PRAISE
"I’m coming up on my eighth month working with Boston Functional Nutrition and I am so lucky and grateful to say that my life looks completely different. I was someone who, for the majority of my adulthood (I’m now 33), allowed my extreme anxiety and panic attacks to really define and limit me. I thought it was just ‘who I was.’ Since childhood, I also had extremely bad digestive issues and was sick all of the time - almost always after every meal. I came to accept all of this as normal… and doing that only let it get worse over time. In addition, every medication I was on only compounded the problem with side effects that were difficult to overcome (lack of energy, weight gain, etc.)I finally made the decision that ‘something had to give when my panic attacks and digestive issues made it almost impossible for me to go on a simple walk outside without something happening. I began to be afraid to leave the house because I didn’t want to get sick or have a panic attack in front of others. From the first week of working with Ana of Boston Functional Nutrition, my life already started turning around. And I really do mean… my life. My life had become so small because of all the things limiting it. When I hit the reset button, and completely ‘re-learned how to take care of my body, it was the best thing I have ever done for myself - and it started to pay off right away. Now, eight months later, everything I do is with the intent to give myself everything I need - exercise, meditation, and of course - the way I nourish my body. I am no longer taking any medications for anxiety and have a sense of peace and stability I never thought would ever be possible. I’m eating three meals a day (I used to only eat one due to fear of getting sick right after and anxiety), I’ve lost weight and have so much more energy. The first few days of waking up BEFORE my alarm clock and FEELING RESTED? That was truly a miracle for me! One thought I continued to have during the program is ‘why did I never learn this before?’ During every new phase of the program, I couldn’t help but reflect and think - ‘this is fundamental - why did I never question this before?’ In a way, this program isn’t ‘re-teaching you about nutrition and its impact on your body - it makes you realize that you *most likely* didn’t really ever learn about it fully or properly. And best of all, the program and what you learn really is tailored to what you need and what works for you."
Gabrielle
I had been experiencing abdominal discomfort, sluggishness and brain fog for several years, and living off of sugar and caffeine to get through each day. For the first time ever, my TSH level was clinically elevated despite having lost the baby weight from my twin pregnancy and I began to think I needed nutrition help. Going through two IVF cycles with poor response and suspected poor egg quality was the real tipping point that led me to Boston Functional Nutrition. Admittedly, the first 6 weeks are really difficult, and I had serious regrets - especially when those 6 weeks fell over Thanksgiving and Christmas, however, the payoff of program enrollment came quickly. For two years, endometrial biopsies had continue to show that I had endometritis, an endometrial inflammation, that my doctors suspected was due to my endometriosis. 4 weeks after beginning the program, I had an endometrial biopsy that was negative for that chronic inflammation. I felt better, I had improved energy despite not having had caffeine or any sugar outside of what occurs in food and fruit. Now, at the completion of the 6-month program, I have decreased my thyroid medication dose from 75mcg/day to 25mcg/day, feel energized and sharp, almost never have abdominal discomfort, have lost 10lbs despite weight loss not being a goal and overall feel much, much healthier. I am hoping that these improvements translate into improved response to IVF, especially with the supplements added to improve egg quality, but even if not, I absolutely view my diet differently and have learned lessons and habits that will improve my health and wellbeing throughout the rest of my life. Everyone is incredibly supportive and Ana is an absolute pleasure to work with. I couldn't recommend this program more!
Melissa
I cannot recommend Boston Function Nutrition enough! Immediately after joining, I received support from both Ayla and Emily. Ayla was very knowledgeable, and worked with me to create my unique plan that optimized my health—and it worked! Emily also provided me with additional support and made many helpful nutritional recommendations. They were both so pleasant, kind, and supportive during every session.
I would give this practice 10 stars if I could!
