When I first started seeing Kathy Kaufmann-Alderete, RD, CCN at Nutrition Solutions, I had come to a point when I knew I had to get serious with my health or I was going to end up being a sick, tired, old woman. I had three specific problems I was interested in addressing with Kathy:
Kathy spent over two hours listening to me. She ordered a lot of tests, which was expensive, but I felt like this was my last shot at trying to find the secret to my good health. It was worth it!
Through the testing and discussions about the results, I found out a lot about myself. Although my diet was good, it wasn’t the food I needed to be eating. Who knew that mushrooms or vinegar could make me sick (I love both of them!)? There were many food sensitivities and other conditions that required me to be gluten, dairy, and sugar free. Kathy taught me to avoid the foods that make me fat and sick. Guess what? Without starving, the weight started dropping off me. I also have a genetic mutation that makes it difficult for me to get rid of toxins. Kathy helped me make the best decisions about the types of products I put on my body (shampoo, face wash, soap, moisturizer, sun screen, etc.).
There were several serious problems that came to light. Kathy prioritized them and choreographed the healing process for me.
There was a lot to unravel. I’m still unraveling the information from the tests and trying to understand the ramifications of the results. But I’m taking responsibility for my health and Kathy has been a patient, incredibly knowledgeable, and caring teacher. I am so grateful for her guidance.
I realize that being in good health will be a long process for me but it is certainly obtainable! After working with Kathy for about seven months, I have lost 23 pounds, and I’m off of all my medications! I still have joint inflammation but there’s definite improvement.
I am going to be a healthy, energetic woman in my old age and I’m very excited about my future. Kathy has discovered the secret to my good health and is giving me the tools to use to obtain it. My body is different from everybody else. One size does not fit all. I would encourage you to discover the secrets to your own good health – all you have to do is ask Kathy!
Debra S.
Everything I read said to not eat gluten or dairy and so I stopped eating them but really had no scientific basis behind my decisions. I attempted to get off my medications at that time only to experience horrible setbacks. Then, one day, a friend of mine told me about Kathy. I figured “what do I have to lose?”
Kathy and I met in February of 2015. At that time I was on prednisone, and injectable drug every other week and lots of ibuprofen. I went into her office with a pad of paper and an open mind. That was the best decision I have made since 2007. Kathy has educated me on why I have felt so bad for so long and didn’t even know it. Kathy recommended a series of tests that helped identify why I was in chronic pain. Based on these test results, Kathy designed a nutrient and food plan. She figured out that I was eating so many healthy foods that were bad for my body chemistry and I had multiple nutrient deficiencies. She also helped me understand what to eat and how to eat. I still have more work to do, but I feel so much better. It has taken being really strict on what to eat. The great news is that I am now medicine free!!
Thank you Kathy for all of your knowledge and hard work to help me get my body back on track! I highly suggest seeing Kathy for anyone, really. Food can be medicine!
Lisa Kowalski – June 8, 2015
“Kathy Kaufmann – Alderete, RD, CCN of Nutrition Solutions does not work miracles (I will go back on that after a bit). She works in a truly scientific manner. She has no blanket prescription for all her clients. She will not “prescribe” or even suggest diets or supplements without the most exhaustive and complete testing of one’s biochemical makeup. I won’t even begin to describe the importance and necessity of this way of proceeding. it is far beyond what a doctor would conceive of, and at an impressively reasonable cost for something so comprehensive and essential.
This wealth of data is what Kathy draws on to craft a dietary and supplement plan for each of her clients. She considers every aspect of all the information from tests and consultations, and especially Medical/Physician diagnosis, lab results, prescriptions and treatments. In other words, if one is sick, has a specific condition or illness, she addresses scientifically and with medical responsibility, thus with the obvious priority it deserves. At least this was my experience with Kathy. The end result was a quick and substantial increase in my healing and health that appears to be almost miraculous, and which continues every day. But I will include this superlative: There is no one I know of around who is like her, it’s not much of exaggeration (if one at all) to say nutrition solution more o less “saved my life” and I feel great.
I had diabetic complications from poor diet and lack of self-care, bacterial and yeast infections, deficiencies in vitamins and nutrients. I was suffering from stage three kidney failure, and severe confusion and anxiety, lack of energy and focus and insomnia. I was entirely unwell! I could barely even drive. Through her testing and expertise and advice, immediate improvements were made and, within two or three months, these issues showed significant improvement or resolution. It was like a miracle! But Kathy does not do miracles, remember?”
J.K
“I began seeing Kathy more than a decade ago after my doctor sort of half-heartedly recommended her. Some doctors tend to be somewhat egotistical and I guess he figured “maybe” she might be able to help because he had run out of ideas and tests to try. He could not figure out why I was having annoying, daily stomach discomfort, but Kathy did and so began my working relationship with her.
