By: Sarah Morton
Katarina Grabic, the CEO of Glow Beauty, has dedicated her entire life to studying and experimenting with gut health. Katarina’s unique approach blends her profound medical intuition with a solid foundation of formal education, enabling her to identify precisely what is needed to facilitate healing in her patients.
Katarina is a Board Certified and Licensed Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner. She is also a Registered Nutritionist and Registered Chinese Herbalist, with expertise in Biological Medicine and Somatic Energetics. With over a decade of experience, Katarina’s practice has thrived on word-of-mouth referrals, reflecting her effectiveness and the trust she has built within her community.
Katarina’s personal health journey significantly influences her professional practice. Diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2017, she quickly realized that avoiding gluten alone was insufficient for her recovery. Despite eliminating gluten from her diet, her symptoms persisted, revealing the complexity of gut health. Katarina’s experiences with childhood eczema, adult acne, and weight management issues further fueled her determination to find comprehensive solutions. Disillusioned with standardized naturopathic treatments that failed to address the root causes of her issues, Katarina embarked on her educational journey at Trinity Western University, initially focusing on nutrition. However, she soon discovered a stronger pull towards holistic approaches, recognizing that conventional methods were not the solutions she sought.
“I began my journey into holistic health after feeling big and uncomfortable in my body for my entire life,” Katarina explains. “Unhappy with the responses from different naturopaths, Chinese medicine doctors, and allergy tests, I began studying the gut for myself.” Her method combines insights from Chinese Medicine, European medicine, Functional Medicine, and Western Science. “I look at their questionnaire, lab tests, and tongue to decipher imbalances, then create specific, individualized herbal and homeopathic formulas, plus food therapy, to allow their body to heal,” she says.
Katarina’s early career was marked by her roles in various naturopathic clinics and leading nutraceutical companies, including Genuine Health and Genestra. These positions provided her with invaluable insights into the formulation of supplements and homeopathic remedies. Her hands-on experience in laboratories and direct involvement in research helped her develop a nuanced understanding of holistic practices. Despite her extensive education and training in both western science and holistic nutrition, Katarina identified gaps in the prevailing approaches. She found that many treatments were based on outdated theories that did not consider the modern state of the gut and the pervasive impact of contemporary chemicals.
Determined to bridge these gaps, Katarina began working with homeopathic companies, teaching advanced medicine techniques to naturopathic and holistic doctors. She specialized in chronic disease management, focusing on methods that offered an alternative to antibiotics. Drawing from these experiences, Katarina started experimenting with different formulas and developed her own unique method.
Her approach focuses on healing the gut to naturally rid the body of parasites, rather than killing them outright. “By killing everything, we do not heal the root of why these parasites are able to thrive in your body, why you are a great host. My job is to make your body the opposite of a great host to these pathogens and viruses,” she explains.
Personalized care is at the heart of Katarina’s practice. “Everyone begins with an intake. Chinese Medicine teaches that every symptom has a root cause. It is so clear from someone’s symptoms, as well as their tongue where the body is off,” she notes. This meticulous attention to individual symptoms ensures that each client receives a tailored treatment plan that addresses their specific needs. Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining an anti-inflammatory terrain, allowing Katarina’s formulas to work effectively. “Diet maintains an anti-inflammatory terrain so my formulas can work. I wouldn’t say that the diet heals the issues, but rather allows the body to heal by not constantly hitting it with allergens,” she advises. The severity and duration of symptoms determine the level of support and formulas needed. “Most issues can be healed with a basic gut reset, but if you have had this issue for 5 plus years, you should opt for a medical or annual membership!,” Katarina recommends.
Katarina is dedicated to continuous learning and expansion. “I am pursuing an international PhD to continue learning and applying new knowledge to my patients,” she says. Her commitment to education ensures that she remains at the forefront of gut health research and practice. For those just starting their journey towards better gut health, Katarina offers simple but impactful advice: “Begin reading labels. Stop eating food-like products and start eating real foods.”
Katarina has found her place in the industry by bridging the gap from Eastern Medicine to the current state of the world, encompassing all modern issues of chemicals and environmental pollution. Her protocols aren’t found in textbooks; she relies on her intuition to tailor treatments to each individual. Katarina understands that every symptom has a root cause and possesses an innate ability to identify it.
Published By: Aize Perez
