Category Archives: pain

    Categories Advice, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Emotional pain, Fibromyalgia, flare up, Health, hope, Inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, pain, Physical Pain

    Manifest Wellness

    What is wellness? How do you know you have achieved wellness? Is it the same for everyone?

    Can I go from feeling crappy to happy? Can I stop the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time?

    Does my medical history have to be my fate?

    Wellness is a state of wellbeing and good health.  Wellness is achieved progressively as we develop our own supportive routine and lifestyle.  Wellness includes a variety of activities, choices and lifestyle shifts throughout our life span.  We can each experience our own unique wellness regardless of life’s challenges and obstacles.  Your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It took me 7 years to find my Wellness because I lacked the understanding of the importance of tackling life’s challenges with a synergistic approach.  My journey was difficult and traitorous because when my health crisis happened I was stuck in the scientific and conventional world of medicine.  Conventional medicine is amazing for life saving approaches but it is lacking insight in health promotion and prevention.  Prescriptions are designed to cover up one problem and new symptoms emerge.  Going outside the box of conventional medicine is the way to truly tackle to root of your illness, disease and symptoms to heal the body.  It took me years of suffering through meltdowns, rock bottom moments and illness because I was unaware of the importance of tackling the emotional and physical root of illness and disease simultaneously. The gift I learned in the process is that the journey doesn’t have to be so difficult or torturous.  You deserve to find your unique wellness.  Everyone deserves to feel better.

    My name is Diane and I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type III (EDS III).  This condition impacts the entire body requiring many prescriptions, treatments and surgeries to deal with the overwhelming symptoms. I went to see a geneticist because I knew as a nurse that something wasn’t right.  It wasn’t normal for a 35 years old to be taking more than 13 prescriptions and spend most of her life in doctor’s offices.  By the time I was diagnosed I had more than 6 surgeries and more to come.  I also spent months in physical therapy for frequent injuries.  The health issues caused me to spend my life at neurologist, allergists, endocrinologists, gynecologist, pain clinics, rheumatologists and gastroenterologist’s offices to deal with the expanse list of symptoms.  Trust me that is not a happy or healthy way to live.  But after suffering for so long, I realized prescriptions, surgeries, injections and physical therapy were not my answer.  I was in search of a true solution and desperate to feel healthy and free inside my body.  I had felt trapped and helpless for so long that I was desperate for a solution.  And I chose my health and myself for the first time in my life.

    I began my journey outside the box of conventional medicine to truly tackle my illness once and for all.  In the beginning I had tunnel vision that blinded me of the full picture.  I started with nutrition, fitness and supplementation to heal and repair the severe damage my body had undergone since childhood.  By the age of 35, I was taking 13 prescriptions and injections for pain were a monthly must.  I was diagnosed with EDS III after several years of focusing on nutrition, fitness and supplementation.  I went to the genetics simply to prove that my hypothesis was correct and the doctor’s that had treated me were clueless.  My hypothesis was “Nutrient malabsorption, poor diet, lack of exercise and genetics was causing my expanse list of symptoms.”  My visit to genetics was proof for myself that I was on the right track.  When I was diagnoses I was already 60% better but there was a missing element I hadn’t realized yet.  Nonetheless the geneticist and my specialists were all astonished at the transformation I had already achieved.  I was on only two prn prescriptions (as needed), pain was under control without prescriptions and I was living a healthier lifestyle.

    Nutrition, fitness and supplementation worked on the physical root of my illness and disease.  This is the physical stress we experience when life stress and diet create inflammation, toxins and damage in the body.  I had that under control with supplementation, nutrition and fitness but injuries, pain flare ups and irritable bowel symptoms still occurred frequently.  My worst symptoms to control were indigestion, heart burn, bloating, fatigue and chronic pain.  My digestive flare ups would trigger the muscle pain and fatigue to return.  And my gastroenterologist decided a psychiatrist was the answer to calm my anxiety and reduce stress with a prescription.  I started on Celexa to help control my symptoms and finally had to face the fact that my symptoms had an emotional component.  I didn’t want to accept that my emotions were triggering my symptoms but after they diminished the truth was clear.  The quest then became to tackle that emotional pain without a prescription and truly overcome my symptoms. I did not want to be on anti-anxiety medications my whole life.  It was a difficult journey but worth the fight because I knew I wasn’t alone in this struggle.  I am not the only person that is sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time.  I am not the only one who is sick of all the prescriptions that wreak havoc on the body and cause more problems than good.  I am not the only person that feels trapped inside their body. I am not the only person that wants to find a solution to all their symptoms.

    Fast forward to 2018, the missing element, emotional pain, would prove to be my most difficult obstacle to face and overcome.  I realized that there was an emotional root to my symptoms that stemmed from my childhood.  By this time, I was trying to overcome a new fear and my physical symptoms were back with a vengeance.  My fear of being seen and being heard.  I desperately wanted to share my story and create videos on social media but my emotions kept getting in my way.  I underwent hypnosis to tackle the subconscious blocks and self-limiting beliefs from my childhood.  And suddenly, the symptoms were less frequent and I was making great progress with my fears.

    We all have experienced negative thoughts, self-limiting beliefs and emotional pain.  This occurs due to unprocessed emotions from our childhood.  We experience events, circumstances and situations in our childhood that are difficult for us to understand and process because we were never taught ways to process and release our emotions.  This vicious pattern continues throughout our lives as we re-experience these emotions and feelings.  The simple truth is that we all have a negative voice inside our heads.  And this little negative character controls are actions and reactions to everything we perceive in our lives.  I call these negative voices, Negative Nancy and Negative norm.  My Negative Nancy was a dominant voice in my head that controlled all my actions in life causing me to feel frozen and stuck.  She was holding me back from my dreams and hypnosis helped me realize that I could regain control of my subconscious mind.

    The simple truth to share with you now is that your physical and emotional symptoms are connected.  You may be skeptical as I was in the beginning but it a very powerful truth.  To achieve your own unique wellness there needs to be a shift in the physical and emotional realms to truly create a lasting effect.  And once that is introduced into your lifestyle, you can absolutely go from feeling crappy to happy.  You can prove to yourself and others that your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It will end the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time.  It will help you thrive and create the life you dream.  So the question is… Do you want to Thrive?  Do you want to find Your Unique Wellness?

