Dr. Zehra Elban

As a 68-year-old retired marine biologist with a lifelong shellfish allergy, I developed severe nutritional deficiencies after a misdiagnosis led me to eliminate entire food groups. Dr. Elban didn't just create a meal plan; she analyzed my cellular nutrient levels and designed a protocol using land-based omega-3 sources and fermented vegetables that restored my energy within weeks. Her approach felt like nutritional detective work tailored to my unique biology.

My 14-year-old daughter, a competitive rhythmic gymnast, was secretly struggling with orthorexia, meticulously counting every calorie until she stopped menstruating. Dr. Elban's intervention was revolutionary—she collaborated with her coach to redesign her training nutrition around performance metrics rather than weight, using continuous glucose monitoring to show how food directly powered her routines. The transformation was both physical and psychological.

After emergency surgery for a strangulated bowel left me with 60cm of intestine removed at age 42, I faced permanent parenteral nutrition. Dr. Elban pioneered an adaptive eating schedule with predigested nutrients and specific chewing techniques that gradually retrained my remaining gut. Two years later, I'm eating normally—a outcome my surgeons called 'medically improbable.'

We brought our 8-year-old son to Dr. Elban after he was diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), living on only three 'safe' foods. Where others failed, she used sensory integration therapy combined with a 'food exploration lab' at Acibadem, where he could interact with foods without pressure. He now eats 27 different foods—a miracle our family celebrates daily.