About Cassie
My story
My path to nutritional therapy was inevitable given constant illness and surgery from childhood to adulthood, starting at the ripe age of two days old. I’ve thought about giving you the whole sordid story, but honestly – there is not enough time, coffee (or wine!) in the world. Instead, here’s the highlight reel:
- Lifelong eczema
- Hormonal imbalances (PCOS) causing acne, anxiety and insulin resistance, as well as thyroid, fertility and pregnancy issues
- Endometriosis
- Recurrent sinus infections and immune challenges
- Kidney issues
- Digestive problems onset at motherhood
- Impaired detoxification and methylation
- Increasing food sensitivities
- Multiple chemical, mold and seasonal allergies
Are you cringing? Me, too! It’s not a pretty list, but it’s part of my story, and I’m guessing you can find some commonalities. I’ve seen a doctor or two in my lifetime, and I’ve had more than 10 surgeries, as well. Throughout that time, I’ve come to realize band-aids were being placed over many of my symptoms, preventing me from fully healing. Steroids for eczema and allergies. Antibiotics for acne and after each surgery. High blood pressure meds for my kidneys. Metformin for insulin resistance. Birth control for hormonal imbalances. And so on, and so on.
Little did I know many of the symptoms I was experiencing were interrelated and could be properly addressed by taking a natural, holistic approach to health. This included healing my leaky gut, managing my boatloads of stress, reducing environmental toxin exposure, and eating nutrient-dense, whole foods that built me up instead of broke me down. If I’m being honest, I’m still learning to improve my sleep hygiene. Night owl, here!
It took a functional doctor and several visits to my own nutritional therapy practitioner to lead me down the path of restoration I continue on today. It ignited a passion that led me to pursue this very career in helping others experiencing similar issues. My own health journey is far from over. You can’t undo in a week or a few months illness and disease that took a lifetime to manifest and develop. But, now I have the tools to take charge of my health and optimize it to my very core.
That’s huge, and it’s such a blessing.
Life Lessons
To date, here are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way:
- You can’t out-supplement a bad diet. But, targeted nutritional supplementation can be a powerful tool in helping restore your body’s natural balance.
- You don’t have to get it perfect – you just have to get it going. I thought I had to do this health thing perfectly or I wouldn’t get better. Now, I am kinder to myself. Gentler. I give myself more grace (and often that includes lots of dark chocolate and hot epsom salt baths). You know why? Because making lifelong lifestyle and dietary changes doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey that takes heart, patience, perseverance and a recognition of your self-worth. Take it from me: Don’t wait for perfection. Take imperfect action now.
- This healing journey is as much physical as it is mental, emotional and spiritual. It’s an awakening. It’s real, and sometimes it’s hard as hell. But, it’s work that allows you to find yourself at the end of it all. Your true self. And, that person is incredible.
Bio
Cassie Rief received her functional nutritional therapy practitioner certification from the Nutritional Therapy Association in 2020. She is a certified level three restorative wellness practitioner from Restorative Wellness Solutions, a certified dietary supplement specialist, and a qualified RESTART® Program instructor.
At Evolve Restorative Wellness, she demonstrates the following core values: integrity, competence, equity, transparency, compassion, empowerment, social responsibility and community engagement.
Rief is passionate about finding an acreage someday where she can have a full-blown garden, plenty of chickens and a goat or two. She enjoys teaching members of her community about the value of nutrient-dense food and traditional methods of cooking.
Rief and her husband, Clayton, have two girls, two rescue cats, and one rescue dog. Together, they enjoy Marvel superhero movies, being in nature (hiking and skiing) and reading.
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