    Categories Advice, pain, Podcast

    Words Matter

    Words are powerful and the impact they have on others are significant.  We have all heard the statement, “Sticks and Stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.”  I call bull shit on that statement.  Words hurt more than sticks.  Words can break you down at your core.  They can tear you down to nothingness.  Words can make you feel lost, lonely and alone.  They impact those we love and care for much more than we realize.  Words impact strangers, colleagues and loved ones in exponential ways.  We often speak too quickly, forgetting that our ego tends to spread words from a hurtful place.  We have all said something in the heat of the moment that we regret once we breath and let things settle.  Have you ever had a conversation that made you want to curl up into a ball and cry?  Have you ever had a confrontation that made you want to throw something?  Have you ever had a fight that left you feeling lonely and isolated?  I am sure you all have experienced this painful truth at some point in your life.  It can happen with an absolute stranger.  But it is even more painful with someone you love and cherish.  This is something I have learned in my evolution from feeling Crappy to Happy.  We often let the words others say penetrate to our soul and break us down to oblivion.  But in order for you to understand and process it, you need to picture it in your mind and feel it in your body.

    I want you to picture a conversation with a loved one but first connect with yourself.  Simply take in a deep breath right now.  What is the worst thing you have told yourself inside your mind?  What is the most hurtful and painful word you have used to describe yourself?  What is the most rotten feeling you have experienced for yourself?  What has your negative Nancy or Negative Norm said inside your head? Maybe it was, You are ugly, You are stupid, You are Worthless.  Now, that you feel that yucky and icky feeling.  Imagine what it would feel like if someone you love utters those painful words to describe you.  Or maybe they utter words that make you re-experience those painful words again.  That’s right. It doesn’t feel good when we say them to ourself.  And it feels worse when someone you care about uses them either. It hurts because your little girl or little boy inside feels that assault.  The words break you down to your core.  Words can make you hit rock bottom and want to curl up into a ball.  Words can make you want to stay in your sheet all day.  Words can make you want to stop in your tracks.  Words can make you feel stuck or frozen in time.

    And in the midst of this crisis as we all experience added stress and anxiety it is important to breathe before we speak.  It is important to slow down and smell the roses.  It is essential to change the events in this crisis to create unity in the world.  Our words matter in the physical and emotional world.  Words create symptoms and feelings inside our bodies.  You may not have realized it but think about that experience I mentioned before again.  Close your eyes and really feel it.  Do you remember that moment? Do you remember what you felt?  Did you experience tension, pain or discomfort?  Words create emotions in our bodies and emotions create feelings or sensations inside our physical reality.  Trust me it is weird at first. I come from a very scientific background in nursing.  I never expected to find a world into alternative healing to truly impact my autoimmune disease and chronic pain but I did.  And in this journey, I realized how our perception and internalization of experiences impacts our physical reality.  We literally experience symptoms in our bodies as a result of our social experiences and interactions.  We also experience these symptoms by bombarding our minds with news and other painful stimuli.  And now in the midst of this crisis the news is extra painful.  It is important for us to realize the impact this constant assault from the environment has on our bodies.

    Have you noticed how your stress accumulates more and more when you watch the news all day long?  Have you noticed how anxiety develops when you constantly see the negative things around you?  Well it is time to make a change for your own health and happiness.  It is time to stop the hurt and heal the world.  And it all begins with the words we speak to ourself.  And the words we speak to others.  To truly change this quarantine experience we need to treat others as we wish to be treated.  We need to experience life from a new lens.  We need to filter out the negativity and bring in the light. And the easiest way to do this is to write.  Yes, write to create unity and kindness.  Write a new story for yourself.  Write and journal about the way you feel now.  And then re-write it again into a new reality.  And the most effective way at changing this hurtful truth is to learn something new starting with your letter.  It all begins with a simple meditation practice using the initial of your name.  Trust me it took me months to figure it out.  It took me months to accept that my little girl was hurting inside.  It took me continuous and constant rollercoasters from Crappy to Happy to find out this simple fact.  I invite you to try something new.  Try something revolutionary, yet simple.  And it will open your eyes to a new perspective.

    We have all said, “There are two sides to every story.”  We interpret that as being Their side and Our side.  But what if there are two sides to your own story.  What if you have been stuck inside a tormented reality replaying your story over and over?  What if this story is holding you back? What if it is time to change the story? What if if is time to find your new reality?  Trust me I have been stuck in my story.  I have only seen one side.  And then I realized that I had two different stories inside me waiting to be revealed.

    Join me for my course Crappy to Happy.  Learn simple ways to tackle the stress and thrive again.  Find the power of your words to transform your future. Crappy is what you feel when you hit rock bottom.  It is the way you feel when you are frozen and scared.  It is the way you feel when words penetrate you and break you down. It is the way you stay stuck and unmotivated.  Join me to unveil the secrets to re-writing your reality by releasing the stress.  Let’s rewrite your story.  Let’s transform the way you feel.  Let’s impact the world with a united front.  With mindful awareness you can change the way you feel and impact those around you.  Let’s support those Frontline workers by impacting the health and wellbeing of our community.  Listen to my podcast tomorrow at 7am or 7pm EST as I share a special meditation to support the community and my friends, colleagues and family at the Frontline.

