A decade ago may not be a lifetime, but it sure feels like it to me when I think how far I’ve come with my IBS…
Back then my belly and I were not in a happy place… All I had to show for several months’ worth of lab tests, stool samples and abdominal ultrasounds in the conventional medical world was the diagnosis: “all tests are normal, so it must be IBS” and I was sent on my way.
I was almost ready to believe the story that this life with a bloated Buddha belly and running to the bathroom 8+ times per day was it for me. But somehow I found myself sitting in a Naturopathic Doctor’s office describing my IBS symptoms to yet another doctor. Clinging to hope that looking 5 months pregnant was not going to be my forever.
But instead the doctor gently pointed out several seemingly healthful foods I was consuming every single day that were actually inflaming my gut. I was shocked! I mean, I ate a lot of veggies, I put greens powder in my smoothies, I barely ate meat and yet; the way I was eating was turning my belly upside down.
I was given a few book recommendations and I spent the next few months going down the nutrition rabbit hole but never really coming out the other side. I wanted to make changes but crazy Heather (that’s what I call fear-based Heather inside my brain) had all these excuses like…
But I’ll have to give up my favorite foods!
Or my meals will taste gross and I’ll never enjoy food again.
Or my friends and family will think me and my crazy diet are weird.
Or the big one…
What if I do all this work revamping my diet and it doesn’t even work?
But then happy-place Heather chimed in…
“But what if you just try?”
And so I did.
And guess where I’m at now? I’m planning a trip to Costa Rica next month and haven’t stress at all about how my belly will react to travel and new foods.
I wear flowy dresses because I think they’re pretty not because they’ll hide my chronically bloated belly.
And I go to the bathroom 1x per day (you heard me, not 8 - just once!)
I’m not going to pretend that journey was easy like ‘3 easy steps to cure your IBS!’ I poured through websites, nutrition books, and cookbooks trying to find recipes that not only kept my belly calm, but also tasted super yummy and it was tough. I had some pretty epic cooking fails but I also had some really eye-opening wins like coconut banana pancakes! I made a choice to keep showing up and taking steps forward.
Sometimes a shake my head at the ‘what-ifs’ of where I would be if I had stayed stuck back listening to crazy Heather and it kind of makes me sick to my stomach. Because I don’t want to be that girl curled up on the couch with arms wrapped around my painfully bloated belly and willing myself to stop running to the bathroom.
But luckily I didn’t, and here I am now; a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and I have based my entire wellness practice on supporting women to live wild and IBS free so they can stop managing and start healing!
So I am going to make things super easy for you by cramming all the amazingness that I learned when it comes to food and chronic tummy trouble into my free masterclass: How to Transform Everyday Meals into Powerful Gut Healers.
In this class I will share with you this step by step approach to building a gut healing meal every single day that allows you to confidently make food choices that will keep your beautiful belly happy!
Register here for the FREE Masterclass: How to Transform Everyday Meals into Powerful Gut Healers