Initially, I had thought my stomach problems were related to reactions from harsh medications I was taking for rheumatoid arthritis, so I had pretty much stopped taking several prescriptions, deciding I’d rather get used to arthritis pain than suffer from prescription intolerance issues. Through testing Kathy recommended, we discovered I had a parasite (probably from a trip to Baja a number of years earlier, which my doctor had dismissed as a possibility and didn’t even bother to run the appropriate tests to know for sure). Parasite taken care of, Kathy moved on to help with my rheumatoid arthritis — for years, I haven’t taken so much as an aspirin for arthritis discomfort. In fact, I don’t have any arthritis discomfort!
My rheumatologist (who I haven’t seen in many years and don’t intend to see again!) could not believe that changing my diet could relieve or eliminate arthritis pain. Because of Kathy, I learned to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet and she recommended several natural anti-inflammatory supplements, which I still take daily, along with other supplements she determined my body needed due to my auto-immune disorder. Through this process, I learned Kathy can read blood tests like no doctor I’ve ever had. Most doctors don’t order full-panel blood tests and then assume if the tests they did order come back in a normal range, you’re healthy, and don’t bother to look further, but not Kathy. She clearly understands how high/low numbers (even in the “normal” range) are related to other blood issues tested and how that equates to your overall health. Over the years, I’ve come to more than trust Kathy’s knowledge. She’s made it her business to understand the body’s chemistry.
I am 66 years old and more than believe that “60 is the new 40”! Here’s a summary list of other issues Kathy has helped me to avoid or significantly improve:
My list is longer, but those are the highlights. Bottom line: I can’t say enough good things about Kathy. I’m sure I would be an unhealthy old lady before my time if not for Kathy!”
MJ
(recently relocated to another state and glad that Kathy welcomes working on the phone with long-distance clients)
“I have had the privilege of working with Kathy for the past 5 years. I first worked with her on my son’s biomedical interventions for his autism. I was providing him with a GFCF diet but wasn’t aware of the additional support necessary to ensure that his nutritional needs were met. At age 9, he has now moved off of his IEP, and I believe we owe a huge part of his tremendous recovery to Kathy’s work.
In addition, Kathy has maintained incredible diligence in trying to get to the root of my own GI issues. She is constantly attending workshops and learning about leading edge tests and therapies in this field. Whether my issues are food allergies, yeast or bacterial overgrowth, or gallbladder problems, Kathy always comes up with a solution. She takes the time to listen and loves to analyze test results. And most importantly, she always has kind words and a laugh, even when you are feeling down.
I highly recommend Kathy for your nutritional needs.”
Debbie R.
“Kathy’s nutrition practice is state of the art and is personalized. This is the future of healthcare because it is effective. She cares for everyone as an individual with grace, humor, and compassion. She taught me that my body type is uniquely mine and requires certain foods to support its health and vitality. I have heard compliments coming from several excellent doctors on how Kathy is up to date with the latest scientific research regarding food and the body. Since working with Kathy, I have more energy, feel calmer, and my mental focus has vastly improved. Also, I lost 49 pounds in a little over six months but more importantly, my body fat went from 25% to 11%.”
Daniel D., MA, LMFT
“Kathy has been my lifesaver. I have been a client of Kathy’s since 1997. I first sought her advice to deal with digestive problems. At that time, I had been struggling with digestive issues for almost twenty years. I had been to numerous gastroenterologists in the San Francisco Bay area seeking help with these issues, but I continued to suffer.
Kathy’s approach was not just to deal with the symptoms but to find the cause of the problems. The tests she used determined the presence of parasites, food allergies, and nutritional deficiencies. I had never been tested by physicians for any of these problems. Once I started working with Kathy and following her recommendations, I was on the path to wellness.
I am following Kathy to her new office location because I trust her knowledge, her always up-to-date recommendations, and her compassion for those of us who suffer with health problems.”
Anonymous
“I am a 71 year old female, alive today only because I was lucky to be referred to Nutrition Solutions and Kathy Kaufmann years ago. My health really deteriorated 7 years ago after taking multiple antibiotics for a H. pylori infection. I was near death, unable to process food, completely malnourished, and I was spending over sixty percent of my time in bed. I did not have any strength to prepare my own meals. I consulted with several doctors and even went to an acupuncturist. They could not figure out why I was so sick. These healthcare providers kept asking me if I was depressed. Darn right, I was depressed. I knew I was dying and could not get any help.
I was referred to Kathy by my dentist. He told me that Kathy was a great nutritionist and told me to make an appointment right away. Kathy was my really last stop and hope. When I first met Kathy, she was extremely professional and seem to really care about my illness. With her incredible knowledge, advice, guidance, and her relentless determination to regain my health back, she recommended a nutrition/health plan based on results from multiple tests which included a food allergy panel. Caring above and beyond, she kept me alive, gave me hope that someday I would be in better health.
Today, I am well and still consult with Kathy. I do admit that I still have days when I don’t feel well but those days are far and few. I travel abroad, still work, and enjoy life to the fullest. I hope that Kathy will never quit her practice because without her help, I will go back to that dark place again. I now live in Texas, but come all the way to California for my “tune up”. I am so forever grateful and really owe my current life to her. I recommend Kathy wholeheartedly.”
Anastasia K.
