TIER I · FOUNDATION
Functional Nutrition Certification.
The foundation everything else stands on.
A six-month program built around clinical framework and sequenced protocols. Graduates don't leave with protocols to memorize - they leave with a structured approach they can apply to any client, and the clinical reasoning to know when and why to use it.
PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS
WHO TIER I IS FOR
The 6-month Tier I program is for anyone serious about getting started in functional nutrition - or learning advanced nutrition protocols to help clients heal and reach optimal health. Tier I is open to all, and recommended for those with base-level nutrition education.
EIGHT MODULES
Functional Nutrition Framework
The RSN Treatment Model and the clinical foundation for everything that follows.
- Functional Nutrition. What it is, how it differs from Western Medicine's approach, and the clinical philosophy that anchors the RSN Method.
- The RSN Treatment Model. A sequenced clinical framework that corrects core imbalances in the order they occur in the body — because the right protocol applied at the wrong stage doesn't heal. This is what turns a certificate into a career.
- The Main Initiators of Disease. All dis-ease comes down to four main types of stress and how they affect the body's systems.
- The 4 Types of Physiological Damage. Most clients you'll work with present with one of these underlying root causes.
- Nutrition & Lifestyle. Understand the nutrition and lifestyle changes needed to help the body heal from each type of physiological damage.
- Supplementation Principles. Understand which supplements are appropriate based on each type of physiological damage.
- Functional Nutrition Overview
- Basics of Functional Nutrition
- Inflammation
- Catabolic Physiology
- Insulin Resistance
- Oxidative Stress
- The RSN Framework (Treatment Model)
- Bonus: Reversing Metabolic Disease with Ben Azadi
Lifestyle Factors
Diet, exercise, sleep, and stress as clinical interventions.
- Lifestyle Factors for Healing. The four main lifestyle pillars: diet, exercise, sleep, and stress.
- Healing Diets. The major therapeutic diets and how to implement each based on a client's core health issues.
- Anti-Inflammatory Strategy. Reducing inflammation, eliminating food reactions, balancing blood sugar, and supporting the microbiome.
- Exercise. Movement recommendations based on client conditions and the role of resistance training in metabolic health.
- Sleep. The sleep cycle, recovery physiology, and protocols to optimize sleep and recovery.
- Mind & Nervous System. Meditation, breath work, and mindfulness as therapeutic tools in clinical practice.
- Lifestyle Factors Overview
- Lifestyle Factors for Healing
- Healing Diets
- Cereal Grains
- Sugar
- Seed Oils
- Soy
- Food Additives
- Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Food Reactions and Elimination Diets
- Blood Sugar Balance
- Supporting the Microbiome
- Micronutrients & Targeted Supplementation
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Meditation and Mindfulness
Body Composition
Energy balance, macronutrient strategy, and longevity.
- Energy Balance. How energy balance works in weight gain and weight loss.
- Metabolic Adaptation. How chronic dieting and stress drive metabolic adaptation — and how to prevent and reverse it with clients.
- Macronutrients. The roles of protein, fats, and carbohydrates in body composition and overall health.
- Calculating Macro Goals. Setting macros for client fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance.
- The Key to Longevity. Bonus teaching from Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on Muscle-Centric Medicine®.
- Body Composition Overview
- Energy Balance
- Metabolic Adaptation
- Protein
- Carbs
- Fats
- Calculating Macros Goal Demo
- Characteristics of Successful Weight Loss
- Bonus: Alan Aragon — Nutrition Strategies for Body Composition
- Bonus: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on Muscle-Centric Medicine®
Adrenals & Chronic Stress
HPA-axis physiology and recovery from burnout.
- How Cortisol Works. The role of cortisol in the body and how chronic stress drives downstream disease.
- HPA-Axis. How the body's HPA-axis works and how it interconnects with other systems.
- Stages of Adrenal Exhaustion. How acute and chronic stress deplete the body's reserves — and how to help clients recover from burnout.
- Resetting the HPA-Axis. Exact protocols for addressing HPA-axis dysfunction and repairing adrenal function.
- Adrenals Overview
- HPA-Axis
- HPG-Axis
- HPT-Axis
- Stages of Adrenal Exhaustion
- Resetting the HPA-Axis
- Gut-Stress Connection
Thyroid
Root causes, autoimmunity, and restoring function.
- Root Causes. The root causes behind thyroid dysfunction such as hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's.
- Autoimmunity. The drivers of autoimmune conditions and tactical protocols for healing the immune system.
