Episode 119 | Feb 27, 2025

From Pharmacy to Health Coaching, With Adriana Shuman

What drives someone to leave a stable career in conventional medicine for a path focused on holistic wellness? In this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes FMCA graduate and former pharmacist Adriana Shuman to share her journey from pharmacy school in Slovakia to building a thriving health coaching practice in the U.S. Adriana’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and a deep passion for helping others achieve vibrant health.

“When I was practicing in the pharmacy… there was just this little inner voice and this little light telling me this is not for you. I am meant to really truly help people. But I knew that the first thing I had to do is to heal myself.”

Adriana Shuman

Adriana’s path to health coaching was shaped by both personal and professional experiences. Growing up in Slovakia, she witnessed firsthand the suffering of family members battling chronic illness and recognized early on the limitations of conventional medicine. After immigrating to the U.S., she sought to heal herself first, embracing holistic wellness and functional medicine as a means to truly help others. Her career evolved through various businesses centered on health education, ultimately leading her to FMCA, where she gained the skills to turn her passion into a structured, impactful coaching practice.

In this conversation, Adriana shares her philosophy on wellness, which she has distilled into her Live Well Methodology—an approach that views health as an interconnected system, much like a tree requiring nourishment from its environment, food, sleep, and movement. She discusses how this method helps clients address root causes rather than just symptoms, and how a shift in mindset can empower lasting change. With a hands-on approach, Adriana guides people through tangible changes in their homes, helping them identify hidden toxins, improve food choices, and make sustainable lifestyle shifts.

Health coaches are uniquely positioned to help clients navigate the overwhelming amount of health information available today. Adriana’s work highlights the importance of personalized coaching, where clients feel supported and empowered to take action. Her insights on environmental toxins, nutrition, and lifestyle factors offer valuable takeaways for coaches looking to refine their approach and guide clients toward sustainable wellness.

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Transcript

Dr. Sandi: I love learning about our graduates of FMCA. What led them to choose health coaching as a profession? Today’s guest trained as a pharmacist before she became a student at FMCA and she graduated in 2022. Let me tell you a little bit about Adriana Shuman. She holds a degree from Comenius University in Pharmacy in Slovakia. But during her studies, she realized the limitations of conventional medicine as she witnessed the health struggles of both her family and patients. In 2001, she immigrated to the U.S. driven by a passion for holistic health and a mission to uncover the true foundations of wellness and align her life with her purpose.

As the founder of Your Wellness Made Simple, Adriana has guided numerous clients toward their desired health goals. Her philanthropic efforts were recognized by two National Philanthropy Day honors to reflect her dedication to making a positive impact beyond her professional practice. Adriana is the author of “The Light: Living Your Truth” and “Live Well: Empowering Habits for Vibrant Health and Unstoppable Energy.” I know you will enjoy my conversation with Adriana. I am proud to call her an FMCA graduate.

I want to welcome you to the podcast.

Adriana: Thank you, Sandi. It’s a pleasure to be here with you. I’ve been really looking forward to this.

Dr. Sandi: So, I love to hear about the journey of our students and now graduates. You graduated from Functional Medicine Coaching Academy several years ago. And I would love to hear about how you got started because you didn’t start out in this field of health and wellness. You were a pharmacist, and you were trained in Slovakia. So, can you share that transition? What were those defining moments where you decided, “I’m going to train for a new profession where I’m really helping people, really making a difference, and helping them get well”?

Adriana: Yeah, it was quite a journey. And I think a lot of people are going to connect to my journey as well, because growing up in Slovakia and actually it was communist country, Czechoslovakia, when I was born, and my journey really was pretty brutal growing up in a very violent home, a lot of suffering, a lot of trauma. And I saw my family members suffer, dying painfully from cancer. And it was very clear to me as I went to pharmaceutical school, and I was learning about medicine, and I was practicing in the pharmacy that this is not the path I’m supposed to be on. It was just this little inner voice and this little light telling me this is not for you. I am meant to really truly help people. But I knew that the first thing I had to do is to heal myself.

So, the really first step after graduating from school, I knew I had to leave the country to separate from my family completely and break the cycle and heal myself. So, I came to the U.S. when I was 26. And that’s when my journey really started, when I started to learn English first and then grab all the resources that I could possibly have to heal my inner world and then also the outer environment that I call it from food and toxicity from mold and other things. And I discovered functional medicine and I really dove into more of the natural way of healing. And I also, going back to the pharmaceutical school, what I learned when I came to the U.S., our university was very different from the one in the U.S., because we actually had our own herbal garden at our university.

