My Health Journey
I always knew I wanted to be a mom.
After 8 years on the birth control pill, I started questioning how well it truly worked for me. I was 22 years old, and I was struggling to lose weight, dealing with anxiety, and curious if the pill was contributing to my symptoms. I decided to quit, but was completely unprepared for what came next.
My symptoms got worse. I gained more weight, started breaking out, and I didn’t have a period for 3 years. After about 6 months, I started seeing doctors. They ran test after test and eventually diagnosed me with something called premature ovarian failure. That meant that my hormones were so low that they were at post-menopausal levels, but no one really knew why. What they did tell me, however, is that it would be very difficult to ever conceive naturally.
you want to know the craziest part?
The only solution that was offered to me was to go back on the birth control pills to manage my symptoms. That just didn’t sit right with me- surely that didn’t do anything to fix what was going on. And what if the pills had contributed to the problems I had now? In desperation, I turned to natural medicine and nutrition.
I partnered with a naturopathic doctor, and after a long intake process I heard about post-birth control syndrome for the first time. This surprisingly common side-effect of stopping hormonal birth control leaves your hormonal levels low, your nutrients depleted, and your liver exhausted. My doctor guided me through lifestyle changes to reduce stress, improve blood sugar, and increase nutrients. I eliminated refined sugar and grains, added lots more healthy fats, and took targeted herbal and nutritional supplements.
six months later my period came back.
Guys…this was MIND-BLOWING to me. Within 6 months I went from being told I would likely never conceive naturally, to having a normal, fertile cycle again…all from natural interventions and changing my food. I. was. hooked.
While continuing to teach full time, I went back to school to study nutrition counseling. Now that I had uncovered the power of a whole-foods, personalized diet and health-promoting lifestyle, I knew people everywhere deserved to hear this message. There are solutions out there…true, root-cause, healing solutions, not just symptom management.
fast forward 4 years…
I feel the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I have steady energy, my anxiety is under control, my weight has balanced out…and I have a beautiful daughter after a natural conception and pregnancy. My health isn’t perfect- I’m sure nobody’s is. But I get to live every day with feeling great as my default, and I feel empowered with many tools to address issues as they arise. I absolutely love being able to guide other women through their own healing journeys, and empowering them to balance their hormones naturally.
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