Marissa
Working with Ayla and the Team at Boston Functional Nutrition was some of the best money I ever spent! I've had "off" symptoms for most of my life that doctors never took seriously (stomach aches, trouble regulating mood, weird allergic reactions to random foods etc.). I was always told I was healthy, but felt instinctually that something wasn't quite right. After my husband and I tried to conceive for 2.5 years (again everything was "normal" according to doctors), I decided my body was clearly giving me a sign that something needs addressing. I sought out Ayla's help and boy am I glad I did! I learned I had unknown food allergies and was able to address some of the underlying inflammation and gut issues that I probably had most my life! And then miracle of miracle.....I had a confirmed pregnancy just 4 days before my 6 month program with Ayla ended. (That of course was a great HOPE to improve my fertility, but didn't know it could happen so quickly after addressing root causes.) My husband and I could not be more grateful! Thank you Ayla, Emily, Ana and Stephanie for making my experience with Boston Functional Nutrition so wonderful!
Jacqueline
Boston Functional Nutrition has changed my life- literally. I began having tummy problems in May 2020, during the pandemic and had to go to the emergency room, which was anxiety provoking in itself due to COVID and so you know I was really in pain. Following this visit the diagnosis was “an intestinal infection”. The gastroenterologist does a colonoscopy, and tells me there is not a bigger problem, prescribes me antibiotics to clear up the infection and that’s about it. Problem NOT solved, as the pains, bloating and difficulty with elimination continued in an episodic way! That’s where BFN steps in with the firm belief they could help me, a clear 3 month plan that involves a personal nutritionist Ana, zoom meetings and support all along the way. Ana’s expertise was amazing, clarifying through interview and multiple testing that my gut biome was all out of whack. Through food and the right supplements I am back to myself and able to live my life without any restrictions or fears that I may have “an episode”. In life you get what you pay for I believe this. I mean, it’s your health and wellbeing- that is what is at stake. I now recommend BFN to anyone who may be experiencing gut/tummy issues, as well as their other areas of expertise; fertility and hormone health.
Betty
I'm so appreciative of Emily's support and guidance over the last 3 months through working one on one with her and attending her prenatal group program. I originally reached out to Ayla because I had some concerns about my health and I am so happy to say what a different place I am in now! This team is highly knowledgeable and genuinely cares about their patients. Stephanie is also so friendly and helpful with any questions or billing things that I needed help with. You will be in great hands with this team!
Kara Ann
I started working with Ayla at the start of the pandemic. At that point I had 2 miscarriages, an endometriosis diagnosis and just had deep excision laparoscopy. I’ve been a women’s health nerd for a long time and love reading everything from fertility to pregnancy to postpartum and spend most days on pubmed. So when I needed help I already knew of Ayla and her work especially in the fertility realm. I wanted to check off all the boxes before even thinking about getting pregnant again. Working with Ayla was such a privilege, we did a lot of comprehensive testing— digestive, hormonal, nutritional, that I wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. And I’ve seen functional medicine and naturopathic doctors and am familiar with functional testing. But Ayla takes it to another level, the tests she recommends are the best and more in depth. Being able to fine tune my health preconception was crucial going into pregnancy and shortly after we decided to try again and we conceived on the first try and now I’m due next month. I’ve had a healthy pregnancy so far largely because of my work with Ayla, looking back I’m so thankful we got to work together. She is so warm and friendly it’s like chatting with a friend who is incredibly knowledgeable about women’s health. I also worked with Emily who is such a wonderful, genuine and warm person, her group classes taught me a lot especially about intuitive eating. And Stephanie is incredibly professional and responsive, everyone on the team have been such a pleasure to work with. I feel so confident that I did the best I could and was in the best of care.
Christina
Ayla is truly the best. From the moment we started working together almost 2 years ago I have felt grateful for Ayla's expertise and support. She has guided me through healing my symptoms from PCOS and hypothyroidism, my journey through IVF, and now pregnancy. I am an educated, proactive patient in our medical system and yet I never felt that I received the information I needed to heal. Ayla has given me that care in a kind and easy to follow manner. Her protocols are truly unique to my health and lifestyle. She walked me through every step of the way. I would recommend working with Ayla to anyone who wants to find wellness. Ayla has given me, and my family, the gift of health that will last a lifetime.
Emily
When we first started working together I was really out of balance. My hormones felt off after being on and off the pill, my periods were heavy and uncomfortable, and my digestion was way out of whack. I believed the digestion and period issues were related but my regular doctor didn’t have a lot to offer me in terms of solutions other than more birth control – which I knew had contributed to these problems in the first place. I was hoping to find balance again through natural methods and allow my body to return to feeling good, having energy, and stabilizing my weight.