Dr. Sandi: Wow. Amazing. That’s so cool.

Adriana: Yeah, and I thought that was normal. Yeah, and I met some pharmacists in the U.S. and they were looking at me like, “What? We don’t have herbal gardens here. It’s all about synthetic medicine.” So, that I think already put a seed into my head that, hold on, we learned everything from the roots to leaves to stems. We studied the cells and how they actually… The medicine has been developed through understanding the nature. So, it wasn’t really just like a thinking process. It was just going through listening to my intuition.

So, that was my process. I had my really first business in 2008 that was focused on teaching people in sustainable living. I was actually teaching mothers at that time about safe products for their babies. When I closed that business and I went into another business, I was focused on organic sustainable food. And again, every business that I had, it was really focused on education. And then in 2021, when I sold that business, I was like, hold on, all I’ve been doing is really doing workshops, educating people. And I absolutely loved it. And I worked with a lot of kids and it was very clear. I have to get the coaching license because I have to learn how to actually deliver all the education that I absolutely enjoy in the way that is going to be serving people in better ways.

So, then I looked around and I found the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy being the absolute best.

Dr. Sandi: Thank you for that.

Adriana: And you are so inspiring with your journey and your story when I was looking into your story and how I always want to be connected with people that are doing things from the heart and true passion in helping people and changing the world. So, it was a no brainer. I started Coaching Academy, and I had no idea where it’s going to lead to. And here I am today with my new business.

Dr. Sandi: Oh, I love it. And you really exemplify the best of health coaching, which is you have a mission. You have a mission to serve, and you are inspiring people to take charge of their health. So, tell us about your work. What are you doing at present and what does that look like? How do you have a unique way of people?

Adriana: Yeah, thank you. So, through the process of having my business, Your Wellness Made Simple, that I started right after I finished the Coaching Academy, I started to develop this method called Live Well Methodology where I interconnected the pieces of wellness. And I explain it in a way as a tree. You have a seed, and the seed in order for it to grow like a seed of an oak tree, it needs soil, water and sunlight. And we can’t separate one from the other. And I know many times we have to focus on one element, and it’s really hard to focus on the whole picture. But my methodology really brings up everything together, and every system needs to…we need to pay attention to every single system. And that system is made of environment, which is like the soil and food, sleep and movement. And all of these four together interconnected really create vibrant health and unstoppable energy that I talk about in my book. And you cannot separate one from the other. But we always start with the environment. That’s the soil. That’s your upbringing. That’s your inner environment. That is your outer environment. That is what really gives the seed the nurturing ingredients that it needs in order for it to grow into a strong, healthy oak tree.

So, that is that is my unique way how I really guide people and explain to people how to look at health in a different way. And just like your Coaching Academy and your beliefs in functional medicine is growing health from the roots. So, that’s really what my method is about. And it breaks it up into these four methods. And each method has its own framework to simplify.

Dr. Sandi: That is so, so beautiful. So, you went from a conventional profession as a pharmacist. And now what you’re doing is something that is pertaining to what people need to thrive. And the idea of changing careers for so many is daunting. And I had a journey that was similar because I started out… I was a school teacher. I was in special education in a classroom. And then I moved on. I became a clinical psychologist specializing in health. And so that was a big leap to leave education. And then another big leap was to leave my private practice as a psychologist and start a school to train health coaches where I didn’t really know what was going to happen. So, can you share for those listeners who may be thinking, “You know, I’m feeling stuck in this conventional work setting and not underappreciated. I feel like I’m meant for more,” what would you say to those individuals? What’s helpful for you?

Adriana: Yeah, it’s a good question. And I think the first thing that comes to my mind is really paying attention to your inner voice. I always go back to that because I think we all know what truly makes us happy, what we’re supposed to do. But sometimes we get so disconnected because of society and because we have to pay bills, we have to do like… There’s just so many things just like in health. I have found three biggest obstacles, and one of the biggest obstacles is like, “I will start someday.” It’s always in the back of your mind. You’re not supposed to be really doing this, but you’re just waiting for the perfect moment. And for me, it was really being connected to my inner guidance and not following… I think I was always a rebel too. I always questioned what somebody said. Just because somebody says something, it doesn’t mean it’s true to me. It really needs to come from a place of my own truth.

