Dr. Raluca Tiganila DCN
My professional journey has been shaped by more than 15 years in healthcare, where I gained firsthand experience caring for patients in both acute and surgical settings. Before specializing in clinical nutrition, I worked as a Registered Respiratory Therapist in Canada and later as a Certified Clinical Anesthesiologist Assistant specializing in cardiac anesthesia. These roles provided me with a deep understanding of complex physiology, chronic disease, medication interactions, and the importance of evidence-based, patient-centered care. Building on this clinical foundation, I earned a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition, a Master's degree in Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine from the University of Western States, and a Bachelor of Health Sciences. My work is further supported by research, including serving as the primary author of the integrative review, The Safety of Immediate Extubation and Factors Associated with Delayed Extubation in Cardiac Surgical Patients Receiving Fast Track Cardiac Anesthesia. Today, I combine my background in conventional healthcare with advanced functional nutrition to help individuals uncover the root causes of chronic illness through personalized, evidence-based care.
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My Story
Healthcare has always been at the heart of my life. For more than 15 years, I had the privilege of caring for patients in acute care, critical care, and cardiac anesthesia. I loved the science, the complexity, and the opportunity to make a difference during some of the most critical moments in a person's life. Yet, over time, I found myself asking a question that would ultimately change the direction of my career: What if we could help people long before they reached the hospital?
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That question became deeply personal after the unexpected loss of my mother. Losing someone so close to me profoundly changed the way I viewed health. It made me realize that while modern medicine is extraordinary at treating disease, there is often far less emphasis on preventing it or understanding the underlying factors that contribute to illness in the first place. I wanted to do more than help people survive. I wanted to help them live healthier, fuller lives.
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Driven by that purpose, I began exploring the powerful role that nutrition, lifestyle, and environmental factors play in health and chronic disease. What started as a desire to better understand prevention soon became a passion for uncovering the root causes of illness.
Around the same time, I was facing my own health challenges. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and struggled with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety, and symptoms that often felt disconnected. Like many of my clients today, I searched for answers while being told that everything was "normal." I quickly realized that these conditions were not isolated. They were interconnected through the immune system, the gut, hormones, and the body's response to stress.
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Rather than accepting symptom management as my only option, I immersed myself in the science of functional nutrition, the gut microbiome, immune regulation, and cellular health. Through evidence-based nutrition, targeted supplementation, lifestyle changes, and a personalized approach, I was able to regain control of my health. Today, my Hashimoto's is well managed through nutrition and lifestyle, my digestive symptoms have resolved, and I have learned how to support my body in a way that allows me to feel healthy and resilient.
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Those experiences transformed not only my health but also my purpose. They inspired me to pursue advanced education in clinical nutrition and functional medicine so I could help others find the answers I had once been searching for myself.
I believe that every symptom has a story, every person deserves to be heard, and true healing begins when we look beyond the diagnosis to understand the whole person. That philosophy guides every recommendation I make and every client I have the privilege of working with.