I am a scientist and holistic health coach with a mission to help others achieve lasting health and wellness. I want you to LOVE the way you look and feel!! I work with open-minded individuals that crave direction on diet & health challenges by creating a simple, yet comprehensive health boosting program to help YOU achieve the health results YOU want. If you have been “spinning your wheels” when it comes to improving your health and can’t seem to progress, I can help! I provide support, knowledge, functional lab tests, positivity, FUN, and accountability so YOU can get the health results YOU want to feel confident with YOUR health. I believe that it’s our birthright to live our lives with abundance and vitality! Life is a blessing and feeling your best makes this wonderful journey all that much better! I’m here to help you rediscover vibrant health so YOU can live YOUR best life.
CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P)
Registered Clinical Microbiologist & Clinical Molecular Biologist M, MB(ASCP)
California Clinical Microbiologist Scientist M (CLS) & California CGMBS (CLS)
Educational credentials: Master of Science, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Cum Laude, Quinnipiac University, 2015 (MS)
Bachelor of Science, Health and Science Studies, Quinnipiac University, 2011 (BS)
Publications: Rapid Identification of Positive Blood Cultures by Lysis- Filtration from MALDI-TOF MS
Hi, I’m Walter Woods: Scientist & Holistic Health Coach (MS, FDN-P). Here is my story:
Health has always been my biggest passion and focus in life. From a very young age, I have been involved in athletics. Athletics became my life and along with that, a passion for health. I was a natural athlete growing up and felt destined for a life in sports. However, I grew up with your typical American “diet” of eating fast food, takeout, and whatever quick microwaveable tv dinners I could get my hands on. Early on in my childhood the effects weren’t noticeable, and I excelled with everything. But as I hit my high school years, I noticed my body wasn’t on the same page as my mind. It was as if I knew how to perform mentally but was physically unable to in comparison to others my age. I never quite made the connection how of my diet was impacting my body and overall health until I left for college and had to live on my own.
Due to my desire to be healthy and help people, I chose to study health and sciences in college. I didn’t know what I wanted to be other than I knew I wanted to help people with their health. As fate would have it, I ended up working in a hospital as a lab scientist after I graduated. This experience helped me develop skills related to running, interpreting, and reporting lab results to patients. At this point in my life, working in a lab was my passion. As a result, I went back to college and obtained a master’s degree in medical laboratory sciences. I needed to learn more about how the body works and the science behind it.
This was no easy task though. During this time, I was at my most unhealthy. I was overworking myself both in my career and my pursuit of knowledge. I was working night shift as a clinical lab scientist, going to school full-time for my master’s degree, writing a thesis, and had essentially zero social life. On top of that, I was still struggling with eating a healthy diet. Most days I was so burnt out and fast food was so convenient, I would eat whatever was easiest and most convenient. Sound familiar? Something had to give…
My health journey truly began when a friend told me about the “Paleo” diet. Although at the time, I had no idea what it was, I decided to try it. Within the first month I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels, my physical body, and most importantly, my mind. I knew at that point; your diet has a greater influence on your life more than most people realize. It woke something up inside me and I started on my true path of health! I suddenly had extra energy throughout the day even though I was cooking for myself. I felt more engaged in life and was able to accomplish a lot more work in a day than ever before. Once I realized this, I could never go back to my old lifestyle.
As my search for growth and knowledge continued, my main passion developed to become the most optimal version of myself. I started to look at all aspects of my life and always look for areas to improve. This mindset lead me to the path of holistic lifestyle coaching. Knowing that I didn’t want to work in a lab forever, I started to explore the idea of learning about becoming a health coach. I discovered Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® at a health and fitness conference. Becoming a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) brought together my love of science and health to create a beautiful road map for a healthy life. The FDN model is very simple and effective; Look at your entire health history holistically, run functional lab tests to find hidden stressors, create a simple, all-natural personalized health protocol, and learn how your body functions best. By following this formula, you will create the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and be on your way to never having doctor visits again!!
Using everything I have learned; I feel at my most optimal health! I am at a point where I know what diet works best for my body, how to manage my energy levels, how to ensure I get healthy rest, and live with an abundance of joy! But the journey is not over, and my passion is to still be my most optimal self! I am continually learning new ways to improve my health and help others in the process. No matter what health challenge you are facing, it can be overcome! If you are lost in your health journey and need a road-map to get back on the right path, help is here! The feeling of never going to the doctor because YOU are your own doctor, is extremely empowering! Doctors help sick people, not those who are well. Take back your sovereignty and start living with complete joy of your body!
Woods Wellness 