     

    Categories accomplishment, Advice, Anxiety, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Chronic Pain, Digestive Issues, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, fatigue, Fibromyalgia, gym, Health, hope, pain, Physical Pain

    Autoimmune Warrior

    What does it mean to be an autoimmune warrior?  It means you fight hard to overcome your symptoms and live the life you dream.  It means that there are battles and sometimes your fail but you get back up and do it again.  But most of all it means that once you finally succeed, it is time to share your story and help others accomplish the same.  It wasn’t an easy journey.  It was filled with obstacles and challenges.  It took me 7 years to perfect my process.  There were tons of rock bottom failures.  But we all learn from our mistakes.  That is when you find a way out, dust yourself off and do it again.  There were many times that I wanted to give up and eat junk food.  There were many times I wasn’t motivated to exercise.  There were plenty of hard days.  There were plenty of horrible days.  But every challenge I faced only made me stronger.  I have autoimmune leaky gut and a genetic syndrome called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  The combination can be pretty debilitating and overwhelming.  If I wouldn’t have chosen to make my health a priority my life would be very different right now.  It wasn’t an easy decision to put myself before others.  After all I am a mom, wife and nurse.  All those amazing things means you put everyone else before you.  And I absolutely love doing that but when my health started to fail and it impacted my children’s joy, I stopped to reflect.  If I didn’t find a way out they would be faced with the hardships of having a chronically ill mom to care for and they didn’t deserve that fate.

    Leaky gut is a condition that allows particle of food to travel throughout your body.  These particles begin to wreck havoc everywhere.  Then your immune system begins to attack the food particles and your own body in the process.  Leaky gut and autoimmune disease is a backfiring of your own immune system.  Your body attacks itself creating physical symptoms and pain. I suffered from symptoms since childhood.  But I had no idea what or why it was happening until my 30s.  I’ve learned a lot on this journey to find wellness.  My journey took me through an educational journey to find answers for others that ended up helping me.  My career evolved from a Special Education teacher to a Registered nurse in hopes of helping children with special needs overcome their health battles.  And the amazing gift that unveiled was the very answered I needed for myself.  In the process my health eventually failed and crisis struck.  I desperately searched for a solution to my horrible digestive issues. Slowly my body began to heal and transform.  The journey helped me develop an incredible technique that I have used to support my clients and children.  I reduced and practically eliminated all my symptoms in my body.  And boy were those symptoms extensive.  I used to experience all of these symptoms almost daily: reflux, bloating, cramping, anxiety, fatigue, chronic pain, frequent illness, migraines, headaches, etc.  The symptoms became overwhelming and my life seemed to be falling apart.  I knew that there had to be a better way to live.  And I knew my children deserved better.  And I am so thankful and grateful for the journey that brought me here. But to truly understand the hardship, it is time to take you into a journey about genetics.

    I went to countless specialists and as my research evolved I knew there was a genetic condition behind all my extensive medical diagnosis and symptoms.  But it wasn’t easy to find.  I went to rheumatologists, Gastroenterologists, neurologists and then finally a geneticist.  And that was finally when I got the answer I was looking for, I was diagnosed with EDS III. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a debilitating condition that impacts every organ, muscle and tissue of your body.  Most people with this condition have tons of surgeries and need assistive devices.  The pain and frequent injuries leave you feeling ashamed and useless.  Thankfully I was able to overcome that dreadful time in my life.  It has been amazing to see that I was able to develop a routine that has helped me become more active and energized.  It has been a long journey.  But I learned a lot along the way.  And the most valuable gift was that all genetic conditions, illnesses and diseases have a root cause that needs to be addressed synergistically for true success.  Trust me I was skeptical. I didn’t believe myself for years.  I didn’t truly accept that there were 2 root causes of my illness.  And then suddenly in 2019, as I wrote my book, “The Truth about IBS and Anxiety,” everything became crystal clear.  As I helped people heal, I truly began to see the transformations that were possible with my process and the gifts they experienced.  You see the truth about what I teach, is that it doesn’t only help mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa; it helps the kids and grandkids too.

    Think about it this way.  Reflect on your week or your month.  Was there a day that you were super stressed, anxious or overwhelmed?  Did it change the way you behaved?  Did it change the way you felt? Did it change the way you spoke to others?  Did it change their reaction? I bet if you truly think about it, you will say, YES, YES, YES.  I will give you an example.  My client, Demi, suffered from chronic illness, reflux, chronic pain and fatigue.  She felt hopeless and alone when we began working together.  She was sure she was doomed to fail and hopeless.  As we worked together to create a supportive routine for her, she began to transform easily.  Her weight seemed to melt away.  Her symptoms seemed to disappear.  Her energy and motivation increased.  And her life completely changed.  But it didn’t stop with her, it extended to the entire family.  Her husband and children began to eat healthier.  The more energetic and happy she became, the more fun and exciting their relationship became.  And her children began to change too.  When we started working together her youngest had anxiety and trouble sleeping.  He often complained of stomach aches and headaches.  As she began to improve the way she felt, their health began to change too.  She began to really see that her own health impacted the entire family.  She began to notice that the days she was stressed and overwhelmed, everyone was stressed and overwhelmed.  She noticed that when she screamed and lost her temper, her kids suddenly had a symptoms arise.  She noticed that when she wasn’t following her routine, it affected the world around her too.

    The beautiful gift she thanked me for her compassion and courage

    The funny thing is that I didn’t realize I gave her that gift until now.  I actually created that audio about courage and compassion for myself.  Because getting on camera, writing my book and sharing my story has been a difficult journey.  It has tested my resilience and perseverance.  It has tested my patience and kindness.  It has tested me in all facets of my life.  But Demi reminded me that my journey is not only to help women.  She reminded me by helping one person, I help everyone around them heal as well.  Because if one person can make a different to transform the world around them, imagine the possibilities if more people do the same.  We all deserve to feel happy, energized and vibrant.  We all deserve to thrive in life.  We all deserve to reach our ultimate potential.  And it all starts by working on yourself first.  I never thought I could overcome my chronic debilitating pain.  I though I was destined to live a life of pain and fatigue.  I thought that surgery and physical therapy was the only way to reduce my symptoms.  But now I surpassed all my physical limitations.  I went from a girl that never exercised or played sports because her pain was so intense.  To a girl that rock climbs, dances and repels down waterfalls.  And it all began with a decision to work on me first.  And the same magical transformations happen when my clients unveil their own healing powers.

    Categories Antioxidants, Digestive Issues, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, pain

    Extra, Extra, Calling All Nurses!!!

