Hi, I’m Tanya Borowski.
I initially became interested in food after leaving school, and undertook a three-year Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering. The years that followed took me all over Europe cooking for chalet holiday skiing groups.
Fifteen years later, following a successful career in the travel industry, I decided to combine my love for food with a growing interest in its healing properties and retrain as a nutritional therapist. Commencing my training in Sydney, I then returned to the UK and completed a three-year Diploma in Nutritional Therapy with the College of Naturopathic Medicine, London.
This left me hungry for delving far deeper into the biochemistry of nutrition, and so I took my studies further to train with the innovative Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM). I completed my Institute of Functional Medicine certification in April 2016, and as such was one of first 25 to gain the qualification - fully certified Functional Medicine Practitioner status in the UK.
Post Graduate Training
I have also undertaken postgraduate training to provide me with increased expertise in functional digestive conditions, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's and the menopause transition. I completed The inaugural Hashimoto’s Institute 12 week training program for clinicians to advance my ability to work with clients with autoimmune hypothyroidism, am a member of the British & International Menopause Societies and regularly attend advanced practice endocrine modules with the prestigious American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) & Kharrazian Institute.
My quest for knowledge has allowed me to partake in specialist training with some of the most respected functional medical doctors and specialists in their fields. I’ve completed immunology training with leading specialists including Dr. Aristo Vojdani and programmes with renowned autoimmunity and thyroid specialists Dr. Datis Kharrazian and Dr. Izabella Wentz, including Dr. Izabella Wentz’s 12 week certification program through her Hashimoto’s Institute. I travel to the United States and Europe at least twice each year to attend training and conferences to further deepen my knowledge and keep those sparks firing in my brain.
In addition to my one-to-one work in clinical practice, I operate luxury residential and day retreats, run masterclasses for healthcare professional and teach at leading Nutritional institutions, such as ION. I have co-written the revolutionary book The Clever Guts Diet with the sorely missed, world's health guru, Dr Michael Mosley.
I believe learning should never stop, to that end, I'm currently studying with Cogence immunology under Dr Samuel Yanuck. Cogence offers the most deep dive functional immunology learning programme for healthcare professionals. In addition, I am undertaking further advanced hormone education with A4M and enrolled in their fellowship programme.
All of this gained knowledge I pledge to share with you! Through my mentoring programmes, consultancy or “The Best of Health “ podcast / blog and webinar series.
In health, Tanya x
Medical seminars and conferences attended
I keep updated on the research in my fields by attending numerous medical seminars and conferences, specifically in mitochondrial, autoimmunity and gastrointestinal health.
FirstLine Therapy® Certification for Cardio-Metabolic Syndrome
Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride’s practitioner GAPS© graduate training
AFMCP – Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice™. The Institute for Functional Medicine teaches healthcare professionals how to apply their principles in practice through an intensive five-day training course called Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice™. I attended and completed the inaugural AFMCP™-UK training in London in 2011.
Functional Medicine APM - Immune Dysregulation and Chronic Inflammation: Chronic Infections, Atopy and Autoimmunity
Functional Medicine APM - Gastrointestinal Health
Functional Medicine APM – Energy & Mitochondrial Health Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine APM - Detox & Environmental Health
Functional Medicine APM - Cardiometabolic
Functional Medicine APM - Hormones
International Conference on Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine
Foundations of Functional Blood Chemistry
Dr. Sarah Myhill – Mitochondrial Dysfunction & Chronic Fatigue
Dr. Tom O'Bryan – Certified Gluten Practitioner
Dr. Datis Kharrazian – Mastering The Thyroid for Clinicians
Dr. Datis Kharrazian – Advanced Functional Blood Chemistry for Clinicians
Allison Siebecker – SIBO conference, Portland
IFM 2017 Annual International Conference
Dr. Datis Kharrazian - Functional Endocrinology
2018 Integrative SIBO Conference, New Orleans
IFM’s 2018 Annual International Conference, “Solving the Puzzle of Autoimmunity: The Interplay of Gut, Genes, and Environment”
Functional Gastrointestinal Practicum: Australia manual assessment skills with Dr Steven Sandberg-Lewis and Dr Nirala Jacobi - Oct 2018
EPIC Functional Medicine Conference: 6 Industry-Leading Speakers (Dr. Mark Houston, Dr. Alex Vasquez, Dr. Kathleen O'Neil Smith, Dr. Gerard Mullin, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, Dr. Robert Silverman) - Houston, May 2019
Dr. Datis Kharrazian’ Training Institute: Neuroinflammation Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications course - California, May 2019
Dr. Datis Kharrazian’ Training Institute: Gut-Brain Axis Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications course - California, September 2019
Dr. Datis Kharrazian’ Training Institute: Hashimoto's Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications course - 2020
Dr. Datis Kharrazian’ Training Institute: Autoimmunity Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications course - 2019
Cogence Functional Immunology 2020- ongoing
Explaining Functional Medicine and it’s real life application
A functional approach to health requires assessing the body through a different lens than is taught in medical school. Rather than pigeonhole symptoms with a singular diagnosis or an individual system, such as “it’s your hormones”, a functional approach respects that because the body is one interconnected set of chemical reactions, and must be regarded as such. Let us use the debilitating symptoms of hot flushes as an example ; do these occur solely and only as a result of entering the transition into perimenopause, or rather could there be a number of biochemical process at play that require some more bespoke attention.
A Functional approach means seeking to identify interactions between different systems in the body through comprehensive case history taking of your presenting signs and symptoms and diagnostics that include blood chemistries, Lifecode Gx Nutrigenomic panels, gut microbiome analysis and others. The goal is to identify and address the triggers and underlying causes of health problems rather than simply focusing on symptoms.
In Functional Medicine, there's no one-size-fits-all treatment so even if you and a friend have the same symptoms or condition you won't get the same treatment plan because your journeys have been entirely different and unique.
Qualifications and professional memberships
Fully Certified IFM Practitioner - Institute of Functional Medicine: Completed 7 modules, case study and passed the Institute of Functional Medicine’s exam to become an accredited Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP), April 2016
Registered Nutritional Therapist - College Naturopathic Medicine, August 2010
Certified with The Hashimoto’s Institute 12 week Training Program for clinicians looking to advance their ability to work with patients and clients with autoimmune hypothyroidism, taught by three of the top leaders in the field - April 2015
HeartMath®Certified Coach - April 2019