For the last 20 years, I’ve been on a journey to find wellness, it has seemed elusive, within reach, and that I’m spiraling out of control once again so many times. I feel like I’m starting to head back in the correct direction now that I’ve been doing Whole30 for 9 days now. Insert chuckle right? It’s been 9 days how can I say anything has changed for the better? Well, let me back up a bit.
During my freshman year of college, I got Mono, which seemed to have triggered my immune response to overact. Throughout those 4 years of college and into my early 20’s I struggled with stomach issues that came and went in a cycle. I couldn’t figure out what that cycle was but I knew dairy and stress inflamed it. I did nothing about that.
With my first job out of college, the stress increased over a year and a half to the point where I felt sick every single day to the point where friends would point out that I said I didn’t feel good every single day. I did nothing. I was laid off but then found a new super stressful job that came with a bully boss. My stomach issues progressed to the point where I lost 20 pounds to which my doctor told me I was fine. That is when I started investing in my health, I tried all sorts of different types of diets that were supposed to help, they didn’t. It was then I first considered looking into an alternative health professional. I didn’t.
After I had my daughter I was so stiff and achy I needed my mom to pull me up off the couch. I was diagnosed with situational depression, I went back on antidepressants. It didn’t seem right. I get it depression can cause body aches, but I knew that wasn’t it. I saw a rheumatologist who flat out told me I was blow drying my hair too long, and that was the cause of aches, pains, and numbness. That I was overdoing it and it was all in my head. 2 years later I had my son, and most of the pain came back, and then over the next few years, I got progressively worse. I was exhausted, my sed rate was extremely high, my blood work was completely off, I had pericarditis, and through all of this, I was continually brushed off, or used a guinea pig for doctors. Not a single one could find out what was wrong with me so they just pumped me full of drugs, sent me for test after test after test. So much happened that I don’t remember much from those years.
In walked my daughter’s best friend who said why don’t you try these essential oils and see if they help. They worked for the symptoms even though I didn’t have a medical diagnosis yet. But that point I stopped caring about diagnoses and started researching natural ways to get the body back into balance. 4 ½ years later here I am feeling 1000% better than I did then. I am empowered to take charge of my health and do my own research.
Chinese medicine states modern life creates heat in the body. This excess fire from chronic stress in my system lead to issues like heartburn, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, endocrine issues, fatigue, constant headaches, muscle, and joint aches, anxiety, being stuck in flight or fight, digestive issues, respiratory issues, pericarditis, and my inflammation rate to be off the charts!
Since I’ve started Whole30 I haven’t had heartburn once! And each day my pain is less! I am in shock! I truly didn’t expect it all to happen at least not in 7 days! Ok, but you want to know about the weight loss right? In the first 7 days, I lost 6 pounds. May not be huge to some, but I can see the difference in the stomach bloating (I don’t look pregnant), my ankles aren’t swollen, my shoes fit differently! I wish I had measured myself. But I can already see changes in myself!
The more I learn the more I see how I ended up in such a bad place. Emotional blockages lead to this excess heat in my body. And I believe using oils like release, frankincense, lavender, and valor can help me to let go of these trapped emotions, along with the Aroma Freedom Technique. I was stuck in fight or flight for so many years, which also threw my body out of whack.
When I read the website I list below I realized that every one of my body systems had been affected. That scared the hell out me, and made me so grateful my same oils friend kept talking to me about getting in the whole30 reset! https://chinesemedicineworks.com/inflammation/
When I changed my victim mindset from my stored trauma and unprocessed emotions, I started to change and reached for something better ie) essential oils. Those oils lead me on a path (rabbit hole) of healing my physical, mental and emotional body. It’s not as hard as it sounds, I feel like I just fell into all of this, but truthfully it’s been a lot of reading, researching and asking questions to get here.
So I’ve changed my mindset, by using positive affirmations and reframing how I look at my life. I slowly changed my toxic food, until I finally felt I was able to drop my addiction to sugar, I started meditating nightly and walking on the treadmill for a minimum of 10-15 minutes at a time. I find that micro workouts are working better for me.
All these realizations from stumbling onto a website, a documentary, from listening to a good friend not once but twice, to listening to my gut, and reading all the things I could find on autoimmunity. Energetically everything is connected, we all share energy and frequency we are part of this earth and that belief helps us heal and that gives us empowerment. I’ve been fighting to get well for 8 ½ years and I finally feel like I’m back on the right path!!
So my point in all of this is to tell you that just because you tried something once and it didn’t work means you should give up. You need to keep trying to figure out what works best for your body. Just because a doctor tells you there is nothing wrong, and you feel differently, doesn’t mean they are right. The only person who knows how you feel, what your body is doing and how off you you are is you! Be your own advocate. If that doctor won’t listen find another one. Try a hollistic doctor and payout of your pocket if you have to. I know that was long, thanks for sticking with me!
Holistic Mystic D 