Bringing Nutritional Medicine
to the Center of Healthcare
about biome functional medicinebi•ome (noun, | bī-ˌōm)
A living system made up of many parts, defined not by any one part but by how all the parts connect and work together in balance.
This is why I named my practice Biome:
Because that’s how your body functions—and how I approach care.
Every cell, tissue, and organ depends on connection and communication—between biology and chemistry, between the body and the brain. When those signals break down, symptoms appear. When they’re restored, function returns.
Biome represents that restoration—the place where science and humanity meet, and your body finally gets the information it’s been missing.
Conventional medicine is built to treat acute health problems and medical emergencies—and it does that well. But when it comes to complex, chronic conditions, it often falls short.
Care is constrained by insurance, so appointments are short, testing is limited, and the focus is on managing symptoms or slowing disease progression, not preventing or reversing it.
The result? People are often left feeling unheard, unwell, and unsure what to do next.
Most Chronic Healthcare is Missing the Mark
Functional medicine was born from a desire to fix that.
It shifted the focus to systems biology and root-cause reasoning—asking why dysfunction happens instead of simply labeling it with diagnoses and managing it with medications.
But as it’s grown, it’s also begun to lose some of its footing. In the name of efficiency, some practices order a swath of lab tests that aren’t necessary for every person and deliver protocols that were designed for the masses rather than the individual.
At Biome, we’re doing things differently.
By grounding functional medicine in nutritional biochemistry—and contextualizing it within lifestyle, environment, and genetics—we return to the full systems model the field was founded on.
It’s root-cause medicine, refined:
data-driven, clinically rigorous, and genuinely personalized.
core philosophiesThe Biome Approach
At Biome Functional Medicine, we don’t mask symptoms or offer one-size-fits-all advice. Instead we:
Go Beyond the Surface
By using advanced labs and thorough clinical investigation to uncover what’s really driving your symptoms.
Target the Right Imbalances
With personalized care plans designed to correct the biochemical imbalances behind your symptoms.
Support the Whole Person
Because true healing means addressing all pillars of health: nutrition, sleep, stress, movement, and environment.
Nourish Body & Mind
Because lasting change happens only when we support both physical health and mental health as deeply interconnected.
meet biome's founderCaitlin Abbott, MS, CNS® Candidate
Hello and welcome! I’m so glad that you’ve found your way here.
My journey into the world of healthcare began in college as a public health student. The more I learned about our healthcare system, the more frustrated I became with its focus on surface-level symptom management that falls short for too many people. I didn’t want to become part of the status quo — I wanted to change it.
During this time, I discovered functional medicine and the concept of root cause healthcare: the idea that it is far better to identify what is causing symptoms and address that, rather than simply masking surface-level symptoms. That, along with the other core principles of functional medicine, just made so much sense to me and I knew that I had found my path forward. Later, while in grad school, I came to understand just how powerful nutrition is when it’s applied as medicine — not as an afterthought, but as the biochemical foundation for how your body and brain function.
Since then, I’ve built my career around nutritional medicine, with advanced training in functional medicine and nutritional psychiatry. My approach always starts with nutrition, but it doesn’t stop there. The other pillars of health — movement, sleep, stress, and environment — also play critical roles in how we feel and function, so I explore all of these areas of your life and health together. Because true healing requires whole-person care.
My mission is simple: to help people who feel stuck finally get answers, uncover what’s really driving their symptoms, and build a clear path forward. Whether it’s fatigue, pain, anxiety, or depression, my role is to bring clarity, direction, and science-based solutions tailored to you.
Master of Science (MS) — Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine
Bachelor of Science (BS) — Public Health
Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS®) — [In Progress]
Advanced training in Nutritional Psychiatry with Dr. James Greenblatt
Education & Credentials
Many of the health challenges that I see people facing are deeply interconnected. Symptoms may look different from person to person, but they often trace back to the same root causes — nutrient deficiencies, metabolic dysfunction, disrupted biological systems, and the unique genetic variations that influence them all.
These are the areas I most often focus on and have specialized training in:
Mental Health — depression, anxiety, ADHD, brain fog
Gut Health — reflux/GERD, IBS, IBD, leaky gut, dybiosis
Metabolic Health — insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, thyroid dysfunction
Unexplained Symptoms — chronic fatigue, chronic pain, skin issues
Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics — genetic influences on nutrient needs, metabolism, hormones, immune function, brain chemistry, and more
Areas of Expertise & Interest
I live in Boise, ID with my husband and our two cats. I’m a textbook introvert who will always choose a cozy coffee date with friends over a big party with strangers. Outside of work, you can find me working on a jigsaw puzzle, walking the greenbelt with my bird ID app in hand, playing piano, or perfecting the art of a damn good cup of tea.
I try to practice what I preach and remind myself that health is more than the absence of symptoms or disease—it’s the presence of vitality, purpose, and joy. I want to feel good so I can do good, have fun, and make meaningful memories with those I love.
The Human Behind the Headshot
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Functional medicine is a personalized, evidence-based approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying imbalances that may be causing or contributing to an individual's health concerns. Functional medicine practitioners seek to understand the complex interplay between an individual's genetics, environment, and lifestyle, and use nutrition and lifestyle modifications to support the body's ability to heal and achieve optimal health.
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Conventional medicine often focuses on managing symptoms and illness with medications or surgery. In contrast, functional medicine seeks to understand the root cause of health issues and uses a whole-person, systems-based approach to support the body's natural ability to heal. This approach is personalized, taking into account an individual's unique genetics, environment, and lifestyle, and focuses on empowering patients to take an active role in improving their health.
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Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) is the gold standard credential for advanced nutrition professionals. CNSs are trained to practice evidence-based personalized nutrition therapy and medical nutrition therapy to provide health care to their patients/clients. CNSs focus on identifying and correcting the root cause of health conditions and supporting their patients/clients to achieve optimal health.
To become a CNS, candidates must:
Have a master's or doctoral degree in nutrition, or a related medical field
Complete 1,000 hours of clinical experience within a supervised internship
Pass a board exam administered by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS)
To learn more, please click here.
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I offer an evidence-based, personalized approach that can address a wide range of health concerns and goals. This path is about diving deep into your unique health story, using a tailored, evidence-based strategy to improve your health, rather than offering quick fixes. It's well-suited for anyone committed to making informed, lasting changes to their health, regardless of their current condition. However, it's important to remember that there are no guarantees; it's a journey of partnership, exploration, and commitment to your health. And remember: like most things in life, you get out of this process what you put into it.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Promise to You
At Biome Functional Medicine, you won’t find vague wellness advice or cookie-cutter protocols that don’t respect your unique needs. What you will find is care that’s science-driven, personalized, and deeply human. I’ll meet you where you are, dig into what matters most, and partner with you every step of the way — so you can finally Feel and Function Better™.