BCom, BA, MSc, CNS (Candidate)
Functional Medicine & Nutrition Science
When you’re ready to take back your health
Clinician
As a clinician, I provide personalised, precision-based approaches to identify and resolve your health concerns, restoring health, vitality, and resilience.
Areas I Work In
Cardiometabolic Conditions
High cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure all fall under this banner because they’re interconnected. So much so that in combination they have their own name: metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), especially if you add in a bit of belly fat.
Did you know having just one of these...
Gastrointestinal Health
From top to bottom, gut issues can present as reflux, upper gastrointestinal pain, gas, abdominal bloating, discomfort and irregular bowel movements. These symptoms can lead
to a range of diagnoses including GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease); peptic ulcers;...
Endocrine and Neurotransmitter Imbalance
The delicate balance within our endocrine and neurotransmitter systems is fundamental to overall health and well-being. These systems, though distinct, are deeply interconnected, influencing everything from metabolism and energy levels to mood and cognitive function...
Autoimmune Disease
In autoimmune conditions, the body's specific immune response leads to damage of its own cells, affecting various body systems including the digestive tract, skin, joints, and nervous system. Conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease...
Fertility
I emphasize the importance of improving your and your partner's health well before starting your journey toward conception. Why is this preconception period so critical?Your health is significantly influenced by your microbiome—the community of bacteria, viruses and fungi living within and...
My Approach
How do I address these diverse conditions? Their origins typically trace back to two fundamental processes: oxidative stress and inflammation. As a client, you will become very familiar with these factors, which arise from a multitude of sources including diet, lifestyle, chronic stress, and your environment, all of which can cause cellular damage. Damaged cells lead to damaged tissues, organs, and systems, disrupting the body's otherwise innate ability to restore function. The impact on your health is as unique as you are.Therefore, my approach is twofold. From the bottom up, I focus on restoring cellular function. From the top down, I address the whole person by considering lifestyle, mental health, and environmental influences that impact your well-being. This involves a personalized, precision-based approach, designed to support your overall health, restore balance, and build resilience.
Business Consultant
Imagine the improvement in patient health outcomes if doctors had more time for their patients and a profound understanding of nutrition. The truth is, they cannot be everything to every patient. However, they can extend their reach and enhance patient care without additional one-on-one time. As a former corporate banker, media entrepreneur, content creator, and now functional medicine and nutrition scientist, I bring a distinctive blend of business development, communications, and health science expertise. I specialise in the strategic development of general practice to promote integrated, holistic care. This includes digital programs that offer patient-centred education, condition-based nutrition protocols, and encourage behaviour change.
A Bit About Me
My journey began in the world of corporate finance, but my true calling lay in the intersection of food, health, and storytelling. Transitioning from finance to filmmaking, I produced documentaries focussed on the provenance of food, the health of our soils and seas, and the environmental factors that influence our well-being. Crafting emotionally compelling narratives, my aim has been to be an agent and inspiration for positive change. This has involved encouraging legislative changes, influencing retailers to improve food quality, motivating individuals to eat well, and remediating mould-affected homes.My subsequent pursuit of a Master of Science degree has allowed me to combine my extensive knowledge, experience and wisdom with evidence-based science to uncover the root causes of an individual’s condition. Alongside one-on-one consultations, I am committed to democratizing health knowledge, making it accessible and actionable for everyone. I am especially passionate about transgenerational health and educating parents-to-be about the fundamental importance of pre-conception health for the next and future generations.
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Copyright ©2024 Sonja Armstrong
Cardiometabolic Conditions
High cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure all fall under this banner because they’re interconnected. So much so that in combination they have their own name: metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), especially if you add in a bit of belly fat.Did you know having just one of these conditions puts you at higher risk of developing another one, leading you closer to a MetSyn diagnosis? And while each condiiton increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and/or type 2 diabetes, in combination this risk amplifies.Their underlying causes usually overlap (you know them: diet, lifestyle and a genetic susceptibility) while how they manifest in each individual varies, requiring bio-individual approaches.
Gastrointestinal Health
From top to bottom, gut issues can present as reflux, upper gastrointestinal pain, gas, abdominal bloating, discomfort and irregular bowel movements. These symptoms can lead to a range of diagnoses including GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease); peptic ulcers; IBS (irritable bowel syndrome); autoimmune conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s and Celiac disease; and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).Crucially, because of the interface between the gut and our immune system, ‘gut issues’ can also lead to widespread inflammatory and immune responses and body symptoms extending to fatigue, skin disorders, joint pain, mood disturbances and even infertility. This interconnectedness underscores the importance of restoring gut health to also promote overall health.