    I bet you remember those words “Extra Extra” from your childhood and anticipated something filled with joy. Do you remember the pride you had on graduation day? The desire to help others truly heal and feel better. We chose this noble profession to change the lives of those in our community. Everyone of you chose the exact population you wanted to help. Adults, children, or some got even more specific and difficult. Mine was the Pediatric Emergency. It was my dream to truly understand the link between developmental delays and chronic illness. I knew that my life’s purpose long ago was to help others. But it actually worked the opposite way. In my career to help others heal, find happiness, health and joy, I actually achieved that for myself. I was in need of the knowledge I acquired in order to truly transform my genetic predispositions and overcome my autoimmune disease. But the thing they didn’t teach us as nurses was that prevention was the most important factor in wellness. They mention it I know. But if you walked in my shoes you would have a very different story. You see my illness started as a child with poor nutrition. I enjoyed all the sugary treats and junk food. I didn’t eat any nutrient rich foods like vegetables and fruits. I hated them and preferred all the junk. But the problem was my genetics began to gain the power. My allergies began to flare. I was always at the hospital with Benadryl at home and Epinephrine and steroids. I was that kid that was always sick and stuffy. I spent my life on antibiotics and sugary foods. And things continued to get worse. My digestive unrest began to emerge and tummy aches became worse. And my hair began to fall out. That is the saddest thing of all. I loved my hair. It was thick luscious and long. I had long black hair to my butt. And each year I lost more and more. I spent over 20 years telling doctor’s I had a nutrient deficiency. But there was no acknowledgement of my thoughts and experience. They always told me I was fine. All my labs were perfect. But it continued to fall. There was no information about supplements or nutrients to support healing and repair. I asked and hoped for an answer but nothing ever came. My hair continued to fall and the result is what you see today. I’ll share a video tomorrow with my 15 year old picture in the background. Then you will understand my sadness. But let’s get back to me. The eternal patient that spent more time at the doctor than having fun. My stomach kept getting worse and my pain began to spread all over my body. I had no idea I had a genetic condition until 3 years ago. So this is my mind putting together all the pieces using everything I learned on my journey and in my profession. By middle school my menstrual cramps were debilitating and I always had vaginal infections. I learned during my nursing career that the issue was sensitivity. I was allergic to sanitary products. And wet bathing suites always gave me a yeast infection. And my neck was already tense and painful. My right arm began to lose sensation and pain became excruciating. My arm was strangled by toxins. Again I know this now because I no longer experience these symptoms using exactly what is in this book. And it all began with the gut. Because my genetic condition causes every part of my body to break down. Little by little it was tearing me apart and making me feel older and older. I didn’t play sports or do any exercise. And truly it was because I was in pain. Had I known then that the exercise and stretching would have relieved the pain. I would have wanted to know. If I would have known that eating nutrient dense supplements would help me feel better, I would have taken them. But back then none of that existed. But now at a time that everything exists our medical system fails to empower prevention and support the process. We have everything at our fingertips and can learn more to truly make a difference. We have the knowledge and expertise to change things for our community. We have the power to truly make a difference in a large scale. A movement of change to help children and families stop this life altering practice and focus on prevention. Call me and let’s brainstorm. I am planning community events to support wellness. Working with local organizations. Let’s create a movement for change. Call me or email me for details.

    P.S. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-III. If you haven’t heard of it before, then check it out. Then you will understand the extent of my illness. And you will truly understand how far I have come. If I can recover from that you can recover from anything too.

    Categories accomplishment, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Emotional pain, flare up, hope, motivation, pain, Physical Pain

    Let go and Be Free!!!

    Learning your personal stress triggers and fears is a huge part of emotional health and wellness. It is impossible to change the world around us but we can change the way we react to it. I’ve learned a lot about myself over this past year. Learning the way I react to criticism, comments and conversations with others wasn’t easy but it is an essential part of emotional health. Every single one of us has pre-established beliefs, rules and behavior patterns in our subconscious mind. The healing comes into play when we truly understand our own beliefs, rules and patterns. We can only change our responses and actions towards the events life sends our way. We all face challenges and obstacles in our daily lives that can impact our health and happiness. Our reactions to these obstacles and challenges impact our bodies in exponential ways. Over the years, keeping my true emotions trapped inside lead to an exponential changes in my body resulting in chronic illness and disease. I was a person that held in all my emotions, fears, worry and stress. I didn’t share them with anyone much less myself. I kept everything so bottled up and tight that my health began to fail more and more with each year that passed. These high stress levels impact our bodies cell by cell that accumulates over time developing illness and disease. Emotional intelligence is not something we are born with or learn in school. The more we experience stress and keep it bottled up inside the worse our emotional and physical health gets. I’ve learned that no one can hurt you more than you hurt yourself. We hurt ourselves everyday repetitively and harshly. We repeat the same hurtful and harmful statements to ourselves everyday. It’s a vicious cycle that creates a build up of emotional stress in our bodies. This emotional pile accumulates inside our tissues, organs and cells and eventually develops into symptoms, illness and disease.

