My Story
My Story, in essence, is like that of many of my clients when they first come to see me.
They are at a crisis point, often times with some chronic, nagging health issue that has made them wonder where the unfettered health and energy of their youth went. Perhaps the only option their physician is offering is medication that merely manages their symptoms, or surgery or other invasive procedures. It has them thinking and hoping that “There has got to be a better way!”
They come to me because they are not satisfied with the answers they’ve gotten so far, and they may wish for a different path – one that makes more sense and gives them hope to return to more vibrant health, better sleep, more energy, more mental sharpness. They ultimately want to rediscover and enjoy again the things in life that mean the most to them.
How it Began
When I embarked upon the study of naturopathy and nutrition, I reconnected with the passions from my youth for studying biology and voraciously seeking answers about how the world worked. I also reconnected to the healthy “simpler” lifestyle that was available to me in my youth (fresh healthy food, community support, low stress, and regular exercise).Much of this experience from my childhood makes up my nutrition philosophy to this day.
Most importantly I discovered what had been missing from my experience in adulthood – helping others. I wanted to help others achieve the health and vitality that is everyone’s to own if so chosen.
Prior to this point I had been pursuing two other loves of mine: math and music.
I had a natural aptitude for mathematics and loved the challenge of working out a complex calculus equation. I became a self-taught drummer from a young age (and I still play today – I simply love to work out both the feeling and the mathematical precision of music).
I thought to combine these loves and pursued engineering studies in sound and acoustics in my native country of Chile.
After completing my thesis and graduating, I returned to the US and was still rehearsing, writing, and recording music with a group of musician friends.
I even completed a semester on a partial scholarship at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
I was fortunate to be pursuing what I was interested in and my life seemed to be on track.As time went on, I started to feel the lifestyle was at odds with some deeper interest that was beginning to mature inside of me.
I wanted more discipline in my life and had higher aspirations than what I saw the musician lifestyle offered.
My creative, intuitive side loved playing music, but my engineering mindset, which appealed to my scientific curiosities, begged for more development.
Furthermore, I found myself at a point where I was becoming acutely aware of the hypocrisy in the world, my own life included, and this was a great distress to me.
I had reached a point where I knew I had to take control of my own lifestyle if I wanted to become a better version of myself.
Through a twist of fate and some good old-fashioned luck, I was introduced to naturopathy and natural healing and found an immediate resonance. I was excited to get up in the morning, excited for the next adventure that the truths about healthy living were going to bring me, excited about the investment I was making in myself to find greater purpose in life.
To this day, this is what fuels my passion to educate others and share the tools to help them reclaim their health and become better versions of themselves.
The Origins of My Nutrition Philosophy
Growing up, I have heartfelt memories of the beautiful landscape and temperate climate of the seaside town in Chile where I was born, and where my grandparents also lived and had raised my parents.
I remember so vividly the deep connection of a community of extended family and interesting family friends who regularly stopped by to share a lively meal together full of spirited conversation.
My stomach was filled with the freshest of the fresh:
natural pastured meats, patés, cheeses, freshbutter, eggs and milk from my grandfather’s farm (which he sold in a storefront charcuterie in downtown Vina Del Mar), the best bread in the world (made fresh daily), an array of fresh vegetables and medicinal herbs from the family garden, and a seemingly endless supply of native fruits from the family groves – mandarins, cherimoyas, apricots, avocados, lemons, oranges, berries…
The country itself was going through great political turmoil, but my world there as a young boy felt set apart from that, surrounded by the beauty of nature, an abundance of natural foods, and a lively community that promoted a joyful and healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Values
Then our lifestyle took an about face. My father, who was a Doctor, moved his medical practice (and our immediate family) to the United States. Not only were we missing the support and connection of our extended family and community, our diets went from farm fresh to having no space for a garden, began including processed and boxed foods from the grocery store, margarine instead of butter (thanks to the then current studies touting the supposed health benefits), and we now also had access to fast food.
Inherently I knew there was something right in the farming practices, diet and lifestyle of the close-knit community of the “simpler” times in my life, and fortunately I had the opportunity to spend summers back on my grandfather’s farm for years afterwards and stayed in touch with that very special part of my childhood.
When I later became impassioned to study natural health I had this very real and vivid influence to draw from, and these “blue zone” principles still feature themselves prominently in the nutrition education I share with my clients today.
Professional Bio
Ricardo Boye is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist (RDN) and a Certified Traditional Naturopath (CTN) who applies an evidence-based, holistic approach to educate and coach his clients on how they can best achieve optimal health.
He has an in-depth knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine, having worked as a holistic professional for over 20 years, and is well versed in the best practices of nutritional and botanical remedies.
Ricardo received his Bachelor of Science in Dietetics (summa cum laude) from Kansas State University and completed his dietetic internship with a focus in MNT (Medical Nutrition Therapy) at Emory University Hospital. He received his education in traditional naturopathy at Trinity School of Natural Health.
His education also includes a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the Universidad Tecnologica Vicente Perez Rosales (Santiago, Chile). He brings a modern, ‘critical thinking’, science- and evidence-based approach that combines uniquely with the time-honored, global traditions of healing to strike the right balance in dealing with today’s complex health challenges. Ricardo now continues his training in the field of functional and integrative medicine to bridge all of his skill sets in the healing arts.
Ricardo utilizes a wide variety of assessments to help get at the root cause of people’s various health problems. He is formally trained in nutritional assessments according to the clinical nutrition and dietetics model and uses that as the foundation of all of his individualized health plans, recognizing that people are all unique and have different needs.
He employs various additional assessment modalities to round out his care including functional laboratory assessments, electro-acupuncture/EAV testing, and muscle testing with techniques like Quantum Reflex Analysis. He is an avid independent health researcher who is passionate about the role of how foods can heal the body and stays current of the latest in nutritional science.
Ricardo has been educating the public about the wisdom and healing power of the body for over 20 years. Since 2009, his hour-long journalistic radio show “Embracing Health” has broadcast weekly on Brenau University’s WBCX 89.1 FM. Archived shows and new podcasts are available at www.ricardoboye.com
Ricardo enjoys inspiring and educating the public through energetic presentations about natural health. He invites you to join his online community with the hope of “guiding our local and global community to optimal health one person at a time.” To inquire about Ricardo speaking at your event please contact him at ricardo@ricardoboye.com