Endocrine and Neurotransmitter Imbalance
The delicate balance within our endocrine and neurotransmitter systems is fundamental to overall health and well-being. These systems, though distinct, are deeply interconnected, influencing everything from metabolism and energy levels to mood and cognitive function.Imbalances in the endocrine system can lead to a wide range of conditions, including thyroid disorders, adrenal fatigue, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Symptoms may manifest as fatigue, weight fluctuations, mood swings, and disturbances in sleep and appetite. Neurotransmitter imbalance can play havoc with mood, energy, focus, and stress levels, contributing to anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and other mental health concerns.Addressing endocrine and neurotransmitter health requires a nuanced approach, focusing not just on symptom relief but on identifying and treating the root causes of imbalance. A comprehensive approach to restoring balance includes nutritional support, lifestyle changes, stress management techniques, and when necessary, targeted supplementation.
Autoimmune Disease
In autoimmune conditions, the body's specific immune response leads to damage of its own cells, affecting various body systems including the digestive tract, skin, joints, and nervous system. Conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease each present unique challenges that require bio-individual approaches. Having one autoimmune condition can increase the risk of developing another, as they often share underlying mechanisms – typically a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, trauma, and/or chronic stress.These elements together contribute to inflammation and an overactive, altered immune response. Identifying and addressing these underlying factors can help mitigate the immune system's overactivity, reduce symptoms, and improve quality of life.
Fertility
I emphasize the importance of improving your and your partner's health well before starting your journey toward conception. Why is this preconception period so critical?Your health is significantly influenced by your microbiome—the community of bacteria, viruses and fungi living within and on you—and your epigenome, which affects gene expression. While you can't change certain traits like eye color, you do have the ability to improve the expression of a multitude of genes that influence health. These factors are key in enhancing your ability to conceive, supporting a healthy pregnancy, and promoting the long-term health and well-being of your child well into adulthood.Your diet, lifestyle, and environment all play a vital role in optimising your microbiome and epigenome and therefore your overall health and fertility. For example, unnoticed aspects of your daily life may contribute to a hidden toxic load that, while not immediately obvious, can significantly affect your fertility. Addressing these elements in addition to improving your nutritional status before attempting to conceive is crucial. By doing so, not only are you ensuring your baby’s best possible start in life but also, remarkably, contributing to the health of future generations. For, did you know that both your microbiome and epigenome can be passed down? In this way, they stand as your most important legacy, shaping the well-being of those who follow.
Disclaimer
Website disclaimer
No Nutritionist/Patient Relationship: Sonja Armstrong (SA), MS, provide users with online access to learn about our services. The notification of these services does not create a nutritionist/patient relationship. Nothing on this site provides medical advice or any form of diagnosis or treatment of any kind to web users. All information provided on SA or in connection with the website are offered for general informational purposes and in support of healthy lifestyles and are not medical advice.Use of information: Neither SA nor its principals, or any individual associated with SA are responsible for the misuse of the information provided or of the content of any sites accessed through links on this website. Reliance on any information provided by SA or its staff is solely at your own risk. This website and any of the links it contains are solely for educational, informational and service and product description purposes only. No information posted or provided on this site is intended to provide any medical or other health care service. Clients can only receive nutritional care based upon face-to-face or appropriately scheduled and limited on-line visits with Ms Armstrong or her staff. You should not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of information through this website. Always seek the face-to-face advice of a physician or other qualified health professional before making any change in treatment, beginning dietary supplements or discontinuing any medications. The purpose of this site or initial contacts that result are intended solely to advise about potential services and are not medical or other health consultations.Supplement Sale Notice: No statement made on the site has been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration nor are any intended to make any claim that these products prevent, mitigate or cure disease.No Warranties: This Internet web site and all of the content contained on, downloaded, or accessed from this Internet web site and its entire domain are provided AS IS for informational purposes only without any guarantees or warranties of any kind whatsoever. SA makes no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to this site or its contents. SA to the fullest extent permitted by law, disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, non-infringement of third parties’ rights, and fitness for a particular purpose. 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