Chronic Illness Wasn’t Part of the Creative Brief.
Clinical nutrition and herbalism for creative folks with chronic illness
You make things.
And you’re chronically ill.
Let’s work with both.
Are you a constipated comedian? A fatigued filmmaker? A bloated graphic designer? An autoimmune author? A musician who's mapped every bathroom in every venue in town?
If your creative life and your body feel like they're in a custody battle over your energy, you're in the right place.
Here's what I know after nearly a decade of working with creatives who are sick: you're not making it up, you're not just "stressed,” and you're not dramatic (except when you’re on stage).
There's a real, researched connection between creative wiring and chronic illness, and the way most of us live (irregular schedules, weird environments, deadline-fueled adrenaline, eating whatever's available at midnight) makes it worse.
I'm Andie, a nutritionist, herbalist, and stand-up comedian with the belly of a baby panda. I built Bone Deep because creative people get sick differently, and they need care that gets that.
“The best part about working with Andrea is feeling her support and care as well as her brilliant insights. I really trust her.”
Herbal Artisan
“This was the most helpful, comprehensive health care experience I have ever had.”
Filmmaker
“Andrea is great at accommodating your every need and is fast at responding when you have a question.”
Crafter
Our Process
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Fill out an application and book a free discovery call. The application helps us understand your situation, and the call is a chance to meet, ask questions, and make sure we're a good fit for each other.
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Every application is personally reviewed before your discovery call so we can make the most of our time together.
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Once we've decided to work together, your first visit is with your health coach for onboarding and big picture visioning to get clear on your goals, your capacity, and what you're hoping for.
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You meet with your nutrition consultant for a deep clinical intake: your health history, symptoms, what you've tried, what your life actually looks like, your creative work. This is where we start connecting dots to build out your personalized path.
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Within one week of your intake session, you receive your personalized Big Picture Plan, a co-created roadmap built around your goals, your constitution, and your actual life.
It covers nutrition, herbs, lifestyle rhythms, nervous system support, supplements, and pacing, all sequenced so you know exactly what to focus on first and what can wait.
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From here, you meet approximately every two weeks with your nutrition consultant or health coach, depending on where you are in your plan. You'll also have messaging support between sessions and a care team working together on your case.
Sesalli, Visual Artist & Herbal Artisan
“This experience stands out as empowering and non-judgemental. I have had so many care experiences where I felt judged or rushed into something I didn't feel good about or ready for. When speaking with Andie I felt fully in control of my own care and timing. The conversation helped me stay grounded in knowing that care is a practice and a process. This isn't a quick fix kind of care - this is deep, soothing, nourishing and healing work. I am so grateful.”
What We Work On
We specialize in the chronic health issues that show up most in creative people's lives:
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Hashimoto's, Celiac, and other autoimmune patterns. Your immune system is picking fights with your body, and the crash cycle is eating your creative life. We work on calming and regulating the nervous and immune system, not just managing flare-ups.
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IBS, SIBO, bloating, constipation, food reactivity, leaky gut. You know your gut is a mess, but nobody's helped you figure out why. We do.
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Cycle disruption, perimenopause, thyroid, post-pill recovery. Your hormones are doing their own thing and it's messing with your energy, your mood, and your ability to show up for your muse.
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The kind of tired that sleep doesn't fix. You've been running on fumes, craft services, and sheer will for too long, and your body is sending you the invoice. We look at what's actually depleted and rebuild from there.
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Chronic stress, anxiety, sleep that never quite gets you there. The same wiring that makes you brilliant at your craft also keeps your system running hot. We help you build resilience without dulling the spark.
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Moldy clubs, old theaters, basement studios, charming apartments with not-so-charming air quality. Creative people hang out in weird places, and your immune system knows it. We address the toxic load and support your body's ability to clear it.
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Long COVID, EBV reactivation, viral-triggered fatigue. You got sick and you just... never came back all the way. We rebuild from the cellular level without pushing you into more crashes.
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When everything seems to set you off and your body is reacting to things that never bothered you before. We figure out what's driving the bucket to overflow.
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Acne, eczema, psoriasis. Your skin is talking and it's usually saying something about your gut, your immune system, or your stress. We listen.
Why This is Different
The same wiring that makes you good at what you do — the pattern recognition, the emotional permeability, the ability to hold five ideas at once — also fires up your stress response in ways that most people's jobs don't. Add in the irregular life factor (chasing a midnight muse, performing into the evening, balancing your 9 to 5 with your after-hours creative projects, grinding under tight deadlines, eating backstage whatever someone left on a folding table) and you've got a perfect storm.
The problem isn't that you haven't tried hard enough. It's that most health approaches aren't built for how creative people actually live.
Rigid protocols assume you eat three meals a day at the same time, sleep for eight hours, and have a Sunday meal-prep routine. That's not your life. And when the plan doesn't fit your life, it doesn't work — and then you blame yourself. Nuh-uh…not anymore.
Here's what we do differently.
We take the mental labor of figuring it all out off your plate. We help you sequence things so they make sense, prioritize what matters right now, and decrease your cognitive load around your health. You focus on creating. We'll map the path and keep it simple.
What’s Included:
Nutrition Consulting + Health Coaching
You get both.
Your nutrition consultant handles the clinical strategy: labs, herbs, supplements, protocol adjustments.
Your health coach handles the real-life part: making it actually work with your schedule, your energy, and your "I know what to do, but I can't seem to do it" moments.
They work together on your case.
Your Big Picture Plan
A personalized roadmap covering nutrition, herbs, lifestyle, nervous system support, and pacing, all sequenced so you're not trying to do everything at once.
It evolves as you do.
Between-Session Support
Secure messaging and voice notes Monday through Friday. Flare support, quick questions, "is this normal?" moments.
