Food as Medicine:

Kristen Allott, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic physician, international speaker, and author. For over twenty years, she has been known as a pioneering advocate for the use of whole foods nutrition for improving energy, mental clarity, and decision-making. In her seminars, people learn how to support their brains and body by treating the physiological and hormonal causes of mental health and addictions. Being passionate about achievable results, she provides resources to support clients and providers. She regularly provides full-day seminars to mental health professionals, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and the Washington State Courts. In 2021, New Harbinger Publishing released her new workbook, Fuel Your Brain, Not Your Anxiety: Stop the Cycle of Worry, Fatigue, and Sugar Cravings with Simple Protein-Rich Foods.

Vanessa Ruiz, ND, RN-BSN, is a naturopathic physician and registered nurse. After experiencing health issues stemming from burnout as a nurse, she began studying integrative ways to help herself heal. Her interest in integrative health led her to become a naturopathic physician with a focus on mental health, trauma, and complex PTSD. She earned her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine at Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Tempe, AZ. She has been featured in the documentary A Created Life: A Journey to Empowerment and Shoutout Arizona for her ground-breaking work in mental health. She is a public speaker on the topic of functional medicine and mental health, teaching behavioral health professionals nationally and internationally. In addition to her clinical practice, she is the founder of Nurses for Natural Health, an organization dedicated to empowering and educating nurses about natural health and burnout recovery.

Vicki Steine, DSc, LCSW, BCHN, IFNCP, has been a social worker for more than 25 years, working in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and works with children and adults with ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, Tourettes' syndrome, addiction, and trauma in her private practice in the Atlanta area. Dr. Steine received her Master's in Social Work from the University of Georgia and her Doctorate of Science in Holistic Nutrition from Hawthorn University. She is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, a Nutrition Certified Practitioner through the Integrated and Functional Nutrition Academy, and a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Dr. Steine enjoys combining her skills as a social worker and nutrition educator to help her clients who struggle with staying organized, keeping focused at work or school, and overcoming the anxiety and depression that often prevent them from fully living their lives. She integrates nutrition, mind-body exercises, and traditional psychotherapy methods, like Cognitive Behavior Therapy, to help her clients live optimally. She has spoken at many conferences and delivered workshops providing education to professionals and lay people alike on the benefits of nutrition and improving mental health. Dr. Steine has had personal success using a holistic approach, including nutrition and supplements, to recover from a near-death boating accident and an episode of debilitating depression.