    My health issues started as a child with digestive issues, reflux, and IBS. I began bottling up my emotions and hiding my voice from the world as a child. I lost my creative side completely. The part of me that could write poems and paint, simply went to sleep when my voice went silent. The symptoms built up more and more each year until my health crisis in 2013. I reached a point in my life that any more stress was simply overwhelming and my body was ready to give up. It was evident in my emotional and physical health that something had to change. I reached my breaking point where my body just couldn’t take any more stress. I was getting my MSN degree, working in the PEDS ED and raising to young boys. My husband’s work schedule had him traveling all the time which added extra stress on my already full plate. At this point my hair was falling constantly, panic attacks were the norm and food was simply not digesting. I reached a point where water and saltine crackers were causing me stomach distress, nausea and pain. After extensive tests and hospitalization the truth was clear. My body was tearing itself down little by little. My stomach lining was eroding and ulcers were soon to develop in my stomach and intestines. The poor digestion and lack of nutrient absorption was impacting my skin, body and hair. The anxiety was causing panic and my chronic pain was at its peak. I was taking 13+ prescriptions and felt absolutely awful. My right arm and leg were numb and the pain was constantly severe. The doctor basically told me either you change your lifestyle or you are going to die. It was a scary truth that I had to face as a 36 year old young mom. The decision to place my health on my priority list was not easy. I had spent my entire life helping everyone else around me. Since childhood I had placed the feelings of everyone around me before my own. The decision I made was for me but even more for my children and husband. After all my health impacted my children the most good or bad. If I kept on that path my boys (Gabriel 7 and Lucas 3) would face a life without a loving and supportive mom to guide their way. Even typing that today brings tears to my eyes. I can imagine their beautiful little faces and lives impacted by my own lack of self-love. Over these 6 roller coaster years, I found my way back to my emotional and physical health. But the hardest part was this last year. The emotional journey to unlock the feelings and beliefs that had impacted my health over these 41 years. Now as a 41 year old mom of 2, I see the power in emotional health and wellness. I see the impact our emotions have on our bodies and that we harm ourselves more than anyone else can. We fail to forgive ourselves for our mistakes, behaviors and actions. We criticize ourselves more every single day about any little insecurity. Some of the criticisms I realize now runs really deep and impacts your body. I learned a month ago that I actually was angry with myself about the birth of my children. I was angry at myself for not having a vaginal birth. It was a decision that had to be made because my oldest was too big and likely would have been stuck in the birth canal. I didn’t realize the impact my anger had on my body until 12.5 years later. I realize inside my body, inside my yoni, I was blaming myself for not being good enough. I blamed myself and thought I wasn’t a good mom because of this little bump in the road. This little obstacle that gave me a precious gift a son that I love with all my heart. It just goes to show that you have no idea what your subconscious is hiding and the damage it can be causing in your body.
    Low self-esteem and self-doubt plagued my mind throughout my life. When I was heavier, I used to say horrible things to myself when I looked in the mirror. “Yuck look at that cellulite. Omg look at that belly bump, you are so fat.” I would look at myself and not see the beautiful woman everyone else saw. I didn’t think I was beautiful, I had little self-esteem, I didn’t show myself much self-love. This continued for most of my life until 2013 when started making myself the priority. I started eating right and exercising. I began to show myself more kindness as my body started to feel better and the pain began to leave my body. I began loving the beautiful girl in the mirror. I started to see my body was changing, shedding weight, looking less bloated and a real smile started to emerge. It wasn’t the fake smile I had been hiding behind for so long. I had been hiding my physical pain from the world a long time. Finally, when that pain was gone and I connected with the truth behind it my true smile emerged. It’s a smile filled with self-love and appreciation for everything I had been through, everything I had learned and the new me emerged.

    This journey of emotional healing and connecting with my intuition wasn’t easy. It takes dedication and self-love to truly get to the root cause. Learning that I had been keeping emotions trapped inside my body gave me the power to release them. I was holding a multitude of emotions. I had been a worrier all my life. I worried that I didn’t do things well, that I wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t beautiful, that I wasn’t loved, etc. I was holding many other emotions too. The thing I realized through hypnosis was that my subconscious not only had the power to hurt me but it had the power to heal. There are so many emotions we hold inside us. These emotions don’t serve us to keep them trapped inside. The more we allow them to build up inside our bodies the more symptoms arise. It’s very interesting to tap into your intuition and allow your body to give you the answers. When you connect with yourself through self-love and nurture your mind, body and soul everything unfolds. You become aware of the immediate tension that arises in your shoulders, when your feeling overwhelmed. You notices the knot erupting in your neck while you talk to a friend that tells you something upsetting. You feel the pressure in your chest when someone shares a truly emotional truth they experienced. You can actually close your eyes, scan your body, identify a sore spot and know exactly why it is tender. This is not pain or soreness from exercise or overuse of a muscle. This is emotional pain that you have absorbed inside your body. Sometimes the pain isn’t even your own. It sounds absolutely crazy, I know but I have learned that as an empath, I can actually absorb the physical and emotional pain of others. My intuition tells me exactly why the pain is there and only then am I able to release it. It’s essential to bring out the subconscious triggers from hiding into your conscious mind. You need to feel the emotions in the moment in order to Let it go!!! You need to feel the pain, feel the symptoms, cry if you need too, sit with it and feel it. Sometimes you need to work a little harder to get it out of your muscles and tissues. The power of naturally releasing pain comes into action when you combine the subconscious mind, the conscious mind and the physical body. I have learned my body so well that I can actually release physical pain, feel the fluids shift inside my body and sense the emotions change with it. Working with your body in this deep way connecting mind, body and soul empowers you to tackle your biggest trauma, your worst heartbreak and even your greatest fears. Understanding your bodies natural healing powers enables you to accomplish things you never dreamed. Letting go of the past that created turmoil inside your body creates a positivity that radiates out of you. Letting go of every emotion that no longer serves you sets you free. Let go, live your life, be free, be powerful, be abundant, be YOU!! ou can be the ultimate version of yourself, I believe in YOU!!!

    Categories Anxiety, Emotional pain, hope, motivation, pain, Physical Pain, Transformation

    The truth…

    Transformation to unveil your true self is painful. The truth about change is it takes hard work and perseverance. Nothing worth achieving is ever easy. Changing a career isn’t easy. Having and raising children isn’t easy. Finding your true purpose in life is the battle of a lifetime. It unveils your true abundance and fortitude to pave the way for the power of creativity. Your future is waiting for you to expose your truth and transform your beliefs to develop your ultimate potential.

    Trust me I never thought it was possible to transform my feelings and beliefs. Working on emotional stress, anxiety and panic was the last thing on my list to resolve. Finally, last year I decided hypnosis was my answer and took a leap. I connected in a true spiritual and emotional way with my guide, Adrianna Foster. The universe brought her to me at the perfect time. I was ready to make the last change for my abundance to flourish. The journey had obstacles, resistance and pain but each step made me stronger. The journey is far from over but I am now aware of each part of the process.

