Colleen Bush, RDN, LDN, IFNCP
“You Can be busy and Achieve Your Health Goals — It’s possible!”
Colleen Bush believes nutrition education is the cornerstone of a long life of healthy decisions and fulfilling flavors. She combines her background as a registered functional dietitian with her personal experiences using food to improve symptoms as she crafts lifestyle plans that enhance overall health and evolve as you progress.
“Taking care of a child who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 7 put my concerns into perspective. I asked myself ‘How can I use what I do professionally to help her be more comfortable and thrive? How can I use food and exercise to minimize the potential for additional autoimmune disorders in the future?'”
Colleen’s Story: From Overlooked Patient To Functional Medicine Professional
After working within a clinical setting, Colleen found herself wanting to have a greater therapeutic impact on patient’s lives. At the same time, she faced a series of personal health challenges, including being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s at 24 and rheumatoid arthritis at 31. This prompted her to reevaluate her mindset surrounding healthcare.
“I was maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but my autoimmune conditions continued to progress. I also had some concerns about the potent long-term medications that are typically prescribed for these conditions. That’s when I started to explore alternative options beyond conventional medicine.”
“You’re One In A Million, Not One Of A Million”
Colleen’s quest for answers and personalized care led her to experience functional medicine firsthand as a patient. Her symptoms improved, but she still struggled to find individualized attention and solutions that felt tailored to her needs. She became personally determined to offer a more holistic approach as a provider.
That’s when she joined Donaldson, which has given her the flexibility to spend more time with each patient and the resources necessary to provide direct, hands-on support. Recognizing the dynamic nature of dietetics, food and lifestyle, she remains committed to her patients, ensuring they receive the most effective guidance and support on their journey to optimal health.
“These changes that we’re making — they have to be realistic! I want to walk through your entire day to better understand what looks reasonable to you. What foods do you actually like and what don’t you like? Together, we’ll create a personalized plan while also being mindful that you likely have to cook for a full family!”
How She Can Help You Feel Your Best
Colleen treats Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and a host of autoimmune disorders. If a patient does not have an official medical diagnosis, she will uncover the root causes of various gastrointestinal concerns such as stomach pain, fatigue, bloating, stress and change in stools. Once the source is identified, she leverages nutrition to help patients finally feel a lasting reprieve from their symptoms. Colleen also offers personalized nutrition coaching, specifically for patients with needs surrounding glucose control high blood pressure, GERD and more.
Beyond diet, she emphasizes the importance of movement, sleep hygiene and stress management, offering comprehensive support to address all aspects of well-being.
Learn More About Colleen
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Her toolkit includes advanced diagnostics such as the GI Map, Food Sensitivity and Trace Element tests, which provide valuable insights into immune response and inflammation. With a focus on long-term solutions, Colleen implements a structured approach, which includes diagnostic testing unique to a patient’s symptoms, a one-on-one interpretation of those results and a 4-week habit-building period to avoid overwhelming her patients.
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Colleen holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from The University of Akron, where she also completed a comprehensive two-year internship, gaining valuable experience in various settings including clinical, long-term care, schools and an eating disorder clinic. She started her career at Summa Health before taking a break to support her husband’s relocation to Montreal. During this time, she pursued her interest in integrative and functional nutrition, earning her IFNCP credential from The Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA).
Motivated to apply her expertise, Colleen established her private practice, “Colleen Bush Functional Nutritional,” offering personalized support to her clients. Additionally, she enhanced her skills through the Leveraging Labs mentorship program, refining her ability to interpret functional tests and develop effective lifestyle plans. She continues to share her knowledge through speaking engagements at The Powell Pharmacy and other platforms.
Are You Ready To Go With Your Gut?
When it comes to diet and nutrition, there’s a lot of information out there. Some of it is good. Some of it is bad. But most of it is irrelevant to you and your needs! Colleen will work with you to get a better picture of your health before crafting the right plan to achieve your goals.