Patient Experience
A 58-year-old retired deep-sea fisherman from the Black Sea coast presented with severe vitamin D deficiency and persistent joint pain, despite living near water. Dr. Çelik discovered his traditional diet of mostly preserved fish and minimal sunlight exposure due to long night fishing shifts had created a paradoxical nutritional deficit. She designed a plan incorporating specific local mushrooms and timed sun exposure around his circadian rhythm, resolving his pain within 8 weeks without supplements.
A 7-year-old competitive rhythmic gymnast was brought in by her anxious parents for failure to gain weight. Dr. Çelik identified not inadequate intake, but a meticulously timed 'performance diet' that conflicted with her growth spurts. She collaborated with the coach to create a flexible nutrition schedule that aligned training peaks with growth phases, resulting in healthy weight gain while maintaining competition readiness.
A 34-year-old software developer who had recently immigrated from Turkmenistan presented with unexplained digestive issues. Dr. Çelik traced it to the abrupt abandonment of his traditional fermented dairy diet for Istanbul's food culture. She helped him source specific bacterial strains to recreate his native microbiome through customized fermentation, resolving symptoms completely in 3 months.
A 71-year-old former calligraphy master with Parkinson's disease was losing weight due to difficulty eating. Dr. Çelik developed specialized grip-friendly utensils and designed calorie-dense ink-colored foods (using squid ink, black sesame) that didn't stain his precious manuscripts, turning mealtime into an engaging extension of his art practice while stabilizing his weight.