Maria Ramirez, MS, CN, CNS Candidate
You can do it!
About Maria “Izzie” Ramirez -
MS, CN, CNS Candidate
Hi, I’m Maria—a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) candidate, group practice owner, and founder of Holistika Consulting & Holistika Nutrition & Wellness.
I’m currently completing my supervised CNS hours while actively working as a licensed and practicing nutritionist. Like many of you, I didn’t start this journey with a clear roadmap—I had to piece it together step by step. I quickly learned that becoming a credentialed nutrition provider isn’t always straightforward, especially when you don’t fit the mold of what the system expects. But that didn’t stop me.
Despite being told “you can’t get credentialed” or “you need to wait until you’re fully licensed,” I dug in, did the research, made the calls, filled out the forms (so many forms)—and proved otherwise. I successfully credentialed myself with major insurance providers, even while still a CNS candidate, and went on to help others do the same.
Today, I run a multi-state group practice with an incredible team of nutritionists and wellness professionals. At Holistika Nutrition & Wellness, we serve clients across Washington, California, Oregon, Arizona, Virginia, and other states, offering personalized care that blends functional nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and a whole-body approach.
I created Holistika Consulting to share what I’ve learned with others—especially CNS candidates, CNS, new dietitians, and holistic providers who feel overwhelmed by business setup, credentialing, or insurance billing. Through tools, templates, and one-on-one guidance, I hope to make your path a little smoother (and a lot less stressful).
I'm still learning, still growing, and still figuring some things out—so if you are too, you're in the right place. You can build the practice you dream of. You can get credentialed. You can do this—even if the system told you otherwise.
My Journey
I didn’t grow up dreaming of insurance panels or CAQH logins, but somehow here I am—running a multi-state group practice, credentialed with major insurance companies, and helping other nutrition professionals do the same.
When I first started, I was told no—a lot.
“No, you can’t get credentialed as a CNS Candidate.”
“No, you can’t open a practice without being licensed in every state.”
“No, you definitely can’t grow a team or take insurance.”
But I didn’t listen.
(Okay—I did listen at first… then I cried a little, researched a lot, and kept going anyway.)
Today, I run Holistika Nutrition & Wellness, a growing virtual nutrition practice with four employees across multiple states. I’ve successfully credentialed myself and my team with insurances like Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UHC, Medicare and Medicaid! And I’m here to tell you: it can be done.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start.
And if you’ve been told no, let that be the reason you keep going—not the reason you stop.
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