- Nutrition. Nutrition strategies for healing thyroid imbalances.
- Restoring Thyroid Function. Targeted protocols for correcting and restoring thyroid health.
- Thyroid Overview
- Intro to Thyroid
- Root Causes of Thyroid Imbalances
- Autoimmune
- AIP Diet
- Correcting Thyroid Imbalances
Gut Microbiome & Gut Health
A cornerstone of root-cause clinical practice.
- Gut Microbiome. "All disease begins and ends in the gut." How the microbiome shapes overall health and disease.
- The 4 Tiers of Gut Imbalance. From low diversity, gut inflammation, leaky gut, and digestive insufficiency to SIBO, parasites, and IBD.
- Gut Health. Long-term nutrition and supplement strategies for optimizing digestion and the microbiome.
- Gut Healing. The 4-R approach for short-term protocols that bring the body back to balance and reverse symptoms.
- Bonus Reference. A behind-the-scenes look at Rachel's three-month Gut Health Repair Program — how she coaches clients on gut healing and body composition simultaneously.
- Gut Microbiome Overview
- Gut Microbiome
- Gut Health: Inflammation and Low Diversity
- Leaky Gut
- Digestive Insufficiency
- Gut Pathogens
- SIBO
- Polyphenols, SIBO, and Gut Health
- Taking a Gut-Centric Approach to Health
- Gut Health
- Gut Healing
- Bonus Module: Rachel's Gut Health Repair Program (full case study)
- Bonus webinars from rotating expert guests
Female Hormones
Cycle, perimenopause, menopause, and root cause.
- Intro to Female Hormones. The complexity of the female menstrual cycle and the transition into menopause; the roles of estrogen and progesterone.
- Root Causes. How hormone imbalances are a downstream effect of diet, stress, detoxification, and gut health.
- The Most Common Imbalances. PMS, PCOS, female sexual dysfunction, and infertility — with functional nutrition protocols for each.
- Perimenopause & Menopause. Designing programs for women age 42+ entering menopause and postmenopause.
- Targeted Supplementation. Key supplement protocols for hormonal symptoms and imbalances.
- Female Hormones Overview
- Female Hormones
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Diet-Hormone Connection
- Adrenal-Hormone Connection
- Liver-Hormone Connection
- Gut-Hormone Connection
- PMS
- PCOS
- Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD)
- Infertility
- Perimenopause and Menopause
- Bonus Webinar: Female Hormone Imbalances
Liver & Detoxification
Toxic burden, genetics, and clearance pathways.
- Toxins. Environmental toxins present in everyday life and their impact on client health and disease.
- Body Burden & Genetics. What body burden is and how environment, genetics, and detoxification capacity influence it.
- Low-Toxin Living. Practical strategies to help clients reduce their toxic load.
- Phase 1 & Phase 2 Detoxification. How each phase works, the nutrients required, and protocols for supporting clearance with nutrition and supplementation.
- Detoxification Overview
- Toxins
- Tips for Low-Tox Living
- Phases of Detoxification
- Oxidative Stress
- Nutrition Protocols for Detoxification
- Mold Overview
ALSO INCLUDED
What's inside Tier I beyond the modules.
Weekly Live Q&A with Rachel ScheerLive calls each week to walk through case scenarios, supplementation questions, and clinical reasoning. All sessions recorded; submit questions ahead of time.
Functional Nutrition HandbookA comprehensive resource guide of clinical protocols organized by health condition - yours to keep and reference in practice.
Private Practitioner CommunityAccess to a private community of coaches and practitioners - peer discussions, case studies, and collaboration around course material.
Pre-Recorded ModulesAll modules pre-recorded so you can study around your schedule. Designed for practitioners learning while still working in their day-to-day practice.
Downloadable Protocols & Meal PlansReady-to-use clinical resources, meal plans, and templates designed to plug directly into client work.
Final Examination & CredentialA 70-question final exam, 70% to pass, with two attempts permitted. Earn the Functional Nutrition Practitioner credential upon completion.
Accredited by AANWC, ANWCB, AANWP & AADP · Approved CEU provider through ANWPB · Tier I earns 50+ CEUs
Recent Graduates
Ready for clinical lab interpretation? See Tier II.
Tier II builds on Tier I with comprehensive lab testing interpretation, advanced clinical protocols, and lab ordering setup - twelve months, two live calls per week, the full clinical depth.
Ready to begin Tier I?
Speak with an RSN admissions advisor about cohort timing, prerequisites, and program fit.
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