Since we started working together about 5 months ago I’m noticing a positive change in digestion and much less severe PMS symptoms. I’m able to function and not feel like my life is on hold during my luteal phase and menstruation. Another huge change I’ve noticed is my immune system is working much better. I used to get colds for weeks at a time, all year round, and I have not been sick at all since I started working with Ayla and eating what she recommends and taking the right supplements. This has been an unexpected yet welcome result! This indicates to me that my body is working properly from the inside out, and I’m not over-stressing my system anymore.
Ayla has helped me to understand that slow, steady progress and treating my issues at the source will lead to long-term sustainable wellness. She is very knowledgeable about the science behind everything but made it all accessible for me to understand why she made certain recommendations. She took the time to get to know me, not just my symptoms, to help me heal my body and find physical balance. I also didn’t realize she would help me also find better emotional balance and start working towards appreciating my body, which of course is easier when it’s working properly. Finding balance is improving many aspects of my life and I feel like myself again.
Laura
When we first began working together, I was hoping to uncover the root cause of my stomach pain and digestive difficulties. I would experience daily anxiety surrounding food and eating. I wanted to know why I was having such problems and how I could prevent it. My body was giving me signs but I didn’t know how to read them and fix the problem.
I had tried many things over the past several years. Some of the things helped, but it never fixed what was really going wrong. I became gluten and dairy free, and for the most part remain so. Now I can tolerate both in small quantities, which is amazing to me. I can’t fathom a world without cheese, so the ability to indulge in some of my favorite types of food without being suffering is a victory. I was also diagnosed with stomach ulcers and put on several medications which I had to take 3-4 times a day. This added to a feeling of hopelessness as I knew this was not a good long term solution for my health. Doing something you know does not match with the values that you have for your life leaves you feeling powerless. Which is what I was feeling when I met Ayla. I wanted a long term plan which was in alignment with my values for my mental and physical well being.
Now, I can eat without being in pain or bloating and now experience digestive rest. This may sound strange to someone who already experiences it but when your body has been so upset for so long, you forget how incredible this feels. I have more energy now and have seen improvement in so many aspects of my health and daily life. My hormones are more balanced and my mood more stable. I can hear my body better now, the messages it gives when I eat or drink certain things. I am in more in tune with my body. I no longer have anxiety about eating and have been able to engage in social situations that involve food without fear of being sick or in pain. At no point along the way did it feel like I was giving something up. Ayla worked at a pace where I could keep up, feel supported and not sink into discouragement when I didn’t see immediate results. This takes time and she invests time listening to all the clues along the way. The biggest victory is that I am no longer dependent on ANY medications. I have been on antidepressants and anti anxiety aids for close to 20 years, and I have been off of these medications successfully for a few months. This was a giant HOPE of mine when I began working with Ayla, but I thought that goal was shooting for the moon.
Anyone considering working with Ayla should know that she is a knowledgable and compassionate person. She uses her skill and intuition to walk along side during the process. She uses the time wisely and does not overwhelm you with too much at once. She is gifted at seeing the bigger picture and plotting a course of action to achieve these things, all the while making you feel as if you’ve gained a friend. I can’t think of a thing I would change with our working together. When I felt like I needed more communication or support, she was able to provide that for me. Her ideas are refreshing and infused with balanced wisdom.
I am so thankful for the time I’ve had with Ayla and for the ability to repair and restore my health. I am able to be a better wife and mother for my family and am experiencing wholeness for myself in a way I had not been able to. I also feel very proud of the decision we made to invest in finding a solution toward my health rather than accepting the easier temporary fix.
With gratitude, Joanna
When I came to you I was hoping to get rid of or at least mitigate my stomach/gut issues as much as possible. I was also hoping that by doing that, my skin would also clear up a bit. I had previously tried elimination diets, probiotics, and simply eliminating triggering foods from my diet. None of these really worked long-term.
