My Story
I've struggled with digestive issues my entire life. As a child, it manifested as eczema and my skin was so dry and red it rubbed raw between my thighs. During high school my gut imbalances resulted in chronic candida (yeast overgrowth). I was given endless pharmaceutical refill prescriptions to deal with my monthly yeast infections. As I matured into adulthood, I thought I was developing asthma as I started to experience tightness in my chest and a feeling of panic.
Trying to understand what was going on with my body, I went for many tests and I was told my breathing and lungs were fine. It wasn’t until I was experiencing full blown panic attacks, burn out and zero energy that I realized something was seriously wrong….and I also realized for the first time in 10 years that I had actually been experiencing anxiety.
My Diagnosis
I started reading and learning everything I could about underlying gut issues that can contribute to and make anxiety worse. I was diagnosed with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) which results in many similar symptoms to IBS. I suffered from painful abdominal cramping, nausea, bloating after every meal, embarrassment of running to the washroom constantly and trouble sleeping on my stomach. I wasn’t even able to do my favourite yoga practice because of how sensitive my stomach was. I also eperienced an H.pylori infection and histamine intolerance that was tied to my SIBO. I was sad, frustrated and discouraged and feared I would never be able to eat my favourite foods again. I drowned my sorrows by emotionally eating, which resultsed in feeling ashamed which only made the negative cycle worse.
Finding Balance
At that time I had been working in a corporate environment for 8 years and realized I needed to make changes, physically, mentally and spiritually, if I was going to bring my body back to a state of balance. I made the decision to go back to school to follow my passion for holistic nutrition so I could learn and understand what my body needed in order to return to a healthy state.
New Beginnings
Throughout my own health transformation, I’ve discovered how interconnected the mind and body are. What you feed yourself, including food, thoughts and media can all greatly impact how your body functions, especially digestion. This understanding has created the basis of what I teach my clients today.
I feel aligned with my life purpose now - to educate and share the valuable knowledge I have learned to help you overcome your digestive and mental health imbalances. Our bodies have an amazing capability to restore and repair themselves and I believe everyone can achieve balance if they have the right tools. Let me share them with you!
Qualifications
I’m a proud graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and on a continuous learning journey to become a food mood expert. I’ve participated in and completed the following to ensure up to date information for my clients:
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition Alumni Association
University of Western Ontario
Host Defense Mushroom Advisor Program
Anxiety Summit 5, 2021
Wild Rose College | Seaweed Therapeutics
Gut-Brain Solution Series, 2021
Start Sprouting Now
I'll provide you with seeds of encouragement & knowledge to start your journey