You don't have to wait until your next session to get help.
Lab Review, Testing + Guidance
Bring your past labs (stool tests, DUTCH panels, thyroid panels, bloodwork), and we'll review them through a nutritional and lifestyle lens.
If you need new labs, we can order them; however, we don’t need labs to work together.
Personalized Food Foundations
Therapeutic dietary guidance, product swaps, meal planning, blood sugar support, and monthly recipes matched to your actual cooking ability and schedule. Not your aspirational cooking ability. Your real one. Food journaling is always optional.
Supplement + Herbal Support
Professional-grade supplement recommendations with a 15% discount. Custom herbal formulations or trusted pre-made options for whatever your body needs: inflammation, digestion, immune recovery, stress, resilience. And flower essences are available for those who vibe with energetic plant support.
Collaborative Care
We work alongside your existing providers: doctors, therapists, specialists, whoever is on your team.
Your health doesn't live in a silo, and neither does your care.
The Chronically Creative Hub
During your program, you'll have access to our community membership: pathway-based curriculum, live group coaching, and a room full of creative people who actually get it.
Your Maintenance Plan
When your program wraps, you don't just get dropped. You'll receive a maintenance plan: what to keep doing, what to watch for, what your continued care needs to look like going forward. A roadmap for after the roadmap.
This is for you if…
You're a creative person (professionally, as a side hustle, or as a core part of who you are), and your health is getting in the way of your ability to make things, live your life, or both.
Whether you're a designer who crashes every afternoon at your desk, a comedian who's mapped every bathroom in every club in town, a musician who can't figure out why they're exhausted all the time, a writer whose brain fog might actually be their writer's block, or someone who makes things on nights and weekends because it's the thing that keeps you sane…if chronic illness is eating your creative energy, this is for you.
You've tried "all the things" (read: TikTok trends, elimination diets, supplement hauls, and the "just drink more water" advice) and nothing has stuck.
You're tired of rigid protocols that assume you have a predictable schedule and unlimited bandwidth.
You want care that accounts for your chaotic-good creative life, rather than fighting against it.
You're ready for a team that actually gets it — clinically and personally.
This is not for you if…
You're looking for a quick fix or a 30-day reset. This is deep, sustained work.
You want someone to just hand you a protocol and send you on your way. We co-create everything together.
You're not willing to look at the full picture — including stress, nervous system patterns, and lifestyle. Food and supplements alone won't get you where you want to go.
Andrea (Andie) Rossi
MS, CNTP, ONC, AIP Certified Coach
Andie is the founder of Dirt & Bones, a functional nutrition and herbalism practice for creatives with chronic illness.
She's a community clinical herbalist and stand-up comedian who has spent nearly a decade working with complex cases — autoimmunity, gut disorders, environmental health, chronic stress, and more. She brings both clinical depth and the understanding of what it's actually like to be a creative person with a body that doesn't cooperate.
She holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems with a concentration in Food Justice, and her approach is rooted in harm reduction, vitalism, and the belief that care should be doable, personalized, and never boring.
When she's not helping clients untangle their health, she's probably doing stand-up about it.
Camille, Herbal Artisan
“I am someone who knows a lot about the systems of the body, supplements, health, diet and lifestyle. Because of that, I have found that some alternative practitioners don't have much to offer me, even those functional medicine or naturopathic doctors who charge hundreds of dollars per session. When I see Andrea, I always learn more and get the support I am seeking, which is to be taken deeper into understanding the bigger picture and imbalances that are playing out. She has a unique and insightful way of seeing the systems of the body and of health in a way I haven't found in many practitioners.”
Investment
Bone Deep 1:1 Program:
$595/month for 4-6 months
The duration is determined together based on your case complexity and goals. Extended payment plans available.
If 1:1 care isn't in your budget right now, ask us about our community membership and group programs, or join our free newsletter, The Dirt.
Frequently Asked Questions
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4-6 months, depending on the complexity of your case. We’ll determine the right length together.
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Approximately every two weeks, alternating between nutrition consulting and health coaching sessions, depending on where you are in your plan.
All of our sessions are held virtually via Zoom (preferably) or by phone.
You will need to have a phone, computer (laptop/desktop), tablet, or smartphone for communication.
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That's really common, and it's exactly what this program is designed for. We look at the full picture and figure out where to start together.
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No. Many of our clients come in with a pile of symptoms and no clear diagnosis. We work from where you are.
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Not necessarily. We use a harm reduction approach to food. Often, dietary changes are part of the plan, but they're always collaborative, paced to your capacity, and never fear-based.
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We don't work directly with insurance, but we do accept HSA/FSA. We can provide superbills for potential reimbursement depending on your plan.
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We'll tell you honestly. If we think someone else would serve you better, we'll point you in the right direction. No hard feelings, no sales pressure.
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Yes. We offer a range of testing, including but not limited to gut health testing, blood sugar balance testing, food sensitivity testing, hormone panels, and environmental toxins. We work with you to determine which tests are recommended based on your symptoms and health goals. Testing is optional and is an additional expense.
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Dirt & Bones accepts accepts HSA (health savings account), FSA (flexible spending account), and all major credit cards and debit.
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If you're not happy after your initial intake, we’ll refund you—no questions asked. If you decide to continue with coaching after the initial intake, then the minimum commitment (based on your contract) stands, and the remainder of the payments are nonrefundable.
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No. We're nutrition consultants, herbalists, and/or health coaches, not doctors. We don't diagnose, treat, or prescribe. What we do is support your body through nutrition, herbs, and lifestyle strategies that work alongside whatever medical care you're receiving. We're happy to collaborate with your existing healthcare providers and can often complement their work.
Still Have Questions?
We offer a free 15-minute Discovery Call to prospective clients to make sure our nutrition and herbal program is the right fit for you.