Hello! I’m Kitty

Functional Nutritionist, Master Herbalist, Culinarian, Health Journalist, Author

It’s always the people who have endured the most in life who become the strongest messengers. I’m not a doctor, and frankly, even the most rigorous and expensive education I pursued didn’t teach me nearly as much as the challenges I faced—and how I went about healing from them. Founding my Estrogen Dominance Support Group on Facebook was another education in itself, one that revealed just how much today’s healthcare is shifting from the exclusive domain of medical doctors to empowered citizen scientists—people who are relentless in their search for the truth.

My own health struggles began early. Chronic ear, nose, and throat infections, a bout of spinal meningitis, pneumonia, and countless hospital visits defined my childhood. I was on antibiotics so often that it became second nature. Schoolwork suffered, but the real challenges began with puberty—erratic periods, migraines from birth control pills, and mysterious flu-like episodes doctors called “migraines.” These attacks, occurring four to six times a year, left me debilitated, drowning in medications that did little more than add new side effects to the mix.

For years, I trusted the system, believing that if I just followed orders, I would find relief. But nothing worked. Some treatments even had unintended consequences, like the devastating realization that I was now dealing with infertility. It became clear that I needed to look beyond conventional medicine.

That’s when my real education began. I immersed myself in the study of gut health, hormones, and alternative medicine, guided by my husband, chiropractor Charles Martone, and other mentors. What I discovered was shocking—the “migraines” I had suffered from for so long weren’t migraines at all. Instead, they were recurrent viral episodes, inflaming my meninges and leading to herpes encephalitis. It had been missed by every doctor I had seen.

Through trial, error, and studying under experts like Dr. Robert Marshall and Donna Gates, I pieced together the knowledge I needed to take control of my health. From there, my mission became clear: to share what I had learned with others. That led to launching my podcast, Stuff Your Doctor Should Know, writing three books on gut health, and growing the Estrogen Dominance Support Group on Facebook, a community dedicated to helping women reclaim their hormone and gut health.

Along the way, I connected with Ona, the brilliant mind behind Ona’s Natural Plant-Based Hormone Support. She had joined my group searching for answers, and our shared mission led to a deep partnership. When she tragically passed away due to catamenial epilepsy, I knew I had to carry on her work. Today, I continue that mission, helping women navigate hormone health with the education and support they deserve.

This journey has been anything but easy, but I wouldn’t change it. Because through it all, I’ve learned one undeniable truth—our greatest challenges often shape us into the messengers we were meant to be.

– Kitty, Healthy Gut Girl