With countless miles, blood, sweat, and tears I quickly learned that running took more than just talent. It took hard work, determination, and perseverance. Even though I was an average runner my freshman year, I quickly climbed the ranks and reached my goal of running at the State meet the next three years, but that was not without sacrifice. I  battled multiple injuries and developed a life threatening illness that would take as much determination as running to recover from.

Throughout my training, I ran more and more and ate less and less. Thinking that the thinner I was, the faster I would be. Most days, I felt alone, anxious and depressed, and was slowly fading away from family and friends. I did not recognize myself. Anorexia had stolen my happiness, personality, health, and spirit. Running, a seemingly healthy activity, had turned into an unhealthy obsession.

Reaching my lowest point at a frail ninety-five pounds, I was on the verge of having serious medical complications. Yet, the voice in my head was preventing me from seeking treatment. Finally, my mother’s tears got through to me.  My new goal was to heal my mind and body. Through the help of a psychologist, my family, and my own research I slowly healed my mind and body. I first discovered the joy of cooking, which helped me nourish my body back to a healthy weight. To calm the voices and combat the negative thoughts, I learned the art of meditation and breathing. 

While healing from anorexia was as difficult as training for a marathon, I am grateful to have gone through it. What is the old saying, “everything happens for a reason”? I truly believe that. I would not be who I am today, stronger and more resilient, without going through it.

Little did I know that my healing journey was not over. Due to many years of under-nourishing, over-exercising, and stressful situations, I still had more health problems to solve. The first health problem I would solve is food sensitivities. I used to be sensitive to gluten and dairy. Eating these foods would cause severe bloating, stomach pain, headaches, and fatigue. I utilized a functional lab testing to identify healing opportunities within my gut. I then  embarked on a gut healing journey which included eliminating gluten and dairy for about a year while I focused on eating more gut healing foods. Now I can eat gluten and dairy with no issues. I choose to eat quality grass-fed dairy and organic sourdough bread on a regular basis.

The next thing I would solve is irregular periods and chronic fatigue. My periods used to be very irregular, sometimes I would only have 1-2 periods a year. When I did have a period I would have severe PMS symptoms (bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, and cramping). I also used to be tired all the time, and required 3-4 cups of coffee just to get through the day. It wasn’t until I ran a functional hormone test that I realized something needed to change. I was running my cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, to the ground. My adrenal glands were so tired that they couldn’t even make cortisol anymore. I didn’t even know this was a thing. What I also learned is that my adrenal gland health impacts period health. After focusing on my liver health, resting more, eating more, taking the right supplements, and doing mindful movement my periods are regular and 90% symptom free and my energy level is off the charts.

The next thing I would concur is my slow metabolism. I used to always be cold, tired, had no appetite, acne, brittle hair and nails, irregular periods, and low libido. I ran a full thyroid pan and used functional lab ranges to determine that I had subclinical hypothyroidism. Something that can’t be picked up with just a TSH level. When I started strength training, eating more bioavailable nutrient dense foods, and taking the right supplements all of these symptoms went away.

The last thing I would solve is my injury proneness. I used to be very injury prone. It seemed like 3-4 times per year I would be dealing with some kind of tendonitis, impingement, sprain, or strain. These injuries kept me from doing the things I love to do. I focused on strengthening my body both internally and externally via kettlebell training, ditching the cardio, eating more bioavailable nutrients and resting more. Since implementing these changes I haven’t been injured for many years now.

As you can see with some functional lab testing and health foundations (sleep, whole foods, rest, stress reduction, mindful movement, and supplementation) you can also heal yourself.

Life is like a marathon. It’s full of ups and downs that take your breath away. I’m so thankful to have experienced all my ups and downs. My endurance race to heal myself has given me the desire to help others find healing. Going through it firsthand, allows me to better understand what it will take for you to find healing. This is why it’s now my mission to help you uncover the root causes behind your health challenges. My goal is to empower you to take part in your own healing journey, because only you can heal you.