    Yesterday was a day of pain, sadness and anxiety but living in the moment transforms the future. Taking time for myself and honoring my feelings helped me transmute the lies into truth. Each time this blocks arise a tough time unfolds but it is followed by a glorious day of enlightenment. I am thankful for my pain because it unleashed my true purpose in life. It created my deep connection with others. My unique gift creates a bond to help my clients heal their pain and sorrow in the physical and emotional realm. The best therapists and caregivers are those that truly understand the pain their clients feel. They have lived and experience the pain. That is the fact that sets me apart from the rest. I have a unique gift to understand both physical and emotional pain. I worked on healing both and learned the power in the process. The physical pain was the easiest for me. The physical journey was easy but lengthy. It unraveled over 6 years to develop the perfect plan. My healthcare background helped me identify the specific human needs to focus and support (nutrition, supplementation and fitness). The emotional journey was rapid and difficult. It is the finally step in my journey to abundance. The emotional journey started in Sept 2018 and has enlightened me revealing the power in my story.

    I am grateful for the opportunity to use my gift using transformational regressions to help others achieve their super powers. And I am excited that my journey to becoming a hypnotherapist is underway. So I ask you… Would you be willing to dig deep and unlock the past that is haunting you? Are you willing to feel the pain and unveil your true self? Are you willing to connect with yourself – mind, body and soul? That is the journey that unlocks your abundance. I am here to guide you…

    Categories flare up, pain, Stop Bloat

    IBS and Stress

    Irritable Bowel Syndrome sucks when it flares up. You feel like you have a giant balloon in your stomach. You feel like a whale waiting to explode. The cramps can vary in duration and location. The pain can be generalized or localized to one area in your abdomen. The truth is IBS can be triggered by stress and many other variables. I had a flare up this week and it all started with a prescription for an injury. I had forgotten that sometimes prescriptions are laced with corn starch. I am extremely sensitive to any corn product and the problem only got worse from there. I went to bed that night feeling bloated a few hours after taking Flexeril. It was a week out of the norm with a ton of work to due and added stress. I was appearing on my first ever TV appearance. It was exciting and nerve racking all at the same time. If you have IBS then you understand that any added stress on a tummy that is already acting up is a volcano waiting to erupt. I woke up every morning this week feeling bloated and filled with gas. I had some cramping but it wasn’t too bad. My usual routine when IBS flares is oatmeal and brown sugar for a few meals until everything settles. I also drink Kombucha to help build my probiotics and get the excess gas out. The day of the show I woke up in pain and bloated. This was definitely stress related, I know because I usually have presentation anxiety with stomach ache. That was a pattern for me most of my life since childhood. Thankfully meditation and relaxation brought the bloat down before the show. I desperately wanted it to disappear so I could wear my red dress. It did and the show went well, nerves and all. That night I ate a delicious fish and lobster dinner. I went to sleep fine but woke up a few times thinking about my TV appearance and things I wanted to do better. And of course, I woke up bloated. An added issue to my flare up was my daily Aloe for autoimmune disease had run out a week ago. Stress + corn + no aloe was a bad mix for me. Today, I woke up feeling like a whale with sharp pain on my right side (liver and gallbladder). I knew that if I wanted to get better my diet needed to be simple and I needed a little help. Listening to your body is the key to staying healthy. I knew it was time for acupuncture so I reached out to a few friends. Thankfully one was working and I was able to see her. I could feel my intestines jumping and moving during the session. The bloat and pain took a little while to relieve but now I am much better. I definitely learned to monitor my aloe medication, read my prescriptions and keep my diet bland when I need it. If you have IBS learning your body and being prepared is essential. Thank you Michelle for taking care of me today. I am thankful for having a variety of friends to help me tackle my flare ups.

    Categories Advice, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Diet, fatigue, flare up, food allergies, food sensitivities, Health, hope, Inflammation, motivation, pain, Physical Pain

    Invisible Illness

    The unknown truth about invisible illness is that people live with it everyday and those around them usually have no idea. You might see a girl with a big smile going about her day hiding the pain she is experiencing. Only those close to them truly know and understand their pain. Even loved ones have trouble understanding their pain. There are many conditions that fall into this category and ehlers-danlos syndrome is one of them. This is the syndrome that I have lived with for years and never truly understood until a few years ago when I went to see a geneticist. Some of the symptoms of this syndrome are chronic pain, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, frequent infections and skin problems. I was the poster child for this condition. I had every possible symptom except a heart condition. Thankfully that was the one thing I didn’t manifest even-though I did need to see a cardiologist because I had frequent fainting episodes. The day I decided to see a geneticist I knew that this expansive list of symptoms had to be related somehow and I was right. The sad truth is there is no cure or treatment for it. The most you could do is use natural alternatives, exercise, diet modifications and prescriptions to help control symptoms. I was sick of using prescriptions and had already started incorporating diet changes and natural alternatives to help me feel better. I had reached a point in my life that covering up one symptom with a prescription that caused another problem was not an option. I wanted to get rid of all the prescriptions and I was well underway by the time I saw the geneticist. She told me everything I was doing was perfect. She said to continue my diet and fitness routine, use methods of stress relief and stay hydrated. At this point I was far from healthy but my body was slowly improving day by day. I had lived with pain to the right side of my body for almost 20 years. I remember feeling excruciating pain on my right arm beginning in 8th grade. The pain and symptoms worsened into adulthood. By the time I was 30 my right arm was always numb and in severe pain. By the time I was 35 my right leg was also affected and became numb as well. Any episodes of less physical activity or fitness routine would make all the pain and numbness worse. So I focused on staying active and eating what I thought was right. I was far from truly understanding my body and the foods that were harmful but I had already identified gluten and corn as huge culprits. By the age of 39, I had undergone a bunch of surgeries and I knew that more were eminent if I didn’t find a way to heal my body. Then one day my friend Daisy, who has Multiple Sclerosis another invisible illness came back into my life. She was experiencing some of the same symptoms and had found some relief in recent years. She spoke to me about nutrigenomics and using nutrient rich supplements to impact inflammation in the body. I was absolutely intrigued but I had to research it for myself. I took several months to research oxidative stress and nutrigenomics to see if it was my answer. I also had to research the ingredients to make sure I could take it. You see with all my food sensitivities, I had to be certain before I took the leap. Then one day, I jumped. I was pleasantly surprised that my energy was improving within the first few weeks. My pain pleasantly was down to 5/10 from 8/10 within a few months. After 4 months my numbness was gone and my pain was under control. I started to truly understand my body and the right fitness routine for me. This state of less pain also helped me identify more foods that caused symptoms to arise. I had flare ups and injuries at times but nothing compared to the life of severe pain I used to live. I was finally happy in my own skin and able to enjoy the world. I no longer had to hide behind a fake smile. I had a beautiful real smile that light up the room. I started to spread my story to the world. I am here to tell you invisible illness is real. You can never truly understand it unless you live it. People that live it need compassion and support. If you know someone with an invisible illness, I urge you to share my story with them. A story of hope is always a great thing to share. It is nice to know that you aren’t alone in the world. It is nice to know someone is here to support you if you choose to change your life. I fought back and won. It is a lifelong battle but I am here to support anyone through it with love and guidance.