I have seen amazing results from working with you. I seriously can't thank you enough. Not only are my stomach issues almost completely resolved and my skin clearer than it's ever been, but I also no longer have anxiety about food and going out to eat. I can also drink without serious stomach issues which is huge for me. It had gotten to the point where even a glass of wine or 1 cocktail would leave me in incredible pain.
The best thing about this is food freedom. Although as you know I like to eat healthily and care about what I eat, it's liberating to be able to be in any situation and eat the food. I no longer have to worry that I'll be in a situation in which I can't eat, or, worse, eat and then feel awful for days after.
Obviously, the most important benefit is that I got the results I was looking for. I also found that working with you solidified my goal of becoming a dietitian myself. It was really incredible to see the results firsthand on my own body. Another great benefit of working together was the ability to video call/chat using the portal. That was extremely, extremely convenient!
I'd absolutely recommend working with you. I think that people's first concern would be the price, but honestly if I added up how much money/time I spent on supplements, elimination diets and simple anxiety, I think it's worth every penny.
I have a huge amount of gratitude. My gut issues were so intrusive and debilitating and now without them I feel so, so incredibly free. I can't thank you enough.
Nicole
When we first started working together I was in a place of desperation after feeling as thought traditional medicine would not work for me. I was looking for not only for general relief of my symptoms, but also to find a way to live a more normal, everyday life.
I had been working with my GI doctor and was put on a range of powerful PPI’s and told to follow a restrictive diet that led to unhealthy weight loss. Knowing that this was not a sustainable lifestyle, I began to search for functional practitioners and found Ayla.
Today, I’ve noticed a substantial reduction in my overall symptoms, and I am back to a normal weight and have a normal menstrual cycle. Although I am still recovering, I can now lead a relatively normal life and not be afraid to eat as I hold much more knowledge than I did before beginning this process. The best thing about this is that I feel more like my old self physically and mentally and gaining knowledge that I can use for the rest of my life.
In our work together, I’ve appreciated your ability to explain the science in a digestable way for someone who does not have this background. I like that you provide me with general knowledge and concrete steps to take after each session. I also appreciate that you help me to set realistic expectations for my recovery.
I would strongly recommend functional medicine and nutrition to anyone, and I would especially recommend you as a practitioner given your ability to make the science accessible and warm yet direct feedback on how to achieve optimal results.
I’m very grateful to have found your services and received this introduction to functional nutrition. I can see how this will benefit me for the rest of my life!
Alyssa
When we started working together I was hoping to generally get back into balance. My gut was off and I knew my hormone levels were all over the place. My adrenals were shot, and I felt lousy and exhausted all the time. I really just wanted to feel better overall.
Previously, I took medication for IBS and anxiety for many years to try to help with my gut. I was on birth control pills for 12 years then tried progesterone cream after I got off of it to help with my hormone levels. None of it worked.
At this point, my hormone and adrenal levels are a lot better as we've seen from test comparisons. I feel less irritable and have more energy, and I don't crash like I used to during the day. My gut still has a little work to do, but it's better overall for sure. The best thing about this is that I'm getting better results naturally than I would with prescription drugs that would just mask the symptoms and not heal anything. I'm excited to actually get rid of my problems, not just cover them up!
Monica
As a research scientist at a prominent pharmaceutical company, I was impressed with Ayla’s fundamental knowledge of the science and why she was applying specific treatments. Her treatment plans are all based on key knowledge of how the body and reproductive system works. Her friendliness and genuine interest in her client’s health is endearing, which makes it such a pleasure to work with her.
As a woman struggling with infertility, my life felt like it was spiraling out of control, but by working with Ayla, I felt like a measure of control had been placed back in my hands. It is empowering to feel like I am doing something to regain and prolong my fertility. The fact that she embraces modern technology and supports video conferences with clients is refreshing, therefore we do not need to miss more work, since we already miss so much work with reproductive endocrinologists who insist on face to face meetings.
The changes in our cycles can be unexpected and confusing, it is a huge breadth of relief to ask someone knowledgeable about the changes that occur and have assurances that the changes are normal (or when it is important to bring it up with your reproductive endocrinologist). Thank you Ayla for all of your help.
Dawn