Get to Know Donna Woods, CRNP
Welcome to the Alabama Functional Medicine team, Donna!
Donna Woods, CRNP, at Alabama Functional Medicine - Auburn.
What inspired you to move into functional medicine, and what keeps you passionate about it today?
I was drawn into functional medicine after facing personal health struggles with gastric issues that persisted for years. Despite multiple labs, invasive procedures, and visits to numerous doctors, my symptoms never improved. Around the same time, I watched my husband decline daily due to hormonal imbalances. He was only advised to make lifestyle modifications, while proper hormone replacement was not available due to healthcare guideline constraints. I also experienced refusal of hormone treatment as a woman in menopause and was instead advised to consider an antidepressant for my profound fatigue, brain fog, low libido, weight gain, and loss of interest in activities I once loved.
These personal experiences showed me the gaps in conventional care and ignited my passion for root-cause, individualized healing. What keeps me passionate is seeing patients regain energy, balance, and quality of life—not just improving lab numbers but truly transforming health.
Since joining the Alabama Functional Medicine team, what has been your favorite part of practicing within the Saluxis Method?
My favorite part is the way the Saluxis Method gives structure to complexity. It allows us to take something overwhelming—like chronic fatigue or multi-system problems like high blood pressure, migraines, or PCOS—and break it down into an understandable, stepwise path. Watching patients feel empowered by that clarity is incredibly rewarding.
I've been especially impressed by patients embracing Level 2 of the Saluxis Method, intentional supplementation. Whether it’s starting the Saluxis Essentials Bundle or the right formulation of a B-complex or magnesium, changes begin to show. Sometimes it’s within a week or a month, sometimes six months down the road, but the results always come.
How do you see the Saluxis Method making a difference for patients compared to conventional healthcare?
Conventional medicine is excellent for acute emergencies, but it often overlooks the “gray zone” of chronic conditions—things like back pain, high blood pressure, incontinence, pelvic pain, recurring bladder infections, fatigue, and hormonal imbalances. Patients in these situations are often left with few options beyond medication or surgery.
The Saluxis Method fills that gap by layering advanced testing, lifestyle medicine, and personalized interventions. It shifts the focus from “What pill do I take?” to “How do I restore balance at the cellular level?” That shift changes outcomes in a powerful way.
What excites me is that the solutions are often natural, holistic, and innovative approaches that aren’t taught in conventional medical training, and that require both providers and patients to dig deeper into the science together. The method facilitates transformative results using modalities that traditional care doesn’t recognize or even talk about, and that’s where lives truly change.
What’s one piece of advice you wish every patient knew about taking care of their health?
Grounding is my absolute favorite—and one of the most effective tools anyone can implement daily. This simple act reduces oxidative stress, which drives inflammation, pain, and chronic illness. Grounding helps shift the body out of “fight or flight” mode, reduces stress, improves blood flow, and supports better sleep.
Is there a patient story or ‘aha’ moment in your career or life that’s shaped how you practice today?
As a provider, I’ve seen countless patients struggling with ongoing fatigue, lack of motivation, and stubborn weight gain, symptoms that were often dismissed after basic labs were reported as “normal.” Many were told this was simply “part of aging” and advised to get more sleep, eat better, and exercise more... yet they still felt the same.
When I reviewed their labs more deeply, I often found unaddressed hormonal imbalances in both men and women. Once these underlying issues were treated, the transformation was profound across every area of life. That was the moment I saw how powerful root-cause medicine can be—and why I never stop asking deeper questions.
If you could only choose three ‘essentials’ for your own health and energy, what would they be?
Consistent and restorative sleep, daily movement and grounding, and whole-food nutrition with plenty of color and variety.
When you’re not caring for patients, where might we find you?
You’ll often find me walking my dogs, boating on Lake Martin, or traveling (I love the beach!). I also enjoy reading—usually with a mug of coffee in hand, savoring the smell and warmth. I’m also a former figure competitor, now looking forward to getting back into resistance training as I continue optimizing my own hormones.
Coffee, tea, or something else to start your day?
Coffee—nothing beats the smell and the warmth of the mug in my hands.
Go-to comfort meal or favorite restaurant?
My family loves cooking outdoors year-round. We have it all—a grill, smoker, and flat top—and if I had to choose a favorite, it would be a perfectly grilled steak with fresh vegetables and a big salad loaded with avocados. Simple, nourishing, and satisfying.
Auburn or Alabama?
Auburn Tigers, all the way! Five of our seven family members have either graduated from Auburn or are currently attending. My husband and I rarely miss a home game, and we even travel to cheer on our Tigers.