I combine the holistic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the scientific principles of Functional medicine to deliver what I term Integrative Lifestyle Medicine. In essence, I creatively navigate the information I gather about a patient and design a treatment strategy to promote better health and ask patients to adjust their lifestyles to elicit these health improvements. Those changes will revolve around mindset, diet, sleep, movement, detox and so on – all things the patient has some element of control over to help ‘move the needle’ on their care.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. I completed a 4 year program at The Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences in Nelson, British Columbia earning my title of Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (DTCM). I’m a Registered Acupuncturist (RAc) in Alberta. I completed my training through The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). I have completed all available courses through the Kharrazian Institute, plus courses from many other practitioners. I have been in medical practice since 2001.

Apply for a Discovery Call through my website. If you qualify, we can schedule a free 15-20 minute phone conversation to determine how best to work together.

No, not at this time. However, as courses become available, they can be accessed by anyone from anywhere.

No, I am not licensed to prescribe medications. You must consult your physician or nurse practitioner (NP) for access to medications.

I predominantly work with women who have autoimmune Hashimoto’s, with or without hypothyroidism. However, please be aware that autoimmune diseases tend to cluster. Someone with Hashimoto’s may also have Grave’s, Multiple Sclerosis or Celiac Disease or Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus, etc, and I can assist with managing them all. Having more than one autoimmune condition certainly complicates matters but learning to manage autoimmunity applies to any number of autoimmune conditions. We must determine where the body has broken down and correct the imbalances as much as possible, personalized to each unique patient.

You will have access to the Portal and private messaging with me as long as you are a Member.

Membership is for 1:1 patient care with me and any other health care providers on my team. They are high touch, intensive investigation programs, requiring significant understanding of the disease process and development of personalized strategies of care. Membership also comes with significant discounts on nutraceuticals, offers wholesale prices for all Functional lab testing and includes their interpretation. I have managed to keep costs low considering the investment of time, energy and money to create, maintain, and provide a high level of support.

Keep in mind that 1:1 care is not necessary for everyone and may not be the right experience for you at this time. For some, DIY type online courses at lower price points can be an option, as can be topic specific books which can be purchased or else borrowed from your local library. I also provide a lot of useful information through my Facebook page  and my Krista Logic Blog .

There is the possibility of financial assistance through Medicard when working 1:1 with me.

Fortunately, learning to manage Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism and many other autoimmune conditions does not have to be financially expensive, at least when investigating the basics of care. You can read amazing books and take lower cost online courses on the subject to learn how to manage your lifestyle to calm a great deal of the autoimmune concerns. However, in more complex cases, it is often useful to dig deeper with Functional lab testing to determine how best to manage the conditions outside of foundational lifestyle changes. These tests do require financial investment and tend to lead to interventions that also require some additional financial investment (think food, nutraceuticals, medications). The outcomes of that investment tend to be an improved quality of life though which is often worth the effort indeed. Your health is your most valuable asset. Investing time, effort and finances are usually worth it.

Membership  does not include the cost of Functional lab testing or nutraceuticals. You do however qualify as a Member for wholesale practitioner pricing on all Functional lab tests and receive excellent discounts on nutraceuticals as long as you are a Member.

I like to work with several outstanding laboratories in North America. The labs I work with most frequently include Cyrex Lab, Precision Analytical (Dutch tests), Diagnostic Solutions, Doctor’s Data, Genova Lab, and Great Plains Lab.

Testing is for determining immune activation and sensitivities, hormone imbalances, organic acid profiles, levels of various thyroid markers, micronutrient status (eg: Vitamin D3), mold and toxin exposures, gut microbiome ecology and more.

Lab test interpretation is only available to Members or non-Members who were either part of my practice prior to launching the Membership in 2021 or who have completed at least 3 months of Membership with me.

As a Member working with me to help you learn how to best manage autoimmunity, it is ideal to do some Functional lab testing for investigative and strategy of care planning purposes. I do not always begin care with Functional lab testing, but very often we end up needing some, especially for complex autoimmune cases. All Members pay wholesale practitioner prices for lab tests. Typically, testing is an out-of-pocket expense, on top of Membership fees, but occasionally an insurance health spending account may cover some or all of the cost and financial assistance through Medicard may be an option. I recommend you check with your insurance provider for coverage options.

Only a physician who is associated with Functional laboratories can order Functional lab tests for you. However, fees for the tests as well as interpretation would still need to be paid by the patient.

I will interpret all Functional lab tests available for each Member. Typically, I will provide a secure video interpretation of the results followed by a 1:1 consultation to discuss any change to the strategy of care.

If you are accepted as a Member, it means you have a complicated autoimmune condition and are suffering with many uncomfortable symptoms. To more quickly ‘move the needle’ and help your body recover function and reverse decline, you will need a lot of support up front. Supplements and/or herbs will likely be a part of that support for your body. As you recover, some of them will be removed and either replaced with a more appropriate product or not. I do not like to ask Members to take a lot of nutraceuticals, but there will inevitably be some I request they take as part of their strategy of care.

I am choosy about the product brands and forms of various ingredients in products I recommend. I do provide well priced options in clinic and through my online dispensary, Fullscript, as well as direct ordering from some other excellent companies, and Members do get discounts as part of their Membership Plan. I discourage use of other products unless we can prove they are of good quality and include appropriate ingredients. I am strict about autoimmune patients using cleaner products as much as possible so we can prevent unnecessary immune triggering from contaminants or additives.

During your first 3 months of Membership, be aware that there will be some additional costs for nutraceuticals and very possibly Functional lab testing. A safe budget to consider for nutraceuticals would be $300/month, but this can vary depending on patient needs. Budgeting for testing is more complicated as not all patients need the same level of investigation. Typical costs of testing are around the $400 CAD mark – they can be a little lower or higher, depending on the test. I would recommend budgeting for the possibility of $1000 for some testing.