So, if you know in your heart, in your soul that you’re not meant to do what you’re doing right now, there’s really not a better moment than today to make a decision to just really go after what you’re meant to do when you get up in the morning and you just cannot wait to do what you really want to do. And there’s always a way. And the first thing that we have to do is really to shift the mindset, whether it’s health or anything in our life, the beliefs, the stories that we’re making up about things that we have to do or we have to wait for this moment or until things are this way or that way. It’s that mindset shift and the stories. It is really where it starts. And just no matter what, just really go after what you’re supposed to do. Don’t let anything and anybody stop you. It’s really the only answer that I have because of what I followed.

Dr. Sandi: Yes. And that answer really says so much. Yeah, exactly. You go after a certain path, you follow a dream. There might be obstacles and then you problem solve how you’re going to deal with those obstacles.

Adriana: Yeah, and it wasn’t easy. Honestly, I left my country. I didn’t speak English. I had no money. I knew it was going to be hard. It was extremely difficult. I had no resources, but I knew if I stayed, I was going to die inside. So, you just have to take the first step no matter what.

Dr. Sandi: Yeah, absolutely. What about taking that first step to write a book? You have a book that is coming out in May as a release, “Live Well.” And I want to hear about the book and also the process of deciding to write a book and then actually doing it. Because similarly, there’s many people who have a book in their heads and they don’t follow through because it can be daunting and takes a lot of perseverance to keep going. There’s so many steps in that process. I’d love for you to share your experience.

Adriana: Yeah, definitely. Writing a book is not an easy process. And I’ve heard many people talking about this. And again, it was one of those moments where I was actually doing workshops in the fall of 2023. And people have been asking me to write a book before about what I’m teaching. I’m like, “No, I can’t write a book. I can’t even speak English. No, this is not for me. I’m going to be doing my coaching and teaching the way I’ve been doing it.” And then during the workshop in the fall of 2023, just something felt right. It was when you feel the strong yes, there is that strong no or maybe, but there was a strong yes. And at the same time, my best friend, actually in Slovakia, was really suffering painfully from cancer. And I knew this was the last time and I had to go see him and say goodbye to him. And it was all intertwining together.

And I started to put all my research and all the book together in December when I went to see him in Slovakia. And it wasn’t really hard to write the book because I have done so much writing up until then for so many years. It was just really putting it together into a book. So, that’s really how it came about. And it was done in six months. And now it’s just making sure the the word gets out so people know about the book and how they can simplify their life and have a clear roadmap to transform their health. So, the hardest part is to really get it out into the world and know that people can have access to this book.

Dr. Sandi: So, tell us about that roadmap. What can they get from the book you talked about? You have an approach that you’ve developed and now you’ve put it into your book. So, what are those areas of wellness that you talk about?

Adriana: Yeah, so the roadmap is made of the four pillars or elements, which are the environment, food, sleep and movement. And each of these elements have a simple framework that people can follow. For example, the environment is really identifying and removing toxins, which is really key to vibrant health. That’s the soil. We have to have the soil clean and rich in order to grow strong and healthy body. The food really is the foundation. And depending on the food you eat, it either fuels health or disease. And I like to think about it that way. So, then we have sleep, which sleep I teach people is not a passive process. It’s actually an active process for your body to heal, to detoxify, to rejuvenate. And I teach them simple framework on how to create consistent sleep at least seven to nine hours every single day and why it matters. And then the last one is movement, which we’re supposed to move more than sit and understanding that movement is really the best free medicine. And I know that you talk about it a lot for your mind and the body. That’s why I call it a movement, because that’s a natural way for us to live and not just for the body but really for the mind as well.

Dr. Sandi: Yes. And these pillars, these are the lifestyle factors. This is the path to wellness. It is not a pill for every ill, but it’s looking at the root causes and what is determining sickness versus health. Well, it is if you have inflammation or you are living an anti-inflammatory life. And how do you get an anti-inflammatory life with those factors that you just mentioned? And I think addressing the environment is critical. We are living in a toxic soup and there are factors that are even more and more are coming out. I never thought about clothing until quite recently, where I’m really aware of… Yes, we’re wearing clothes that have bits of plastic inside, and these fibers are potentially harmful. And it can be overwhelming for people to, where do I start? So, having a coach as a guide is critical. So, perhaps can you reflect on any any moments where you felt like you were working with clients or leading workshops and programs and you felt like, “I’m in my element,” where you are witnessing somebody perhaps have that aha moment and they’re changing and that is personally rewarding to you? You are also reaping the benefits of that work.

