lot of symptoms despite going to therapy consistently as well as being on medications. At the same time, more and more research was accumulating on the role of Nutrition and its impact on physical health but most importantly on mental health. I then went back to study to become a Nutritional Therapist, and got accredited with the Nutritional Therapy Association and I am currently completing my training in Dietetics in northern Italy.
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The Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Program
A HOLISTIC APPROACH
I am a certified in Functional Nutritional Therapy. Nutritional Therapy uses a foundational holistic approach to Nutrition, while honoring the bio-individuality of our bodies. The NTP program teaches specific tools for managing clients health concerns and helping them thrive though ancestral nutrition practices and lifestyle modification.
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Bachelor of Science in Psychology
A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
This course taught me about psychological symptoms and disorders as well as their treatment options. It also made me proficient in interpreting scientific studies as well writing them. Statistical analysis and interpretation is extremely important in the world of Nutrition as new research is always coming out.
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Master in third generation Therapies
NOVEL THERAPIES FOR PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS
This Master gave me the knowledge on the latest treatments developed for Psychiatric Disorders such as Augmented Reality, EMDR, Nutritional Therapies and the use of Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction. It also highlighted the role of Nutrition and Sleep.
My story with Chronic Illness.
I struggled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) with hypersomnia, muscle weakness as well as a bunch of random symptoms including trichotillomania, bouts of anxiety and depression, migraines with aura, asthma and horrible seasonal allergies.
Even though most of my symptoms were invisible, my face was swollen and I was dealing with dozens of symptoms.
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I went to different GPs, A gastroenterologist, two allergy specialists, and did specialists visit. Nothing helped until I stumbled on the concept of Histamine Intolerance and MCAS.
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I was diagnosed with Histamine Intolerance (HIT) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
CFS meant that I was unable to work or study and was in bed for most of the day, with debilitating brain fog and sensory issues. I had post-exertional malaise, meaning that any type of exercise would leave me feeling worse afterwards.
The Histamine intolerance / MCAS symptoms manifested as food intolerances, painful bloating and feeling worse after meals as well as during pollen season. I had to sleep after every meal to deal with headaches, tachycardia and dizziness. My eyes would swell and my depression would get more intense.
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I started to get better by following the GAPS nutritional protocol. Which focuses on gut healing. The pillars are broth, animal protein and fats, fruit and fermented foods. The protocol also requires the temporary elimination of grains, refined sugar and seed oils to allow the microbiome to recover.
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Regarding my overall health I am now living a normal and active life again, I am able to work, read, work out and even hike on weekends. I still get some bouts of fatigue but they are more manageable and I can actually rest and feel replenished afterwards.
Histamine Intolerance, I can now tolerate foods like cheese, honey and fish that used to give me terrible bloating (I would look 6 months pregnant), brain fog and headaches.
And most days I don’t feel worse after meals or exercise!Depression is gone, of course I still have days where I am sad or in a bad mood but it is nowhere near the hopeless feelings I used to have on a daily basis. I used to struggle to get out of bed, feeling no motivation or pleasure from socialising or from my hobbies. I would be asking myself why should I even do anything, feeling no meaning or purpose.
My approach
Assessing your specific needs
Each person has different goals, some simply want to be healthy, some want to get fitter, some have specific issues such as intolerances, allergies, digestive or mood symptoms or illneses to manage.
It all starts with assessing personal goals and individual needs.
Creating a tailored plan
My plans are tailored to your priorities, resources and preferences. There is no point in a perfect plan if you cannot stick to it. This allows small lifestyle or dietary changes to have big effects.
Adjusting the strategies
As one gets better needs and priorities will change. This is why follow ups are used to adjust the plan, as well as providing new strategies and tools. Ongoing support is also offered.
What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner?
A Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) is trained to assess the unique needs of a person and customize a nutrient-dense plan to nourish and support them in reaching their health goals.
NTPs use nutrition holistically using individualised recommendations. NTPs are trained to assess and support the foundations of a healthy human body: blood sugar regulation, digestion, fatty acids, minerals, hydration, stress management, movement and sleep optimization.
A Nutrition Therapy Practitioner (NTP) is certified by the Nutrition Therapy Association (NTA) in the US and by the British Association of Nutritional Therapists (BANT) UK.
