MY JOURNEY

Who Am I?

Hello! I’m Denise Nieuwenhuis, a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor.  I am also an IT Professional and have been working in the technology industry for 25+ years.  You might be thinking, why is she in the health and nutrition space since most of her career is in the technology industry?  Great question! Health and nutrition have been another interest of mine for many years.  I just didn’t know where I could fulfill my purpose in the wellness space until I found Full Body Systems.  This program allowed me to jump into the health and wellness space, where 25 years ago, this certification didn’t exist.  I was very excited to learn about the seven body systems and how the human body functions.  It’s truly an amazing piece of work.

God doesn’t create junk! 

We are divinely created with bodies that are capable of repair, resilience, and renewal, if we give them the right support and conditions. 

Everyone has a story that brings them to the health and wellness space, and I’m no exception. My journey is still unfolding, and I look forward to sharing more of it with you as we walk together toward optimal health and vitality.

Early Years

I grew up in Montana, surrounded by wide-open spaces and farmers. In the summer you’d rarely find me indoors. I was always outside exploring, running through the pastures and fields, catching rides on the farmers tractors/combines or helping move the grain truck forward as the auger emptied the harvest.

If I wasn’t doing that, I was picking chokecherries for a neighbor who made the best chokecherry jam or riding my bike. Or you might find me deep in a grove of trees, barefoot and playing in the dirt, just being a kid, connected to nature in the purest way. I was always surrounded by farm animals, and I loved hanging out with them. Animals have a way of making you feel calm and present. Sometimes, when I was playing out in the grove of trees, I’d suddenly realize I wasn’t alone. I’d look up and find a cow staring me down, a calm, silent reminder that they’d escaped the pasture again. I'd pause my play, head inside, and pick up the phone.

“Howie, the cows are out again in the grove of trees.”

They would come and put the cows back in the pasture and I’d just go back to playing.

Each year, I also spent two weeks in Minnesota visiting family and working the farm. And while it was a vacation of sorts, I was quickly put to work! Pulling weeds in the garden? Ick! Baking in the kitchen? Yes!

But behind that free-spirited kid was a kid who was often unwell. Especially in the winter months, illness seemed to follow me like a shadow. My parents would say to guests on their way out,

“Don’t let Denise stand by the door, she always gets sick!”

That’s where my health journey quietly began. I suffered from chronic ear infections, frequent bronchitis (my dad was a smoker), and deep fatigue. The kind of fatigue that made it incredibly hard to wake up and get to school. Despite the carefree summers, my body was clearly struggling and that struggle followed me into my teen years.

Adulthood

In my early adult years, everything changed after I contracted food poisoning from undercooked chicken. What seemed like a short-term illness had a lasting impact. It left my digestive system disrupted and reactive in ways I hadn’t experienced before.

Shortly after recovering, I made a life-changing move to Minnesota, where I still live today. But despite the fresh start, I continued to struggle with digestive imbalances, things like gas, bloating, and IBS symptoms. I was constantly trying to “manage” without understanding the root cause. Back then, I had no idea how much my diet and lifestyle were contributing to my symptoms. Like many others, I was eating the Standard American Diet, completely unaware of how food could heal or harm. Add to that a stressful upbringing, and my gut health was compromised before I even had a chance.

In my early 30s, things took a more serious turn when I contracted a resistant bacterial infection that truly scared me. That moment became a catalyst. I knew I couldn’t keep ignoring the signs my body was giving me. So, I did what I always do when faced with a challenge, I started to research.

I devoured documentaries on farming, soil health, agriculture, and food production. I learned how mineral-depleted our soil has become, and how that impacts the food we eat and our bodies. This research led me to something called “Leaky Gut.” I was fascinated! I looked at images of the small intestine, zooming in on the tiny villi, the fingerlike projections that absorb nutrients, and I realized, this was me. This was a missing piece in the puzzle of my health.

By that time, I had taken many rounds of antibiotics, including some very strong ones, all of which wiped out my gut microbiome. It finally hit me. It’s time to hit the gym!

Health & Fitness

Determined to take charge of my health, I began working with a personal trainer. I wanted to learn how to navigate the gym, build strength, and follow a consistent workout routine. While they guided me through fitness, I took ownership of the nutrition piece myself. But despite lifting weights three times a week and doing cardio, my body wasn’t responding, and my body fat was not dropping. It was frustrating. I felt like I was doing everything “right,” but the scale didn’t move. Eventually, a trainer suggested something I hadn’t yet considered:

“What if you have food sensitivities?”

Next, I reached out to a functional practitioner and completed a food sensitivity test, and suddenly, another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Shockingly, many of the foods I thought were “healthy” and helpful, were actually triggering inflammation in my body.

Later on, I began working with a different personal trainer who had a solid grip on both exercise and nutrition. With their guidance, my body finally started to respond. The inflammation started to melt away, my energy improved, and, for the first time in years, I truly felt good.

But when I eventually tried to go it alone, I found myself slipping back into old habits. Without consistent support, I struggled to maintain balance in my nutrition, and over time, frustration crept back in. Still, I couldn’t let go of everything I had learned and felt. I knew there had to be more. I kept searching, reading, experimenting, and then one day, I found a certification program that brought everything together.

That decision led me to become a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) and it was one of the most powerful, purpose-filled steps I’ve ever taken outside of pursuing my college education.

What Now?

Since earning my Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) certification in 2024, I’ve officially launched Nourish Yourself to Health, a business rooted in my desire to educate and empower others to understand how their bodies function, and how nutrition plays a key role in self-repair and healing.

In my work, I help individuals “back things up” and examine what’s happening in the terrain of their digestive system. Together, we look at symptoms in the body and determine root cause and begin applying nutrition and lifestyle changes to improve those symptoms. Almost all chronic disease starts in the gut.

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is this:

The body can begin to repair at any age, when given the right conditions.

Restoration doesn’t happen overnight, but when supported with the proper nutrition, the gut can begin to repair itself surprisingly quickly, sometimes within less than a month, depending on the individual. That’s how responsive and intelligent the human body is.

It takes time, consistency, and patience, but restoration is possible. And I'm here to support you each step of the way.

Hindsight

Reflecting back on the little girl who grew up in Montana and working the farm in Minnesota, I now understand something I couldn’t see back then:

Summer was when I felt my best.

And isn’t that true for many of us?

Why?
Because in summer, we’re grounded, literally and figuratively. We’re outside, in the sun, with our bare feet in the grass or dirt, connected to Mother Nature.

There’s something about that connection that brings balance, peace, and vitality. And just like we ground ourselves with the earth, our internal ecosystem, (digestive system), needs that same kind of nurturing care.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about supporting the body’s terrain.

I look forward to working with others to help them on their journeys to better health.