Welcome to Sifford Wellness & Clinical Nutrition
Dr. Yana Sifford, DCN, ND, CNS, LDN, MS, MA, RT, is a Board Certified Functional Clinical Nutritionist and Naturopath with over 13 years of experience and a graduate of the School of Integrative Health at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Dr. Sifford integrates advanced functional testing, nutrigenomics, and therapeutic nutrition to guide clients toward optimal health.
At Sifford Wellness & Nutrition, I specialize in personalized functional nutrition and naturopathic care designed to support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. My approach blends the science of the body with the art of individualized healing, creating a path toward holistic wellness that feels both effective and deeply nourishing.
With a focus on functional medicine, clinical nutrition, and an overall healthy meal plan, I provide evidence-based strategies rooted in clinical excellence, while honoring the body’s innate wisdom. Every session is guided by deep listening, compassion, and intention, helping clients restore energy, improve balance, and strengthen overall vitality.
I believe true healing goes beyond symptom management, it’s about empowerment, alignment, and sustainable transformation from the inside out. By integrating advanced nutrition science with intuitive care, I help clients experience wellness as a ritual of self-respect and self-love.
My vision is to redefine holistic health as an elevated, supportive journey where functional nutrition, naturopathic medicine, and integrative care come together to inspire lasting change.
Free 15-Minute
Discovery Consultation
This complimentary 15-minute call is a no-pressure opportunity to connect and see if we’re the right fit for your needs. This is not a consultation to diagnose, prescribe, or interpret labs, but rather to help you feel confident in choosing a partner who aligns with your values and health vision. Let’s take a few moments to connect—you’ll leave with more clarity, insight, and direction.
What is Clinical Nutrition?
Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner & Nutritionist
Functional Clinical Nutrition is the advanced science of how nutrients influence human health at the cellular, metabolic, and systems level—but more importantly, it asks a different question:
Why is the body not functioning optimally in the first place?
Rather than focusing only on what to eat, this approach looks at how your body uniquely digests, absorbs, utilizes, and detoxifies nutrients, and where breakdowns are occurring. Nutrition becomes a precision tool to correct those imbalances and restore function—not just manage symptoms.
Our Approach at Sifford Wellness & Nutrition
At Sifford Wellness & Nutrition, we practice a functional, root-cause approach.
We don’t stop at surface-level recommendations. We investigate:
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Where systems are underperforming
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What is driving inflammation, dysfunction, or imbalance
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How different systems (gut, hormones, metabolism, immune system, etc.) are interacting
Using a combination of:
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Advanced functional testing
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Clinical pattern recognition
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Evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle strategies
We build a fully personalized plan designed to restore how your body functions at its core.
This is not about generic meal plans.
This is about retraining physiology.
What We Help Address
When the root cause is addressed, the body has the ability to rebalance.
Functional Clinical Nutrition can support conditions such as:
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Metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance
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Hormonal imbalances
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Digestive disorders and gut dysfunction
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Chronic fatigue and low energy
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Infertility and reproductive health concerns
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Autoimmune conditions
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Cardiometabolic health
Core Philosophy
Symptoms are not random.
They are signals of underlying dysfunction.
Our role is to identify those signals, trace them back to their source, and use targeted nutrition and lifestyle interventions to restore resilience, energy, and long-term health.
What We Specialize In
Digestive
Health
Your gut influences every aspect of your health. I work with clients who experience bloating, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, food intolerances, or conditions such as IBS, IBD, or SIBO. Together, we
uncover what’s driving your symptoms and restore balance so your digestion supports, rather than
limits, your life.
Hormonal
Balance
Hormones shape how you feel, function, and move through life. Whether you’re navigating women's health challenges such as PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, perimenopause, or menopause, I help bring your hormones back into rhythm. I also work with thyroid imbalances such as hypothyroidism and
Hashimoto’s. Through personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies, we create steadiness in mood, metabolism, and energy.
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing
Nutrition plays a central role in brain health. Many of my clients experience anxiety, depression,
irritability, brain fog, or poor focus. Whether linked to nutrient depletion, gut-brain imbalance, chronic
stress, or hormonal shifts, we identify the root contributors and create a plan that supports emotional
balance, mental clarity, and resilience.
Cardiometabolic Health
Heart and metabolic health go far beyond numbers on a lab report. I support clients with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, elevated cholesterol, hypertension, and those needing a heart healthy diet. My
approach focuses on restoring balance through nutrition, functional testing, and sustainable lifestyle shifts, helping to protect heart and vascular health long-term.
Healthy Aging, Longevity, Stress & Resilience
Aging is natural, but how we age is influenced by nutrition, movement, and resilience. Whether you’re
facing concerns with bone density, memory, cognition, cardiovascular health, or immune function, I
guide you with strategies that enhance vitality, slow decline, and promote graceful, healthy aging.
Women's Health & Fertility
From irregular cycles and PMS to PCOS, fertility struggles, postpartum recovery, and menopause,
women’s health concerns are often deeply connected to nutrition and hormones. I support women in all
life stages with personalized care to optimize reproductive health, restore balance, and nourish the body
for the future.
Unexplained & Chronic Symptoms; Multi-System Conditions
Sometimes symptoms don’t fit neatly into a diagnosis. Fatigue, joint pain, headaches, skin breakouts, dizziness, or digestive discomfort may be brushed aside as “normal” or “stress.” I specialize in connecting these patterns and identifying hidden root causes so you can finally get clear answers and a path toward healing.
Immune & Autoimmune Health
Chronic inflammation and immune imbalance often lie beneath conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis,
rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, or frequent infections. I help you strengthen your defenses,
calm inflammation, and create balance in immune function, supporting both prevention and symptom
relief.
Weight & Body Composition; Metabolic Flexibility
Weight concerns are often the body’s way of signaling imbalance. Instead of quick fixes, I focus on root
causes such as blood sugar dysregulation, thyroid issues, inflammation, stress, or low muscle mass.Clients may experience shifts in weight, inches, or body composition, but the real goal is sustainable
health and freedom from the dieting cycle.
Stress
& Resilience
Chronic stress can leave you feeling wired, tired, or both—impacting sleep, hormones, digestion, and
immunity. Whether you’ve been told you have “adrenal fatigue,” struggle with insomnia, or feel unable
to recover from stressors, I help support the nervous system and rebuild resilience so you feel grounded
and replenished.
Working With Dr.Yana Sifford
I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Yana Sifford as both a student and colleague. She was an exemplary 4.0 doctoral student and quickly became the head associate in my practice, a rare honor. Dr. Sifford brings exceptional clinical skills, diagnostic insight, and calm professionalism under pressure. She leads complex cases, mentors interns, and consistently earns the trust of patients. In more than 20 years of practice, I continue to learn from her expertise.
Dr. Sifford will change many lives, and help many patients, but her best asset is her humbleness, empathy and true dedication to her craft. I have not only been blessed having her in my practice, but it has been a great honor working side by side.
Patients facing chronic disease will be in outstanding hands, she is dedicated, empathetic, and truly exceptional.
~ Oscar Coetzee, MS, DCN, PhD
Dr. Coetzee is a dedicated, dynamic nutritionist, published author, researcher, educator, ranked professor, and nationally renowned speaker.
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