Adriana: Yeah, the biggest aha moment and the biggest transformation that I have seen is something that I absolutely love doing. That’s the favorite part of my coaching is going to people’s homes and helping them identify their environment…

Dr. Sandi: I love it.

Adriana: That is the most impactful, the fastest way to actually create health. And every single time I come to somebody’s home, I enter the home and tell me, “I eat really healthy. Our bedroom is really good.” That’s the first thing that I talk about. Shift the mindset, become curious. If you are unwell, there’s obviously something that we’re doing that is not serving our health. So, instead of believing, “I’m eating right, I’m sleeping right, I’m exercising right,” how about becoming curious? What is it that I’m doing every single day that is not serving my health?

So, going through people’s kitchen, they’re always shocked like, “Oh, my God, this is unhealthy. This is what’s causing my headache? This is why I’m micro loading?” So, those moments, if I capture those on cameras are just so consistent how jaws just drop. And that gives me the biggest satisfaction. It’s in the real life. It’s right there. It’s in their home and it’s instant. It’s fast. I walk through with people exactly what they need to buy, when they need to shop and they get right on it. And the transformations are just incredible. That gives me the biggest joy. And it’s the best. It’s just so beautiful when you can see that people really get it and where the coaching that you teach, the positive way of coaching instead of shaming, blaming and judging, it’s a positive way to to teach people what really serves health.

Dr. Sandi: What are some of the things you’ve found? As you go into people’s homes, what are some common mistakes or things that you have shed light on for them and they had this awakening and now they’re changing?

Adriana: Yeah, I’m glad you’re asking this question because this is something that people can do today. So, the number one thing I find is salad dressings.

Dr. Sandi: Seed oils.

Adriana: Yes, seed oils, emulsifiers, natural flavorings. Please just because it says natural, it doesn’t mean it actually comes from nature. It’s still made in a lab. So, I teach people something very simple. Get extra virgin organic olive oil, lemon, salt. You can get some herbs or balsamic vinegar. Done. Mix it together and you have a safe, delicious, healthy, beautiful dressing. We do not need these bottled dressings. And I am telling you, just removing this so many times, my clients’ headaches are gone. It’s incredible. Incredible. So, that’s number one.

Number two, a lot of people are coming off gluten, but then they’re buying breads and pastas and products. They’re so highly processed and so heavy in carbohydrates, rice starch, potato starch, and their glucose are spiking like crazy. And their energy goes up, then it crashes and it creates so much inflammation in the body. So, these two are the biggest issues that I find in people’s homes so that people can change right now. When it comes to breads and pasta, just find… If it’s gluten-free, just find something that has less ingredients. For example, I love…my newest find is lupini pasta. Lupini pasta, it’s made of a bean. I forget the name of the company right now. I think there are two companies that are making just… You have to order it online. I haven’t seen it in stores, but just look for lupini pasta. That’s my tip.

Dr. Sandi: Well, I love that. And these suggestions are easy to implement and they don’t… They’re not suggestions that will do serious harm to your budget. You don’t have to do everything at once. You can start small. You can start with these simple strategies. And it’s an investment in your health. Yeah. So, regarding the environment, what about the products that people have in their home? The plastics, for example, or non-stick pans. Do you go into those areas?

Adriana: Yes, I go in all of the areas. We go actually room by room. And when people pre-order the book “Live Well” right now, they actually get a nice guide that walks them through every single pillar, the environment, food, sleep, and movement, and the things they can start. It’s very simple to follow. And it removes all the overwhelm. It really makes you feel confident and in charge of your health where you’re just like, “Okay, under the environment, I can do these three things, or I can do this one thing out of the five. In the movement, out of these three things, I can do this one.” So, it’s very simple to do because, like I said, there are so many things. Like, yes, removing all the plastics, filtered water. And a lot of people I find, they have filtered water. But when we look up together, the filtration system, what it actually filters out, they are many times surprised that chlorine is still there. Fluoride is still there. Many heavy metals. So, I really recommend reverse osmosis is the safest, the best way to filter your water. And I tell people, if you’re worried about minerals being removed out of reverse osmosis filtration, just eat organic, sustainable food and you don’t have to worry about minerals. Cooking utensils from cutting boards. I don’t want to overwhelm people. That’s why it’s so much easier to do it together in a home than listing all these things.