    Categories Antioxidants, Anxiety, autoimmune, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Developmental Delays, Emotional pain, fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Fitness, flare up, flexibility, food allergies, food sensitivities, Health, Inflammation, libido, orgasm, pain, Physical Pain, Sexual life

    Biohack Your Future

    Biohacking is the future of healthcare.  Health and wellness is evolving rapidly with a new focus on health prevention and health promotion.  Biohacking incorporates nutrition, fitness and lifestyle modifications to impact quality of life and promote wellness.  Biohacking has become a unique experience as each individual tweaks their lifestyle to develop routines that enhance their own unique bodies.  There is a simple step to make the most intense impact on your genetics using nutrient-rich substances but most people have never even heard of it, much less understand the potential impact it has on their health.  The remarkable phenomenon is nutrigenomics which brings high quality nutrient-rich supplements to the table.  The fact is that not all supplements are created equal.  Many supplements actually cause more damage creating an over flow of nutrients that are harmful to the body.  The biohacking revolution is evolving exponentially with nutrigenomics.  Nutrigenomics provides people with a unique wellness experience.   Nutrigenomics uses naturally occurring phytonutrients, coenzymes and antioxidants to activate pathways in the body that impact genetics.  Nutrigenomics enables the body to create its own antioxidant enzymes to impact stress in every cell of the body.  This enables the body to rejuvenate and repair itself at remarkable rate.   It is so simple and effective that many people feel its like the fountain of youth.  Nutrigenomics continues to evolve and adapt to enhance the biohacking experience enabling biohackers like myself to become the best version of themselves.  It provides vital nutrients to enhance the entire body including internal organs, skin and cells.  There is no other pathway more powerful at anti-aging as the Nrf2 pathway.  Activating this pathway reduces oxidative stress which is the cause of more than 200 diseases.  Oxidative Stress is recognized in the scientific community as the leading cause of disease and aging.  There are more than 93,000 published studies on oxidative stress published in the National Institute of Health Library.  If you are in the medical field, you know the NIH is the library of choice, it is where you want your research article to live.  The fact that oxidative stress is the leading cause of aging is huge.  Let’s make it simple for anyone to understand.  I was 30 years old and felt like a 60 year old.  The stress and tension had accumulated due to poor diet, stress and anxiety creating disease in my body.  My bad genes turned on like a fire, every breathe I took made it worse until I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  

    The good genes of energy, vitality and vigor were shut OFF permanently.  Well I used to think it was permanent but it turned out my answer was biohacking.  Let me explain the pain a little further.  Due to the build up of toxins, allergens and free radicals my body was breaking down cell by cell since childhood.  The junk food I ate was filled with additives and toxins that created an exponential impact on my physical body.  I began with fatigue, migraines and pain in my right shoulder.  As the years passed my pains expanded and radiated down the right side of my body.  Eventually my entire right side was numb and tingly.  Now, let me get really simple, imagine a piece of clay that you lay to dry.  The clay shrinks and becomes dry and brittle.  Eventually it loses all its moisture until it cracks and breaks into infinite pieces.  That is what was happening in my body, all my muscles were shrinking and tightening.  The stress and tension was building leading me to illness and eventual death.  Yes, I said it, death.  The fact is if you don’t target the rusting of your body, now, death is the end result.

    Fast forward to March of 2018 when everything began to change.  I took a leap, for my health and my family.  My children deserved to have a healthy mom that could love and nurture them.  I deserved to put myself first.  I deserved to advocate for myself and treat myself right, literally.  So, I did, I started to incorporate holistic treatments and nutrigenomics to improve my quality of life.  I was looking to improve all my symptoms of disease and illness but I experienced exponential health benefits from biohacking.  The first thing to return was my energy, I finally didn’t feel exhausted morning, noon and night.  Next, my pain started to dwindle day by day until is disappeared.  Then my numbness and tingling faded away to an oblivion.  I though that my dreams had come true and my prayers were finally answered but the benefits didn’t stop there.  My anxiety also faded away and became less influential in my daily experiences.  The most beneficial and rewarding benefit took me and everyone around me by surprise.  The valuable gift emerged and continues to evolve month by month.  So, what is this gift? I bet you want to know.  Well, its libido and the gift of orgazmik yoga.  It is an intense connection with myself mind, body and soul.  It is a benefit that I never expected but definitely appreciate, every day.  It unveiled a magical experience that continues to evolve into new orgazmik experiences.  This never would have been possible without nutrigenomics, holistic treatments, fitness and nutrition.  My physical stress and inflammation was reduced to a manageable level where holistic treatments, massage and yoga were more effective and sustainable.  My treatments were all more effective (massages, chiropractic care and holistic treatments).  These treatments lasted for longer periods of time with less relapses of pain.  Then I began to learn my body, muscle by muscle, creating a deep emotional and physical connection.  This intense connection can be replicated and duplicated for women that can tap into themselves: mind, body and soul.   If you want to know more about this orgazmik yoga, stay tuned.   Your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  Biohacking is the answer.  Nutrigenomics is the tool.  And coaching is the trick that guides you through your health transformation and wellness.  Let me help you pop the bubble of symptoms, disease and illness.  Let’s start your journey together.

