Health has always been an important part of my life, whether or not I understood if I was being healthy in actuality. For so many years, I believed that if I was active, exercising every day, I was healthy. I played sports competitively in high school and college, having practices every day and competitions regularly. I was also thin and strong for my size, therefore I thought I was super healthy. In fact, I was fueling myself with an abundance of processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugar. Sure, I still ate vegetables and I loved fruit, but the main source of my nutrients came from cereal, breads, pastas, and of course dessert every night. In college, this was paired with drinking copious amounts of beer and sugary drinks on weekends. Yet, since I still looked and felt fine, I considered myself to be healthy.
Only a couple of years after college did I realize that maybe I was not as healthy as I thought. I was still thin and relatively strong, but I definitely did not feel vibrant and energized. I was a teacher up until last year, and I would come home every afternoon feeling completely depleted, just absolutely crushed. Yet, I’d still force myself to go on a run, play squash, or go to a workout class because that was part of my identity and that was what I felt made me “healthy.” In addition, I felt the need to be social and living in New York City, where everyone seems to have plans every single night of the week, I felt obligated to see friends and/or go on dates most nights. I chalked up this extreme fatigue to teaching young children and being on my feet all day. As time continued to pass, I not only felt this extreme exhaustion that I refused to accept, but I started to develop digestive issues. These came in the form of regular stomach aches, gas, bloating, and overall stomach discomfort. All things I could live with though; they didn’t interfere with my life too too much. After fours years on the east coast, I moved to San Francisco, where I could live a life that complimented my love for the outdoors and a more laid-back lifestyle. With the move, came a new job, learning a new city, and establishing a new friend group. Subsequently, I found myself feeling anxious and stressed more than I ever had before. Things were not good.
For years, my primary health care physician had told me my labs were fine and that feeling tired was normal. She did find that I had a mild case of hypothyroidism. This gave me some relief, knowing that hypothyroidism could be the culprit for my constant tiredness. However, once on a slight dose of medication, my labs improved but I did not feel any better. I was 27 years old and I felt completely depleted every day, and I knew that something was not right. I knew deep down that there was more going on, and I wanted to get to the root cause! I started seeing a functional medicine doctor, and it opened my eyes to the world of holistic wellness and nutrition. I learned that the fatigue, gut issues, anxiety/stress, and hypothyroidism were all signs from my body telling me that I was out of balance and that change needed to happen. Yes, I could continue living the way I was; I was still working full-time, working out almost daily, seeing friends regularly, but why go through life feeling not like your best self?! I wanted to feel vibrant, youthful, and joyful! As I learned more about the world of nutrition, I became passionate about the topic and always felt myself wanting to know more. As I worked through, and continue to work through, my own health concerns, I am so incredibly motivated by taking a holistic approach to health and wellness. I realized that my job as a teacher was no longer bringing me the joy it once did; in fact it contributed to the stress and anxiety that was taking control of me. I “retired” after last year’s school year ended and decided to embark on a journey of health and wellness, so that I could help others around me feel empowered to make changes in their own lives to be their healthiest and happiest selves!
