Beyond Symptom Management: A Personal Journey

When conventional medicine offers you limited options, you become remarkably motivated to find alternatives. That's exactly where my journey began.

After years of struggling with autoimmune conditions and receiving little more than symptom management from traditional healthcare, I embarked on a personal quest that ultimately transformed my understanding of health and healing.

The Food Revolution That Changed Everything

One of my most significant discoveries was the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet. And no, this wasn't about following the latest health trend—this was about identifying specific foods that triggered inflammation in my body.

I still remember my Partners face when I explained what I couldn't eat. He helpfully suggested I could "still enjoy air and perhaps the occasional glass of water." Sound familiar?

But the results were undeniable. Within weeks of starting AIP, my energy improved, brain fog lifted, and muscle pain decreased. When I carefully reintroduced foods, I discovered specific triggers that had been contributing to my symptoms for years—information no blood test had ever provided.

The Hidden Connection: Gut Health and Autoimmunity

The dietary changes led me to another crucial piece of the puzzle: gut health. I learned about the intricate relationship between intestinal permeability , the microbiome, and autoimmune conditions.

Research now confirms what seemed revolutionary when I first explored it: the state of our gut health profoundly impacts our immune function. By focusing on rebuilding my gut lining and nurturing a healthy microbiome, I addressed a root cause rather than just managing symptoms.

Sleep: The Non-Negotiable Pillar

Sleep became absolutely non-negotiable in my healing protocol. I discovered that disrupted sleep patterns weren't just a symptom of my conditions but a large contributing factor. These patterns had begun early on in life

I can laugh now about my former self who wore sleep deprivation as a badge of honour. "I'll sleep when I'm dead," I used to say. Well, with the path I was on, that might have come sooner rather than later.

Movement: Finding the Sweet Spot

Exercise proved to be a double-edged sword in my healing journey. Too little, and inflammation increased. Too much, particularly high-intensity exercise during flares, and I'd crash.

I had to unlearn the "no pain, no gain" mentality that had dominated my approach to fitness. Instead, I discovered the concept of "hormetic stress"—the idea that the right amount of stress strengthens our biological systems, while too much breaks them down.

The Missing Piece: Trauma and the Nervous System

Perhaps the most transformative discovery in my healing journey came through understanding the relationship between past trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and autoimmune disease.

Research increasingly points to connections between adverse experiences, chronic stress, and autoimmune conditions. I began working with practices that address how stress is held in the body, not just the mind.

I discovered that my nervous system had been stuck in survival mode for decades—constantly scanning for threats and rarely finding the safety needed for true healing. As I learned to regulate my nervous system and create a sense of safety in my body, my autoimmune symptoms began to stabilise.

This of course isn't the whole picture, all of these changes started to build a healthier, happier and more confident life for myself.

You can read more about the pillars of health that started my wellness journey HERE