Paul Petronella resides in Austin, TX but known for owning Paulie’s Restaurant and Camerata wine bar in Houston, TX. Paulie’s was opened in 1998 and Camerata 2013, both became staples to the Houston Food & Beverage community. Paul comes from a large Texas-Sicilian family rooted in the restaurant business.

“You may have heard that the restaurant business, or any entrepreneurial endeavor, can take a toll on your physical and mental well being. It is one of the most volatile industries, with 50% of U.S. restaurants closing within their first five years. I don’t know many restaurateurs who only want to be open for five years. In fact, many business investment models don’t mature until after 10 years, which leaves every other restaurant owner with unexpected debt and life savings depleted. I’ve had many jobs growing up, Hospitality professionals are some of the most unhealthy.

That included myself. I was so overwhelmed with stress and anxiety it was physically making me sick. My cortisol levels were irregular which interrupted my sleep. My diet was a disaster which usually meant I was shoving food in my face after I forgot to eat, and it certainly wasn’t balanced and nutritious foods. I wasn’t supplementing vitamins and minerals. I had harmful gut bacteria that was leading to even more mental stress. My nervous system was a wreck. My hormone levels were imbalanced which fed the above cycle to continue on a loop. I discovered I have gene variants that make it difficult to cope with a dominant Sympathetic Nervous System. I had debilitating migraines on a weekly basis that a licensed neurologist had no answer for.

I did not know ANY of the above as I was going through it. I thought I was doing a great job by wrecking my body so that the business was successful. Functional medicine and lab testing were the only ways I discovered what was wrong with me. Functional health is not new, but it’s not spoken about enough and certainly not given the credit it deserves by mainstream medicine. Some of the first Functional Health Practitioners I met were licensed M.D.s. They chose to transition to Functional medicine after they realized the life-changing benefits of balanced nutrition, exercise and analyzing personal bio-markers, which they weren’t taught in medical school.

This journey has led me to believe I can do the same for others. On the side of operating a restaurant, I studied to become a certified Integrative Health Practitioner so I could be a health coach for others. My mentor Dr. Stephen Cabral had a similar unhealthy story growing up which led him down a familiar path. I am grateful I found him (because it took decades) and I hope I can help you too!”

-Paul Petronella, IHP