Nora DeBora, founder of Naturally Nora, is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP), Live Blood Cell Microscopist, Yoga Instructor and Personal Trainer who is inspired by the growth and development of others. Nora is passionate about educating and empowering individuals with the knowledge, tools and skills to become the healthiest version of themselves, in turn, allowing them to live a long, meaningful and fulfilling life.

We chose to partner with Nora because we believe in her philosophy. As a holistic nutritionist, she finds the entire digestive cascade extremely fascinating and an integral part of brain health. An intriguing body of research, once on the fringes of gastroenterology, has entered the scientific spotlight. In it are discoveries of a gut-brain-microbiota connection and the idea that organisms in your belly might be influencing your brain, not just the other way around. Healing the gut is one of Nora’s first priorities when working with clients, and her motto is simple…

OPTIMAL DIGESTION = OPTIMAL HEALTH!

More About Nora

Women’s brain health is a strong personal concern for me, as my grandmother at 83 years young passed away from a 10 year battle with dementia. Over the course of a decade, my grandmother was transformed from a strong, independent and proud woman, wife, mother and grandmother, into a confused and frightened being who couldn’t understand what was happening to her. In the beginning, 2 or 3 years before her official diagnosis, my family and I experienced subtle signs of mental health deterioration, but we mainly attributed this to ‘old age.’ Personally, I remember picking her up for a family dinner, and she kept asking me “so, who’s going to be there for dinner?” After I answered the question, we continued on with our conversation or had a few minutes of silence. Then just a few moments later, she would ask me the exact same question and this happened at least 3 times in the 20 minute drive home. In addition to signs of short term memory loss, we also began to notice her impaired mathematical abilities, inappropriate dressing for the weather conditions and disorientation when in the outside world. As I watched the slow development of the disease take the life of my grandmother, I also observed and experienced first hand how emotionally and mentally taxing this was on my family. As my grandmother could no longer take care of herself, she entered a nursing care facility for Alzheimer’s patients where activities were specifically geared for brain stimulation. With daily visits from my mom and weekly visits from her grandkids, it was not an easy transition. Although she was in a facility with trained professionals and specific medications, the disease may have been delayed, but inevitably took its toll.

I now take daily preventative measures through healthy nutrition, mindfulness and consistent movement practices to not only prevent what may be in my blood line, but also to help inspire family, friends and clients to do the same. One of my biggest passions is empowering others. I couldn’t be more honoured to be a part of someone’s health journey. As Gabrielle Roth says, “if you set people in motion, they heal themselves.” With that, I now run my own Health and Wellness business and guide people towards the healthiest version of themselves, beginning with healing the gut.

As Hippocrates so eloquently said, ‘all disease begins in the gut,’ and I am a firm believer of this. The emerging field of microbiome science and increased focus on the gastrointestinal tract has produced some surprising results. Did you know that up to 90% of serotonin (and many other neurotransmitters) are developed in the gut? The digestive system is also known as the second brain and operates completely automatically, without any conscious instruction from you. More studies are also finding a strong link to gut health and mental health.

When working with clients, my first priority is healing the gut and I have had tremendous success with greatly reducing and/or eliminating a myriad of debilitating symptoms such as skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis and acne, to insomnia, anxiety, autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue, depression, IBS, IBD, PMS and much more.

I no longer believe that ‘you are what you eat.’ You are also what you digest, assimilate and excrete. You could be eating the healthiest diet in the world, but not reaping any of its benefits if your gut health is compromised.

I believe in a balanced approach to life in every aspect; work, play and rest. I deeply respect the uniqueness of each and every individual and help clients and communities cultivate strong body awareness to help them take control of their own health. I believe in eating local, sustainable, seasonal foods and getting in touch with mother nature at least once daily. With my infectious energy and compassionate heart, my mission is to inspire and motivate people that with optimal gut health, anything is possible! To help get you started, check out my Free Gut Health eGuide, a simple guide to better understanding your health through the digestive tract.