Kristi Morlan-Hughes, ND, IFMCP, FMCHC has dedicated her professional path to the study and practice of root-cause medicine. After graduating from the National College of Natural Medicine, she launched her original private practice in 1997 in Alexandria, MN. She attended her first training with the Institute for Functional Medicine in 1999, becoming certified in 2015, which further reinforced her nutrition and natural medicine skills. Dr Kristi’s practice embraces a root-cause care approach to managing mystery illnesses, medical challenges, and provides patient advocacy for those dealing with chronic diseases striving to get the most out of their health care team and the medical system. 

Dr. Kristi’s private practice, DocereVita, offers Naturopathic and Functional Medicine health care consultations, telemedicine, and personalized lifestyle coaching in the west Minneapolis area in a collaborative care team model. She provides patient and practitioner self-care, professional growth, and personal development workshops, programs, and group learning experiences. She and her husband run FYTE by DocereVita, an MMA, grappling, and kickboxing training center where they provide fitness and nutrition-based guidance to gym and fight team members. Their DocereVita Nutraceutical line is also available to practitioners, patients, and the public online through the DocereVita Natural Medicine Dispensary that services the gym and clinic. 

She first took the stage teaching in 1999 with NutriDyn, finding her passion for practitioner education. Over the past twenty years, her consulting business and participation in medical education events have taken her around the world where she is recognized for her skills in teaching the art and science of medicine. She currently serves as the Chief Medical Education Officer for NutriDyn and participates on the Science Advisory Board. She is actively involved in educating practitioners seeking additional knowledge and clinical skills in applying nutrition to their own patients in practice and group medical care settings. NutriDyn features Dr Kristi in various international educational events, podcasts, and the annual Great Lakes Conference. 

Dr. Morlan-Hughes served as a Director of Medical Education at IFM for a decade, where she was responsible for the development of medical education, nutrition-oriented resources, and clinical tools to support patient education. She supported the Collaboration partners working with IFM, cultivated practice implementation assets, and participated as an educator and facilitator both domestically and international. Dr. Kristi remains connected to core training programs at IFM, she continues to mentor students and practitioners alike in her mentorship program. 

As a foundational developer, original Advisory Board Member, and 2021 FMCA graduate, Dr. Kristi remains engaged in the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy to this day. She routinely lectures on collaborative care team models, reinforcing how medical practices can integrate coaching within their multi-disciplinary care team to improve lifestyle and behavior change, along with patient accountability. Her own coaching and transformational lifestyle program, Shaking Your Tree, guides her students and patient to Become the Gardner of their Tree of life. Her expert coaching skills and root-cause guided program stimulates self-awareness, unveals obstacles to healing, cultivates successful self-care plans, and ultimately guides souls towards Become the Gardener of their own Tree of Life. Her largest audience in her personal growth healing groups are health care provides and coaches seeking support to walk their talk and embody to approach to root-cause care. 

Dr. Kristi guides health coaches, nutrition professionals, and root-cause focused health care providers in their medical education journey in her various programs and group learning opportunities. She hosts the Dr. Kristi FxMed Coaching Mentorship group and A Fresh Start for NutriDyn practitioners groups. She also lectures on Food Triggers and Optimizing Tailored Dietary Plans for the lab KBMO, where she offers advanced training sessions in the use of natural therapies to support systemic healing as Food is Medicine. 

Dr. Kristi has a deep passion for plant-based medicine, the role of the endocannabinoid system, and teaches cannabinoid science for Ananda Professionals to pharmacists and health care providers. She serving on their education team and scientific advisory board, where she helps practitioners decifer and discern what formulas and plant-based resources are worth considering for clinical practice integration.