2025 Linus and Ava Helen Pauling Award: Deanna Minich, PhD.

This article focuses on Deanna Minich, PhD, a nutrition scientist and educator recognized with the 2025 Linus and Ava Helen Pauling Award for her contributions to functional medicine. Dr. Minich integrates rigorous scientific research with creativity and spirituality, emphasizing personalized nutrition, the mind-body connection, and the therapeutic role of color in health, particularly for women’s hormonal transitions. She developed the Rainbow Diet, a framework linking colorful plant-based foods to physiological, emotional, and energetic well-being. The award honors both Linus Pauling, a pioneering scientist, and his wife Ava Helen Pauling, an advocate for human rights and peace, reflecting their joint legacy of marrying science with heart and culture.