5 Things That Transformed My Health
As the end of a month draws near, I do a bit of reflecting on the month—reflecting on my health and wellness, my business, my goals—as a way to monitor what’s working and what isn’t. I’ve been at this health and wellness thing for a while now but I feel like more has shifted for me in the first 5 months of 2021 than in the last two years. Yep, I said it. Does that mean I was spinning my wheels the last two years? Nope. I was laying the groundwork for true healing and I was learning; it wasn’t a wasted season. I have learned a lot about myself on this healing journey and each step of the way prepares me to better help my clients.
Your burning question is probably: What diet/supplement/protocol/practice has transformed your health and helped you the most in your healing journey?
I could give you a long list because I’m always experimenting and tweaking things but since this was prompted by my end-of-May reflection, I have chosen 5 key things that transformed my health in the first five months of 2021.
Caveat emptor: We are each unique and our health issues are unique. As a practitioner, every protocol I create for clients is bio-individual meaning, created for that client, in this season, with these issues, this health history. Remember, what worked for me, may not work for you, and vice versa.
With that said, my intention is always to share my experience with you in hopes that my story will help guide you through your healing journey, so that you can find your healthiest, happiest, and most vibrant self.
5 things that transformed my health in the first 5 months of 2021
1. Finding the root cause of my chronic illness
Years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and Hashimoto’s. I picked up a few other diagnoses along the way—SIBO, EBV, hormonal imbalance, anxiety—I was told I was a mess and I believed it (for a while).
With each new diagnosis came a new set of rules I had to follow and a prescription or handful of prescriptions I was supposed to take. Early on, I ignored my instincts and tried to follow the rules set out by the doctors. But, and this is a big BUT, I never felt better. So I began to dig into the why—why wasn’t I healing despite all my efforts?
I poured myself deeply into research and put everything I thought I knew about healing on pause as I began to uncover the real reason that healing was eluding me.
After years of feeling unwell, I realized that I had been given band aid solutions for far too long, and in order to find true healing, I needed to uncover the root cause of my chronic illness. It was time to stop treating my symptoms and start healing my body on a cellular level.
Once I started working with a practitioner who took a root cause approach to healing, I transformed my health.
2. Opening drainage pathways
If I had a dollar for every time I tried a detox protocol only to end up feeling worse in the end, I could probably retire.
When I learned that detoxing and killing pathogens without opening drainage pathways is a recipe for disaster everything changed.
Let me explain. If your drainage pathways are blocked and you undertake a detox, those toxins will have nowhere to go. This means those toxins will be reabsorbed by your body, which will lead you to feel worse than before you started.
A ha! moment: It is extremely important to ensure your drainage and detox pathways are wide open, functioning optimally, and ready for business before doing any type of detox/cleanse/protocol.
Are you scratching your head wondering what the heck drainage pathways are and how you can support them? I’ll be sharing more information on drainage pathways over on Instagram in the month of June so follow along over there!
3. Sweating
Did you know that your body’s detox system is like a funnel? You can dump a lot in but there is a narrow exit pathway. Excess toxins overflow and are redeposited (stored) in our brain, our gut, and our organs.
It is important to balance the toxins circulating in our blood stream with our ability to move them our of the body through detoxification. Otherwise, we’re just moving them from one part of the body to another.
Sweating is one of the body’s safest and most natural ways to heal and maintain good health. Sweating helps eliminate hormone disruptors, prescription drug residue, and toxic heavy metals. Sweating out toxins also boosts your immune system, increases healthy white blood cells, and reduces inflammation.
How many more reasons do you need to sweat? For me, sweating comes in the form of a workout about 4 mornings a week and 1-2 infrared sauna sessions each week.
4. Daily Journaling
Writing in my journal first thing in the morning and again in the evening before bed has truly been one of my longest running habits and one that helps clear my mind and keep me grounded in the present.
My journal method is not fancy but it works for me. It looks like this:
Gratitude. What are you grateful for? Write down three things that come to mind.
Brain dump. Or what’s on your mind? Put all your thoughts on the page and get them out of your mind.
Solutions. The brain dump allows you to see patterns, problems, or worries that are recurring. Once you see that item come up over the course of a few days, write down some solution or tools you can use to address it.
Affirmations. Sometimes I have the same affirmation for months. Other times it’s for a week. Write out a specific affirmation for your self depending upon what area you need support in. For example, “I am at peace in every moment.”
5. King Coffee
As a coffee lover, I never thought I could give up coffee but King Coffee has been such a game changer for me in the last few months.
Why did I stop drinking regular coffee?
Coffee is extremely acidic, increases cortisol, causes hormones go haywire, changes the pH of the body which can lead to dys-biosis.
Now I drink the healthiest cup of coffee in the world.
This year, I learned about the incredible healing powers of Ganoderma (or Reishi), often called the powerhouse mushroom.
I had tried other Reishi drinks, but couldn’t stomach the taste so I was never able to understand what all the hype was about.
Then I learned about King Coffee and what a difference!
Read more about my switch here and here.
What makes this coffee so special?
King coffee is made with organic coffee and contains a therapeutic dose of Reishi spores (the most powerfully healing part of the mushroom), which modulate the negative side effects that are typical with regular coffee.
No other coffee in the world has the patent-protected process to harvest Reishi spores at 99.9% bioavailability, like Organo™ King Coffee. It’s organic, has zero drug interactions, has nine certifications, and is mold & mycotoxin free.