Last week I had my first session with a health coach and within 10 minutes I was a sobbing mess. Many people may not make the connection of emotion and nutrition but for me the two go hand in hand. I have never really had a beautiful connection with my food even though I love food, cooking and everything about social dining. When you pretty much always feel shitty, are bloated and followed by a case of nausea or diarrhea - you start to dread your next meal. Over the last 5 or 6 years that started to change, and I thank my husband for that. James introduced me to a new style of cooking and meal prepping that I began looking forward to eating together and it’s one of our greatest past times. I finally felt a connection to food unlike I have before. And if you’ve ever eaten with me, you know that I eat well. I’m healthy and gravitate towards options that are balanced and not too heavy. It never mattered to me that my new relationship with food meant that there would be weight gain because I finally felt like I could eat and not suffer.

When I was 27 and was hit with a nervous system shocking case of shingles I took it upon myself to make some immediate changes from that moment forward. I became so much more aware of how to lead a cleaner lifestyle and repaired a lot of old gut imbalances that were lingering from my childhood and teenage years. I felt like I had such a great new appreciation for my body, nutrition and how I treated my temple. So when I turned 29 and another shift happened in my body it's been dimming my light not being able to figure out what to do to balance myself out. It’s weird when you go through a lot of health issues at such a young age that something can throw you off so quickly again. I have been struggling with determining the root of ongoing hormone and digestive issues that are making it increasingly uncomfortable to want to wear anything but yoga pants. So in order to be an honest and authentic provider of care, I have to care for me. It’s this cycle of health is wealth that I trust in so very much, however I got to the point where I needed outsider health.

It started with just cleaning up my already clean diet after a few months of being a little too lenient with the wine, coffee and bites of gluten here and there. I then noticed that no matter how much I was working out or not, my stomach was still swollen. I ignored it knowing that my body tends to regulate itself pretty well but then it got to the point where my menstrual cycles were increasingly off. I urgently went to a doctor after seeking resources from a naturopath, acupuncturist and OB Gyn with no change. This doctor prescribed medication that made me loopy and I detested taking but figured I have nothing left to lose at this point. So at this point the only thing making me comfortable is eliminating just about every food other than broth. It was getting to be too much so I had a moment of clarity when I was invited to a consultation with Parsley Health. At the beginning of June I just started working with the Parsley Health program which includes sessions with a functional doctor and a nutritionist health coach. The continued support for the affordable pricing seemed like the solution that I needed. I have done gut protocols before but never have I worked 1 on 1 with a nutritionist. Now you might think don’t you have a business partner who is a holistic nutritionist? That may be shocking to some of you however working with someone on a personal and professional level is a boundary that can be confusing so for the sake of our work together, I chose to seek out an unbiased perspective with a fresh eyes on my case. There’s no opportunity for excuses or anything other than transparency so I can just feel better.

So when the roles reversed and I was in the care of someone else, I realized something really profound. The reason I even started crying was because I want to feel normal and fit in. I want to go to dinner with friends and not have to worry about how I’m going to feel. I also want to go to dinner and have options that are safe to eat. I started crying because the emotional connection to me eliminating food brings me back to when I would feel awful as a child. The level of stress and anxiety that my stomach issues would give me would make me never want to attend a birthday party or family outing. My emotional connection with food goes really deep and it’s going to take time for me to rewire my thought process around it. I have to be loving, patient and extremely gentle with myself.

When I meet a new client or have continuously seen someone without much improvement in a condition, the work goes a little deeper than they probably expected to go. Having the love and support of my health coach understand and hear me that eliminating food cuts a deep wound for me helped her navigate my case differently where I felt supported. She even provided me with tools to enjoy my husband’s birthday weekend without stress. That is the exact type of care that I want to provide for you. If it doesn’t work, we can reassess. If you feel stuck, let me hold space for you. If you need to cry, you have to feel it to heal it. So just know that I am with you during your journey as I need support on mine. The signals are bodies are communicating to us are a loving act but often times it’s the emotional trigger that shifts us away from self care and self loving practices. It’s hard to face those blocks that hold us back from being our best version of ourselves but just know that you don’t have to do it alone. I’m so grateful for my experience because it makes me more empathetic and compassionate to yours. When the roles reversed I took it as a sign to find peace in the process and I hope to help you find your peace too.

As always, thanks for reading and until next week...xo

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