For most of my 20s I was just like many of my clients. I felt pretty crappy (no pun intended), and regularly struggled with chronic bloating and digestive symptoms, painful periods & PMS, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and feelings of anxiety & depression. Even though I looked young & healthy on the outside, I felt old, sick & tired on the inside. My symptoms completely ruled my life.
I would wake up every morning, with anxiety, wondering “how is my stomach going to feel today?”, and would brace myself for unpredictable flare ups. I often only had the mental or physical energy to complete the “bare minimum” of my daily adult responsibilities, let alone have any fun and do the things I loved. I had to rely on my "bloating wardrobe" of loose-fitting clothes because my stomach was often painfully distended. I was constantly cancelling social plans because of my symptoms or because I couldn't eat any of the food. I rarely traveled because traveling made my symptoms unbearable. And despite being super health conscious and eating a clean diet, it made zero difference in my symptoms.
As an aspiring nutritionist at the time, I had tried every diet in the book with little to no success, and often felt like the ‘healthiest’ of diets made my symptoms worse. I was so confused and at a loss. I was doing everything "right", yet my health kept getting worse and worse. I felt like I had no control over my own body.
Realizing that diet alone wasn’t going to be enough to help the severity of my symptoms, I sought out professional help. I went to traditional doctors, GI specialists, naturopaths, and functional medicine doctors. The western medicine route never gave me any answers as all my lab work always came back “normal”. The naturopath I went to prescribed me a ton of supplements without running any tests. I went to Functional Medicine doctors and was able to get some real answers from the lab work, there was an over-reliance on supplement protocols that helped a little, but my symptoms always seemed to creep back once I finished the protocols.
Thus, I found myself in an endless cycle of chasing my symptoms. I never thought it could be so difficult and complicated to overcome seemingly "normal" symptoms & get my energy back. I often felt helpless, and that I was some rare case that couldn't be solved. My health struggles were costing me everything: my sanity, my peace, my sleep, career, & social life, and it took a huge toll on my mental health.
I knew there had to be a better solution and was determined to find it. I wasn't willing to settle for being miserable for the rest of my life. I knew that if I was ever going to have the life I wanted, that I absolutely needed to take my healing into my own hands.
I decided to dedicate my life to my healing. I learned everything I could about the right lab work, the right supplements, proper nutrition, & took a huge inventory of the stressors in my life. After losing trust in many of my doctors, I wanted to have more autonomy over my health. I pursued my masters in holistic health education & nutrition and became a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioner. These provided me with the tools and training to be able to be my own health practitioner.
Becoming a a functional health practitioner has completely changed my health and my quality of life. I have been able to identify the root cause of my chronic symptoms and take practical and natural steps to bring my body back into balance. I no longer struggle with daily symptoms, my digestion and energy levels are better than what I ever thought was possible. I never worry about not having the right knowledge or tools to support my heal, and I no longer worrying about my symptoms 24/7. I feel better than "normal" - I feel healthy, empowered, and free.
My mission is to empower others who are struggling with chronic health issues to be able to take control of their health and healing so that they can find freedom in their body and thrive in all areas of their life.
If you are tired of not getting answers and feeling like you've exhausted all options, you're in the right place. If you're ready to finally feel in control of your healing journey, click the link below to apply for 1:1 support. I can't wait to be your guide on your journey.
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