    Categories Chronic Pain, Diet, fatigue, Health, pain, Physical Pain

    Chronic Fatigue

    I remember so vividly the day I decided to take my health into my own hands.  I had just arrived home from a long day at work with the kids.  My husband was away on a business trip and all the responsibility was in my hands.  I was absolutely exhausted, my head was pounding and my body pains were intense.   Moving was impossible because nausea and dizziness accompanied my headache.  I had a debilitating migraine, chronic fatigue and chronic pain.  I felt like I had been hit by a truck.  It was going to be another afternoon where I just laid on the couch unable to do anything.  My children needed me and I wasn’t able to move.  My oldest Gabriel was around 5 and Lucas was 2.  Gabriel spent the afternoon caring for me and his little brother.  I needed time to rest for the stress and symptoms to diminish.  I needed time for my  migraine prescription to take effect.  Gabriel brought me whatever I needed and watched his brother.  He played with him and changed the TV channels to keep him entertained.  They both were so well behaved and worried about me that it was heart breaking.  Lucas came to hug and kiss me periodically and try to get my attention.  It took some time for my migraine pill to take effect and looking at their sweet little faces broke my heart.  I was laying on that couch close to 2 hours.  Eventually, I had to get up and prepare dinner, even-though I was still excruciatingly exhausted.  I managed to feed and bathe them pushing through my exhaustion.  On these extra exhausting days, I would fall asleep with the kids right after dinner.  There was no watching TV or alone time, I was just too drained to stay awake any longer.  As soon as the clothes was prepared for the next day, I would pass out.

    I knew that feeling this exhausted and drained everyday was not normal.  The problem was my doctors didn’t always understand or believe it.  They often told me its normal, you are a young mom with a career, it comes with the territory.  They said its normal for you to feel tired and drained.  But they just didn’t grasp the true extent of my extreme exhaustion.   I was exhausted every day all day long and there is no way that is normal.  It didn’t matter if I had slept 7, 8, 9, or 10 hours, I woke up exhausted and spent the day exhausted.  This type of extreme fatigue is nothing like being tired because the baby didn’t let you sleep.  This was beyond sleepless night and new mom exhaustion.  This was beyond fatigue from raising an infant.  This was something much more profound and I was determined to figure it out.  I knew that all my health issues and symptoms were related.  I knew that I had to find an answer.  I knew that I had to advocate for my health.  I knew that I wanted my body back.

    What I didn’t know, was that it was going to take me many years of specialists, prescriptions and health struggles to get my answer.  I went to countless doctors ranging from primary care, gastroenterologist, psychologists, pain specialists, neurologists, orthopedists, rheumatologists and geneticists.  I am sure there are more specialists that I missed but the point is after endless years and tons of money on prescriptions and doctor visits, I was still sick.  Eventually, I became “Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired.”  I knew I wanted to be there for my children, enjoy time with them, teach them, play with them and be a fabulous mom.  But the fact was to accomplish that I had to change my health fast because they were growing quickly and I wasn’t getting any better.  The problem was I needed to put myself first to accomplish my goals and I had always put everyone else first.  If I wasn’t a healthy mom then I couldn’t care for my children the way they deserved.  I had spent years focusing on everyone else, my patients, my students, my coworkers, my children, my husband and my family.  This vicious cycle of caring for everyone but myself was ready to spiral if I didn’t take action.  I had hit rock bottom and I needed to climb out of the hole.   It was me now or death.  Sounds strong but true, if health continues to fail, symptoms and prescriptions multiply, then death is eminent.

    In 2013, I finally took the leap.  I decided that I needed to be my priority.  I changed my diet by removing foods that were harmful to my body.  I started seeing a homeopathic physician and undergoing IV vitamin infusions, immunoglobulin and treatments.  I also started incorporating fitness into my weekly routine.  I was still fatigued most of the time but my energy levels were starting to change.  I noticed I wasn’t exhausted the entire day.  I slowly felt like my body was coming back.  Of course, the treatments became very expensive and I had to stop.  I continued the diet, supplements and fitness regimen.  I made sure that I had some alone time to relax periodically but my body was still in pain, exhausted and filled with other symptoms.  I spent years trying to wean of prescriptions and tackle things with OTC supplements. I researched and made my own OTC regimen but they really were not working.

    I knew that there had to be a better way.  But I just hadn’t figured it out yet.  I knew my body was missing nutrients to enhance my health.  Thankfully, I had a friend that was about to share a revolutionary new concept with me and I was open to learn more.  She told me about her Multiple Sclerosis and the supplement she was taking.  She shared a video that would change my future.  It took me 5 months of research to finally take the leap but I did.  I am thankful everyday for her and finding my way to nutrigenomics.  Nutrigenomics is the science of using nutrient-rich compounds to impact your genetic expressions.  This revolutionary supplement activates a pathway in the body that enable your body to produce its own enzymes to activate your good genes.  It removes toxins, fight free radical damage and supports the body for the daily assault of oxidative stress.  The research showed me that oxidative stress was the leading cause of disease and illness.  It impacts more than 200 diseases and is published in PubMed.  I realized pretty quickly that Nrf2 activation was a good step for me to take.  So, I started and was amazed.  A week after starting Nrf2 and Nrf1 my energy levels were increasing, I was sleeping better and less achy.  I knew it would take time to reverse the damage my body had undergone over these 39+ years, so I was patient.  After 1 month, my energy and sleep continued to improve.  Like anyone, stressful nights with less sleep would make me tired, but I wasn’t exhausted all day long anymore.  Month by month my symptoms kept getting better.  I knew after 3 months, nutrigenomics was going to be a staple in my life.  My health journey, was far from over and healing was still progressing but I was finally on the right path.  Over the next year, I realized autoimmune disease and chronic illness is a lifelong battle.  I learned that tweaking and adjusting diet routines, exercise, yoga, medication and my supplements were essential.  I learned to deal with flare ups and create a plan that worked for me.  I am thankful that I achieved my goals, I reduced my fatigue and pain successfully. It is essential to advocate for your health and remember your health needs to be a priority everyday.  It is also important to find resources and holistic health treatments that enhance your healing throughout your journey.  I still remember the exhausted mom with excruciating pain but I am thankful I don’t have to live that way anymore.  Now, I live my life helping others find their own health and stop the constant struggle.