Dr. Sandi: Uh-huh, yes.

Adriana: There’s so many things. But then we go through bedroom. We go through the bathroom. Every single room, adding plants into your home. The right mattress and all of these things. And it makes such a huge difference. Within two months, people start sleeping better. Their digestion is fixed. No more bloating, no headaches and high blood pressure medication. It’s beautiful to watch.

Dr. Sandi: Yeah. I love what you’re describing. I have a book coming out “Your Health Coach Will See You Now” and I talk about the old days of primary care practice where you had your family doctor and they made house calls. And as you’re talking, I’m reminded of that. And it was not so much what they did in terms of a procedure or they took your temperature, listened to your heart and prescribe something. You were sick, an antibiotic. But it was the relationship. And you knew this person and they had bedside manner.

And so what you are creating, yes, you’re telling them you’re finding things that might not be good for them and you’re suggesting replacements, you’re also creating a relationship. And now they have a partner in this because if you just go listen to a talk, you read an article, you listen to a webinar or Google something and, yeah, you may get this information. Maybe you don’t have an information deficit. It’s a relationship that is missing where something is tailored for you. And you feel in charge that you make these choices, but you can also have your coach that you can brainstorm ideas with and bounce things off of. So, I love it.

With plastics, I remember years ago I was in a book club. And so she was serving a beautiful lunch to people in our book club. And I went into the kitchen because she was serving soup. And she had a soup that she had put in a blender, which was plastic. But then she had a plastic ladle and she was steaming. It was boiling soup. And she had this thin plastic ladle. And then she poured it into plastic bowls. They were disposable bowls to have the soup and we were given plastic spoons. And so everything was made out of plastic. And so it was for me, a dilemma. And I talk about eating psychology a lot. Like, what do you do? You want to be polite. She went through the trouble of making, you don’t want to be the only one not eating anything. But again, it’s like you’re going to be swallowing plastic. So, it’s very difficult to navigate in a world where you are faced with situations like that. So, when you have a coach who is with you, like you are doing, it is really helpful. So, it’s that awakening. And so maybe the only change they make is to not serve steaming hot foods with all the plastic. So, you are also involved in philanthropy. Can you talk about that and how you give back and have in the past?

Adriana: Yeah. So, actually it started with my first business in 2008 because of my growing up from my traumatic childhood. And I was always really connected with nonprofits of child abuse. And so since 2008 with my first business, I was connected to a child abuse organization in Santa Barbara, where I lived back then. And then when we moved to Carmelo where we’re now and I had organic food business, I started to work with a local nonprofit organization where they took children after school where they had no place to go because their parents were troubled and were not at home or were in prisons. And they wanted to make sure that these kids are not going to be on the streets by themselves. But they had these after-school programs.

So, what I actually did, so every Friday… It just makes me so happy. I really miss it. I would take a group of these kids and I would teach them about food. And we would talk about natural ingredients. We would talk about artificial colorings, flavorings and ingredients. And it was incredible to hear from kids who were in elementary school. And I asked them, “Why do you think that people are using artificial flavors and colorings?” They all knew it was about money. Nobody ever taught that. I was shocked every single time they connected all the dots together, and it was so clear to them.

So, that had to unfortunately end because of COVID in 2021. I could not see those kids anymore. And then I sold my business and started with this academy. And then my husband and I decided to open a shelter here in Monterey for kids and moms. They’re on the street. And it’s even hard for me to talk about it because it’s very meaningful to me. I’ve been always connected with kids. I think it’s because of my upbringing and I wanted kids to have a safe place and feel loved and have healthy food. And so, yeah, that’s my journey with philanthropy.

Dr. Sandi: Well, you are such a bright light. You are doing such wonderful work in the world. Your book again is “Live Well.” Where can people find you and where can they find the book when it’s released?

Adriana: Yeah, so I’m going to send you all the links.

Dr. Sandi: We’ll post them.

Adriana: People can find me on Instagram. It’s not my favorite place to be, but I know it’s one way to get the word out about the work I do. So, I’m definitely there and I love connecting with people. So, anyone can reach out to me, DM me and also on my website, yourwellness-madesimple.com under tab Book. They can find the book right now. It’s sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, everywhere books are sold. And yeah, please email me, connect with me. I’m here to help and serve.

Dr. Sandi: Oh, thank you so much. This has been a wonderful conversation. Thank you for being with us.

Adriana: Thank you so much, Sandi.