Arise to Wellness. I chose this name as my business name because it speaks to who I am, what I’ve journeyed through, and what I want to help empower others to experience. We’ve all gone through ups and downs in life, and we’ve also all risen from those experiences and have allowed them to shape us.
My journey began in 2012 after a period of extreme stress in my life. Stress or trauma can be a trigger for the body to shift into dis-ease, which is exactly what it did for me. Very slowly, I began to develop signs and symptoms, which were my body’s way of communicating that it needed some attention and support. One at a time, symptoms including digestive issues, constipation, extreme fatigue, hair loss, sleep disturbances, and period irregularities began to creep in-and get worse. After doing some light research myself, I discovered that most if not all of my symptoms may be pointing toward my thyroid. I went to see my doctor, who ran some tests, and I was told everything was “normal.”
I was given separate medication for each ailment: a pill for constipation, a pill for hormone issues, and so on. I went home and, low and behold, I got worse. After some time had passed, I returned to my doctor with worsened symptoms, an intuitive hunch that something was wrong, and that something may have to do with an under-active thyroid. My doctor pled my case, on paper, to an endocrinologist. After reviewing my “normal” numbers and other paperwork, I was relayed the message from this specialist that my numbers were “not bad enough” and to “come back when you’re sicker.”
Um. WHAT. That was the day I decided that my health was in my own hands, and I pledged to myself to be my own health advocate. From there, I was determined to learn everything I could to get a handle on my symptoms and improve my health status. All I wanted was to be heard, and to feel better. This began my journey into books, research, and any platform I could find of people who felt like me, and had found solutions. Over the 4 years or so that followed, I was my own guinea pig trying different diets, supplements, and lifestyle changes in order to gain an inch of my life back.
My body had suffered, my relationships had suffered, and my mind was tired-I was ready for a change. Over time, I was able to heal some things, while others developed, and continue on my journey. I had joined multiple communities of fellow health advocates and learned more than I anticipated I would. I became extremely passionate about continuing to figure out ways to heal, as well as sharing my passion and knowledge with others. I was working as an Athletic Trainer at the time, and found my nutritional lifestyle knowledge overlapping into my work there as well.
In 2017, I was taken out of work for hip surgery. It was a tough recovery which forced me to be out of work for 4 months-4 very long months! While focusing on healing at home, I suddenly had the time on my hands to reflect on my life path, and look into how I could further my passion for holistic health. Through talking to any and every health professional I could find, one led me to the Nutritional Therapy Association. As soon as I read its heart and mission, I knew this was the program I wanted to pursue. My first day back to work after my surgery was my first day starting the NTP program. With the knowledge I learned through this program, my own continued research, and working with other functional medicine practitioners including a fellow NTP, my body is finally healing.
I will never say I am “done healing”; I will always be learning, and my body will always be shifting and adapting, as all bodies are designed to do; but I have since resolved many digestive issues, reduced thyroid antibodies, gained a regular cycle back after 5 years without, recovered from an eating disorder which developed throughout my story, and have energy to thrive! Nutrition and holistic medicine has a truly powerful impact not only on physical health, but on overall well-being.
In this world, we are told that aging is “normal” and that symptoms are something to settle with, and suffer through with no hope. However, I am here to tell you that optimal health and overall well-being is normal! You deserve to feel your best; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I had no idea where this path would take me, but I’m so grateful that is has allowed me to now create the life I am passionate about. I have since started Arise to Wellness and am practicing as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner full time. I would love to connect with you to learn YOUR story, offer support along the way, and help you to feel like the best version of you.