Before I knew what I wanted to do in my life I witnessed both my grand-father and uncle pass away from cancer. I watched them battle through treatment and not survive. I knew there had to be a better way.

Since my late teens I have been drawn to holistic health. I deeply believed in the power of the body to heal itself using things from nature...like food, herbal medicines, yoga, & meditation. I decided to follow a pre-medicine plan in college and got degrees in Human Physiology & Dietetics as well as a minor in Holistic Health. 

I continued along this path and became a Registered Dietitian as well as received certifications in holistic nutrition & herbal medicine. From the beginning I knew I wanted to blend both worlds. I met my soulmate, got married, had 2 beautiful daughters, and began working as a Dietitian when my father was diagnosed with cancer, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 

I had a chance to put all my studies and clinical experience to use. I got his Oncologist on board and started him on a cancer recovery food and supplement plan. With this plan supporting his chemotherapy, my father completed 6-months of treatment with minimal side effects and went into remission while still working and feeling surprisingly well. It was incredible to watch and a real testament to the power of diet & integrative strategies.

As my own personal growth and self-development continued it became clear that we needed to do life differently. The 9-5 work-day, commuting in traffic, rat-race life was making both me and my husband sick...not to mention we barely had time for our girls. We made a radical decision to change our lives. We went to France for a year-long sabbatical that turned into a permanent move and the chance to finally live the lifestyle I knew in my bones was necessary for optimal health. This began my journey towards a truly earth-centered life with deeper emotional & spiritual wellness. It was also the birth of my first online business, The Rustic Dietitian.

I'm also the daughter, grand-daughter, & niece of cancer patients.

I'm Dionne Detraz, Holistic Cancer Dietitian

Three years later, living over 5000 miles away from my family, I received the phone call that my Dad's cancer had come back! After the initial shock & unwillingness to accept that it was "just bad luck" we dove deep into WHY this had happened. This began my foray into the world of functional medicine and the ability to dive deeper into the root causes of disease. 

For my Dad there was a lot happening behind the scenes...a chronic infection with EBV, multiple parasites. glyphosate toxicity, and in the year prior to his recurrence a bone infection that wouldn't heal + rising blood sugar & insulin levels. All of these were red flags that we didn't know to look for. Despite attempts at many different types of treatments, including some alternative therapies, my father did not survive his recurrence. He passed away in May 2019.

Ever since he died I have devoted myself exclusively to this field. I have made it my life's work to make sure that others have all the information they need to not only help their body heal now but to take the necessary steps to change the environment inside so the cancer doesn't grow back years later. This gave birth to my current business, Ground & Root Cancer Nutrition.

In the years since my father passed away, I deepened my own spiritual journey and commitment to living an earth centered & soul-led life. I know it's my soul's work to change the conversation around cancer. To help people understand the WHY so they can take empowered steps to stay cancer free. To guide people through the portal of cancer using it as their personal permission slip to live the life they truly desire.