“Kathy Kaufman has played a HUGE part in helping me improve my health over the last seven years. After working with various western medicine M.D’s and alternative practitioners with very little success in dealing with environmental and food sensitivities, it was when I began partnering with Kathy that my condition improved. Not only did she work to uncover many of the mysteries of my body and health issues through lab samples and conversations, but during this process she taught me a great deal about the causes of my health conditions, and how to remedy them through diet, detox, and supplementary vitamins and minerals. Kathy’s wealth of knowledge and experience, and her patience and determination to sort through complex and difficult health issues, makes her such a successful and valued healthcare practitioner. She takes her mission very seriously, but has a great sense of humor, which adds levity to what can sometimes be a stressful and frustrating endeavor. I would highly recommend Kathy to anyone who is interested in partnering with a great practitioner to improve their health, and gain the tools for continued success.”
A. C.
“I’m sure I couldn’t have made the progress I’ve made with Kathy by just continuing to work with doctors alone. Treatment that didn’t include nutrition and diet wasn’t working. I suffered from chronic life long gastrointestinal problems and emotional issues including anxiety and depression. Now after working with Kathy I have the ability to lessen my symptoms with nutrition, drastically improving my quality of life.
In 1996, I had surgery to cure the symptoms of 6 years of Ulcerative Colitis. The surgery was a complete collectomy with illeopouch. For over 10 years after the surgery I suffered from chronic pouchitis symptoms including gas, diarrhea, and pain effecting my sleep, career, emotional state, and sex life. Ciproflaxin antibiotics on a regular and frequent basis was required to keep from being home sick in bed with Pouchitis. Add to this chronic pareanal skin irritation and my quality of life wasn’t that much better than before the surgery. I really believed the problem was related to the food I ate but I my attempts to determine the problem foods left me confused and frustrated. I often thought of surgically reversing the internal pouch to go with external appliance in spite of what that could do to my sex life and self image.
I had suffered from chronic gastrointestinal issues since adolescence and had been on acid reducer type prescriptions pretty much the entire time since. I had significant anxiety, depression, and an inability to focus at work. I had been taking prescriptions to treat the emotional symptoms and was very frustrated at the effectiveness and side effects. I started working with Kathy in April 2009 on a recommendation by my therapist.
Kathy works with her clients like a great health care professional should, with extensive interviews, tests, and follow through to sleuth out the root causes and treat them. After consulting with Kathy and complying with her recommendations, I have seen a quality of life improvement I didn’t think was possible. The tests revealed food intolerances and avoiding these foods relieved a number of the GI symptoms. Due to the complexity of my case, Kathy would create innovative and varied nutritional recommendations to accommodate my illeo pouch and lack of colon. Occasionally, I had compliance issues, but when I followed the nutritional plan, I saw huge improvements in my physical and mental state. The nutritional supplements she recommended where a remarkable health benefit as well. Most of my life, I suffered with cold and flu symptoms several times a year. This led to excessive time away from work. I can now go a year without these symptoms. Another benefit is that I lost 40 lbs to reach my ideal weight.
Kathy’s approach is to not only to advise but to educate. With the knowledge obtained through Kathy’s consultations, I am able to choose foods that will help me feel better, physically, and mentally. I now can avoid pouchitis symptoms. The most amazing thing is I was able to stop all prescription drugs. At age 49, with my health history, I never could have imagined that I would not need prescription medicine. Truly amazing!
When Kathy took a break from her practice to get married and relocate, she still made herself available to me for consultations over the phone. Before taking a 7 months assignment in Singapore, I was very concerned the food there would have me suffering from GI and Pouchitis symptoms the whole time. Kathy and I consulted before the move and I’m happy to say the supplements and dietary education helped me avoid those issues.
Kathy has truly had a huge impact on my life and I’m so grateful to have access to her expertise and compassion. She truly does have a talent and passion for her work. I am enjoying an amazing improvement in the quality of life and I will always be grateful to Kathy for that.”
J.
“Only a few short years ago, I would say I was your first class skeptic on how nutrition can really impact your body, your health, and your energy. It wasn’t until I crossed paths with Kathy Kaufmann that my attitude completely changed. She changed the life of my daughter.
My daughter was tested for anxiety, heart issues, stomach issues, etc. from her pediatrician and specialists; however, it wasn’t until we tried Kathy’s testing and nutrition protocol that she presented data that suggested my daughter has Celiac Disease. We then brought all the information to our pediatrician and although they never diagnosed it correctly, said, “Oh, these tests mean she is Celiac.” She had almost none of the classic symptoms, so the regular doctors didn’t go down that path. We have a good doctor, however, it was these tests that went “outside of the normal medical pediatrician protocol” that diagnosed her.
With Kathy’s expertise, we devised a healthy diet that immediately stopped the stomachaches, heartburn discomfort and anxiety. I say the word “we” because it is collaboration of what is healthy and what fits into your life. She is a healthy and thriving young woman and athlete that has lived with Celiac for four years now. We cannot thank Kathy enough and have recommended her to many friends that have overcome allergies and other ailments as well. The words “Thank you” will never convey our appreciation to you. Warmest Regards, Michelle”
Michelle K.