Occasionally, retesting is warranted 3-6 months after initial testing to verify progress beyond symptom resolution.

One hour per month with the Lifestyle Coach is included for GOLD and SILVER Members. For additional fees, more time can be scheduled with her.

Fees are extra to work with the Nurse Practitioner. However, her fees are very reasonable and bloodwork would be subsidized by AHS if in Alberta. Currently she can only work with patients living in Alberta or who can come to Alberta for testing.

Both practitioners will communicate openly with me regarding your case, while you are a Member, so you get the best care we can provide.

There are many physicians with Functional medicine training, but it is still not common practice. Functional medicine is based on peer reviewed research, much of which is current, but that information has not been taught to most physicians.

Additionally, Functional medicine is practiced more holistically than conventional care. That is why Functional medicine integrates so well with the holistic practice of Chinese medicine, which I also practice. We look for root causes of conditions and always ask WHY not only how or what when trying to determine a strategy of care. We look at how systems work in tandem, not solo. We look for smoke signals, not only fires to put out.

The conventional model for treating Hashimoto’s is to deliver adequate replacement thyroid hormone medication as the thyroid is destroyed and often to manage each symptom individually (eg: antidepressants for anxiety). The Functional model is to ensure adequate replacement thyroid hormone, if needed, of course, while figuring out how to manage interactions between body systems, rebuilding deficiencies, improving diet and digestion, improving microbiome ecology, removing triggers when possible, getting you moving, encouraging better sleep and a healthier mindset, and more.

I encourage you to discuss with your physician what you’re learning about Hashimoto’s and I hope he or she is receptive and remains a valuable part of your health team.

If you require some financial assistance to participate as a Member, you can apply for medical cost assistance through Medicard. Applications can be provided at request.

To date, I do not know of any health insurance that covers Functional medicine services. However, if you live locally and include Acupuncture sessions as part of your health care plan, Acupuncture may qualify for some insurance coverage and we may be able to direct bill your insurance provider for you. Additionally, if you have a health spending account, it may cover some of your health care expenses. I recommend consulting your insurance provider for more information as we cannot do that on your behalf.

The Case Fee of $300 CAD is non-refundable. However, if you decide to back out of Membership prior to your initial appointment, any moneys already paid, aside from the Case Fee, will be refunded in full minus a $25 processing fee. No refunds will be granted for Memberships once Membership has begun. You are initially locked by contract into a 3 month program. If you decide to continue in Membership month to month beyond those initial 3 months, no refunds will be given and you must give 30 days notice to stop automatic billing of your credit card for the Membership amount.

If you purchase nutraceuticals in the clinic, refunds are only available for unaltered products within 10 days of purchase. Online order refunds are handled by the suppliers directly.

I would argue there is no cure yet for autoimmune conditions. They are manageable, however, with some consistent, directed effort. I require a minimum of 3 months at the start of all Memberships because I have found we get the best results with consistent care in such a time frame. Once you get big wins, you would rarely go back to destructive habits. Expecting complete remission or complete management of a complex autoimmune condition in 3 months, however, is unrealistic for any practitioner to provide. There may be delays getting lab results depending on other health professionals or labs or when we request the labs. A strategy of care may not be as effective as originally thought and we have to rework the strategy to achieve better results. You may be exposed to a trauma or infection etc during those 3 months that triggers a flare we need to manage. And so on. I will confidently say though you will have many wins in those initial 3 months that should inspire you to keep doing the work and thriving!

Congratulations on making the decision to feel well again! I encourage you to review the specifics of the Needle Mover Membership Plans and determine if you would like to work 1:1 with me. If so, I encourage you to Apply for a Free Discovery Call. If your application is accepted, we can schedule a free 15-20 minute phone conversation to determine how best to work together.

If 1:1 care is not possible or appropriate for you right now, consider reading books  about Hashimoto’s, reading my Krista Logic Blog, and following me on Facebook,.

It may feel like you’ve tried everything to get better, but if you aren’t feeling well, something has been missed. Hashimoto’s presentation will be unique to you. There are root cause commonalities between nearly all Hashimoto’s patients, such as food sensitivities, infections, nutrient deficiencies and so on, but each person will still have their own combination of root cause triggers that must be verified and well managed for healing to occur. There could also be more than one autoimmune condition at play, impacts from genes, missed exposures and more that could be contributing to delayed remission.

I encourage you to think about your own health timeline and figure out when your symptoms first manifested with intensity and what the triggers may have been. Consider infections, traumas, medication use, toxin exposures, and so on. That information would be very helpful to a health professional versed in Hashimoto’s management but also would provide you with an awareness of things you can change that would influence your health. Then you either work with a professional 1:1 or DIY their online courses or study appropriate books to start digging into the root causes and how to recover function. This can take months to years to figure out, but all that time you’ll be improving if you are on the right track. Flares are inevitable but suffering with them long term does not have to happen if you learn how to manage them effectively at the outset. The essential ingredients for wellness with Hashimoto’s are being consistent with interventions and never giving up.

If you are a local Member, then yes, you can include Acupuncture as part of your strategy of care with me. If you’re a non-local Member, I would encourage finding a trusted Acupuncturist where you live and request care and/or I can provide Acupressure guidance for self application that would still provide some benefit. In my experience, regular Acupuncture sessions, especially in the early stages of care, can help the body rebalance at a faster rate. Acupuncture is especially helpful for those who are under a great deal of stress they are finding difficult to manage. Discuss your questions with me and we can determine if Acupuncture would be a beneficial tool for you.