My Journey to Health

 

 

The most recent memory of mine that links me to a journey to health is my grade 12 year of high school, crunching into a ball on my friend’s couch after eating some pizza for her birthday. “It’s ok, I just need to lie down like this for a bit until the pain goes away” I remember saying. I didn’t want anyone to worry about me. Yet these little pains were all too familiar. Curling up into a ball after eating was a common practice for me, I just thought that it was a part of life. Although I didn’t feel sorry for myself, my mom definitely did. She forced me to go to the doctor. Unfortunately, my visit to the family doctor did little to help me at the time. My only “logical” solution to my problem at the time was to eat less. Eat less= hurt less.

Fresh out of high school

 

Flash forward to my first year of University, I was taking over the counter antacids but was still in pain. My party lifestyle probably didn’t help, but I was having the time of my life and don’t regret a single thing. Finally, after the urgency of my mom, I went back to my University clinic for a second opinion on my digestive woes. After many tests I was diagnosed with acid reflux disease and put on proton pump inhibitors. These felt like a miracle. No more pain. I cried after I found out that they were working. Amazing. And so I continued to party and started eating whatever I wanted, no longer feeling deprived. And well, I may have gained me my freshman 15 😉 . Although on my small frame it probably didn’t look like a lot, the unhealthy food I was feeding myself was starting to shine through.

My undergrad days

 

About two years into proton pump inhibitors, my doctor suggested that I should go off of them and try to manage my symptoms with exercise, stress relief and eating healthy foods. This is when I started to run and developed a love for fitness. I could shred some extra weight, relieve some stress and loved the endorphins! While I was able to get off of the medication, I still experienced pain. I was also starting to feel more and more anxious as my University years went on. The more anxious I felt, the more my symptoms would flare up.

Partying hard and studying hard were staples in my life.

 

The year I went to grad school was the hardest on my body. I moved and traveled many times before, during and after my one year degree. Stress and uncertainty both in my personal life and at school was putting a huge toll on me. Flare ups were consistent, I started breaking out on my forehead and my anxieties were so bad that I started to experience shortness of breath. When I went back on proton pump inhibitors they did little to help with my distress. I remember one of my friends saying that my acne was probably coming from all of my stress and I replied with “that’s bullshit”. I blindsided myself to the mind body connection.  I continued to run and bought a membership to myyogaonline (now Gaiam TV). I had done yoga before, both in highschool and in University, but I only really began to understand the benefits when I stuck to a more consistent practice. I also started seeing a natropath after it was suggested by a friend and begun a long, slow journey through a more natural return to health.

My Master’s Grad 2011

Breakouts like this were once a part of life

 

Soon after I finished my studies I moved into a more consistent lifestyle with my new job. My digestive woes and my acne were still with me, but I was starting to understand my situation a bit better. I went through more and more testing through GI specialists and was eventually diagnosed with IBS, which I later learned was just a way of saying that my doctors had no idea what was wrong with my stomach. I continued to seek help and was recommended to cut dairy and sugar out of my diet. Through the help of alternative medicine, I discovered that I was both lactose intolerant and had a slight fructose malabsorption. My increased energy levels allowed me to develop a consistent running and yoga practice. I even ran my first half marathon in September of 2013!

Race time: 1:59:00

 

After my race I started to slow down and eased into a more consistent yoga and meditation practice. I was also tested for other food sensitivities and took those foods out of my diet as I slowly begun to heal. I was surprised that a variety of the “healthy” foods that I was eating were actually making me sick! I made a point to stay away from dairy, sugar, caffeine, excess spice, alcohol and grains once I found out that they were my triggers. While cutting certain foods out of my diet was a must, I was also told that I needed to lower my stress levels and figure out my anxiety as part of the process. I never really believed this–  I just never thought that I would be able to calm my anxiety, but I tried anyway by seeking help from a qualified professional. Slowly, my breakouts started to let up. The better my digestion, the better my skin. The less I stressed, the better my digestion. The more consistent I was with meditation and yoga, the less stressed I felt. I was slowly seeing these changes that I never thought possible.

Getting over my skin problems– 2013

 

2014 has been by far my best year for health in over a decade. And I have to say that I would have never been able to get here without all of the support of family and friends. When I didn’t believe that I could heal, they all pushed me into believing that I could. After battling with acid reflux, IBS and anxiety I am very proud to say that my determination has paid off. Sure, I still pout at the idea of not being able to eat ice cream or spicy foods, I know that it is for the best. I’ve also come to understand the beauty of balance– if I have these foods on a limited basis, they don’t bother me!

One of my favourite ways to find balance– camping with my other half!

 

Through my journey to health I’ve learned that my body physically responds to a lack of balance; perhaps more than most. And for that, sometimes I view my illnesses as a blessing in disguise. I feel like I’ve learned so much about the importance of slowing down my movements, eating well and calming my thoughts this year.

 

In December of 2014, I received my certificate as a 200hr certified Yoga Instructor and haven’t looked back since. It’s time that I use the tools that have helped me and share them with others. I only hope that anyone else going through a similar ordeal can find their own peace and resolution. And, of course, I am still learning myself. I will always be on a journey to health. I believe that no matter how much we know about ourselves or a certain subject, we will always be students.

Namaste,

Sara Lou