At just 23, Katie Ruffino was already practicing as a physician associate, a role that carries weight and responsibility far beyond what most people that age could imagine. But Katie is not your typical medical provider. She’s also a singer, a creative cook, and a mindset coach who helps people, especially women, reconnect with their most authentic selves.
When she sat down with Sam Tejada, CEO and Founder of Liquivida®, on “A Healthy Point of View” Podcast, Katie opened up about the journey that brought her from biomedical sciences to functional medicine, and why she believes health goes much deeper than prescriptions and protocols.
She Sings to Her Food?! PA Katie’s Wild Health Method That Works | Katie Ruffino | Ep. 90
Growing Up Curious
Katie’s interest in medicine started at the dinner table. Her grandfather, a physician, noticed her curiosity about how the human body worked and encouraged it early on. “We would talk about bones, the brain, all of it. He was way ahead of his time,” Katie recalled. That spark carried her through Marquette University’s biomedical sciences program and into a master’s in physician associate studies, finishing both by age 23.
But medicine wasn’t her only passion. She also loved music and cooking, and for a while, she struggled with the choice. Ultimately, she realized she didn’t have to give up either; she could pursue medicine as her career while letting creativity fuel her personal life and practice.
Food as a Turning Point
Katie’s relationship with food shifted in high school when she began experiencing headaches, fatigue, and brain fog. One Lent, she gave up processed foods without thinking much of it, and the difference was immediate. “I didn’t realize how bad I had been feeling until I started to feel good,” she said.
That experience led her down the path of cooking for health. She launched Katie in the Kitchen, a lighthearted cooking-meets-interview series that shows people how simple and joyful healthy eating can be. For Katie, food isn’t just about nutrients; it’s about connection. “When you treat food with reverence, even singing to it sometimes, you infuse it with positive energy,” she said.
A Different Kind of Medicine
While many of her peers in PA school went into traditional specialties or aesthetics, Katie felt called to functional and regenerative medicine. She had seen too many patients dismissed with a quick “you’re fine” when they knew something was wrong. Functional medicine, she explained, gave her the space to ask deeper questions: Why is this happening? What’s underneath it?
Her practice now blends advanced therapies, like peptides, IVs, and stem cell treatments, with the basics: good food, quality sleep, movement, and stress reduction. But she’s clear on one thing: the cutting-edge tools only work when the foundations are in place. “If someone isn’t eating well, sleeping, or managing stress, even the most expensive therapy won’t give lasting results,” she said.
The Power of Mindset
Katie eventually realized that even when patients knew what to do, many still couldn’t follow through. That’s when she turned to mindset coaching and trained in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). “If someone doesn’t believe they’re worthy of being healthy, it doesn’t matter how much advice they get; it won’t stick,” she explained.
Through coaching, Katie helps people release limiting beliefs and reconnect with their worth. Sometimes in just an hour, clients experience emotional breakthroughs that ripple into every part of their health and life.
Simple Lessons for Lasting Health
When asked what she values most in each stage of health, Katie didn’t hesitate:
- For prevention: strengthen the nervous system. Stress quietly breaks down the body, so practices like deep breathing, humming, meditation, or yoga are non-negotiable.
- For early detection: pay attention to how often you get sick. Frequent colds or fatigue are signs your immune system is under strain.
- For treatment and healing: protect your sleep. “That’s when your body repairs, your brain detoxifies, and real healing happens,” she said.
Living Authentically
Above all, Katie wants people to rediscover their authenticity. To her, being authentic means your words, actions, and beliefs are in alignment. “If you’re constantly changing who you are to fit in, you’re not being true to yourself. And that takes a toll,” she said.
She helps clients “detox” not just from toxins in the body but also from toxic thoughts, labels, and patterns that keep them disconnected from who they really are. “When you step into authenticity, everything else starts to shift; you attract better people, better opportunities, and more energy.”