Lynda Buitrago earned her Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport (Connecticut) and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS). She creates personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans for people with thyroid disorders and other autoimmune conditions.

What was your path to becoming a nutritionist? What inspired you to choose this profession?

At age 26, I developed severe cystic acne covering my face. I consulted many doctors and received the same ineffective treatments of long-term antibiotics and drying ointments, Ever hopeful, I tried one more doctor, who recommended Accutane. To be allowed to start this drug, I was presented with a legal document to sign that required me to be on two forms of birth control because of the almost guaranteed risk of severe birth defects in case of pregnancy.

This sounded like an overly toxic solution that would probably be unhealthy for me as well, so I walked out the door and decided to search for my own answers, even though I knew nothing about natural wellness at the time. I hit the library and what few natural health websites that existed back then and learned all I could. Within 2 1/2 years, I no longer had acne and I helped family members to change their diets so that they no longer needed hypertension or cholesterol medications. I spent most of my free time learning more about health, leading to attending graduate school in nutrition and starting a brand new career. I love helping people find their health and happiness!

How have your personal experiences helped you work with your clients?

I understand what it’s like to start with no health knowledge and how overwhelming the sheer amount of (often conflicting) information in this field can be. I also relate to the sense of frustration and even anger that can arise when no one seems to have answers. In my experience, I also found that “supplement fatigue” is a real concern, and as a result, I strive to keep protocols simple.