Years ago, I knew something was off with my health. Everything – and I mean everything – made me itchy and break out in full-body rashes. My hormones were out of whack, and I could NOT lose the stubborn bloat or extra 10 pounds of body weight. I got sinus infection after sinus infection. And, at the time, I didn’t yet know I also had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which would affect my ability to get – and stay – pregnant.
It was both alarming and damaging to my self-confidence and my femininity. My anxiety was at an all-time high. I had no idea what to do, so I started where most do: with conventional treatment.
Taking the conventional route
I took the birth control pills. I went to every dermatologist I knew. I visited every allergist in the area over the course of five years, and no amounts of allergy testing, steroid cream or antibiotic helped reveal the bigger pictures of why these reactions were occurring, or how I could permanently resolve my symptoms.
There was no discussion of how my Standard American Diet of sugar, dairy and wheat were wrecking my blood sugar and hormone levels, inflaming my gut, weakening my immune system, and making my PCOS symptoms even worse.
There was absolutely no answer as to why the rashes, breakouts and eczema were steadily getting worse, or why my allergy testing revealed multiple chemical sensitivities to common items like gold and rubber.
Instead, I was told to practice avoidance. My diet became increasingly restrictive, as various foods – even those which were healthy – began causing more severe reactions. My hands were dry and red. My ears and throat itched when I ate certain foods, and I was so congested and bloated. All. The. Time.
I remember thinking if I didn’t do something, I would be miserable and scared to eat or touch anything before long. I was grieving my body, which I felt had failed me.
Even worse, no one knew how to help me, and no one thought my symptoms were cause for concern. I felt like it was all in my head.
I was frustrated, angry and tired. It was then knew I needed to take matters into my own hands. I wanted answers – real answers – to my health issues, and I wanted to actually HEAL, not just be dependent on prescriptions that were keeping my symptoms at bay.
Most of all, I wanted empowerment. I wanted to be able to take control of my health and to have the freedom and knowledge to deeply care for myself and my family.
Veering onto the road less traveled
It began innocently enough with a Google search that led me to learn more about “candida” and “leaky gut,” which back then were relatively new topics of interest in the alternative health community. I relentlessly pursued answers to ambiguous symptoms that felt completely disconnected. Brain fog, food sensitivities, bloating, eczema, increasing colds that would last for weeks – the list went on and one, and it seemed my immune system was both on hyperdrive and completely wiped out all at the same time.
The more I read, the more I realized I was onto something exciting and potentially game-changing.
It was then I found my first functional doctor who taught me about the importance of gut health and nutrition for healing. She showed me a holistic, natural path forward, and I will forever be grateful.
From there, I turned to a nutritional therapy practitioner (the closest one I could find was in California!) who helped me progress through the GAPS diet (formally known as the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet), which did wonders for healing my gut and my chronic eczema and hives along with it.
It was then I became a believer in just how much power I had over my health, and it ignited a fire in me that continues to this day to share what I’m learning with my community and clients.
The value of nutritional therapy
My earlier practitioner’s compassion, consistent coaching and gentle methods for healing inspired me to get the same certification in nutritional therapy in 2019 from the Nutritional Therapy Association. It was there I learned how to help my clients find root causes to their own health issues.
We always begin with the core foundations: a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet, optimal digestion, proper hydration, and blood sugar, mineral and fatty acid balance. Focusing on these pillars of health helps to rebalance and correct dysfunction deep within the body. And of course, along the way we find effective and manageable methods to reduce stress, sleep better, move more intentionally and detoxify more fully.
A continued education within the Restorative Wellness Solutions program gave me even more insight into gut health, hormone balance and nutritional blood chemistry that are invaluable in helping clients restore overall health and vitality to their bodies. While I have achieved three levels through the RWS program, I look forward to taking level 4 next spring so I may become a master of restorative wellness solutions with additional training into how to best support more complex clients dealing with mold, genetic variances, and autoimmune conditions.
As a functional nutritional therapy practitioner, I find so much joy in empowering clients to exchange their own feelings of fear, anxiety and pain with those of strength, self-compassion and resolve. To help them feel seen, understood and well-supported every step of the way. To celebrate their successes every step of the way. It is an absolute privilege to help clients find answers to long-sought-after questions and real solutions to symptoms that may feel obscure or all in their head.
If this resonates with you, let’s get in touch
You deserve to live your best life possible, to pursue your dreams and feel great doing it. If you would like to explore what working together would be like, and how I can help you achieve your health goals in a way that honors and respects your body as a whole, I’d love to hear from you. Please call me at 402-814-1017 or book a Total Health Freedom Strategy Session today.