When you hit bumps on the road
No one likes to hear that the journey may take longer than you expect. When you have been sick for quite a while or your life was just drastically changed due to an injury or sudden illness, it is the last thing that you want to hear is that there isn’t a quick fix. The truth is that the large majority of cases took years to develop disease. This means that it will take time to reverse the damage and repair cells and organs that need repaired. The body is quite complex, but incredible. It was created to repair itself, to detox itself and to protect itself from foreign invaders. The problem is that we overload our bodies with so many toxins in our society and this day in age that our bodies cannot repair what needs to be repaired. Then we enter into disease. Disease starts in the gut. If your microbiome is not diverse and your gut has an unhealthy amount of bad bacteria and other pathogens, it will cause problems to the rest of your body. Everything is connected. We cannot just look at one area and ignore the rest of the body. A good practitioner will look at the whole picture.
From the very beginning, it is important to understand how the body repairs itself. Number one, if we have too much unhealthy bacteria and we are feeding our bodies with sugar, preservative, dyes, hydrogenated oils and other ingredients that are synthetic or toxic, then we are just feeding that bad bacteria and now allowing our good bacteria to grow. We need a certain amount of good bacteria to fight off pathogens and keep our microbiome healthy. This is why probiotics have gotten so much attention. The large amount of people are not eating fermented foods like they should, so probiotics may be necessary. What most practitioners won’t tell you is that if we throw a TON of good bacteria at you right away, you may have a die off reaction and end up in the bed or on the toilet. Also, if you have leaky gut syndrome, those killed off bacteria will leak into your blood stream and cause problems. Healing the gut lining and slowing feeding good bacteria and killing off the bad bacteria, biofilms, and other pathogens is necessary. I say all of that to give you a picture of just ONE complex issue when it comes to healing. Now, add the other complications that you are experiencing (Lyme, Fatty liver, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc) and now you can see why repairing takes time.
I have done a few blogs on how you can see results with healing. This is a big one. Admitting that you have an issue, then changing your mindset to believing you will get better, then taking action and doing the work to get better, and now reminding yourself in the thick of hard days to not give up. The path to wellness is quite the journey. Sometimes it feels like you take two steps forward and three steps back. It feels like a rollercoaster. I see many clients get super excited in the beginning when they start to see results quickly get discouraged when they feel worse a month or two later or plateau. It doesn’t mean that you are going in the wrong direction, but some adjustments might need to be made. Maybe we need to target some further lifestyle changes. Maybe your body is struggling to detox or repair so it needs a little extra help. Regardless of what is going on, I am going to figure out the puzzle. It is what we do as practitioners. I ask that you don’t give up and don’t throw in the towel before you reach that end goal. You want your life back, well no matter how long the journey may seem, it takes consistency and dedication. It isn’t enough to want to get well, you have to believe that you will and trust that I care deeply about you getting well too. I don’t want you long term in my office. I want you thriving out there in your world. I want you to learn how to take care of yourself and then help others in their desperation.
When the road gets bumpy and you are having a really hard day, remember that it’s amazing that the body is able to repair. I realize that disease is quite difficult for some, especially those born with it. I realize that not every single person could reach 100% health, but do you know what I do believe? The Lord will carry us the rest of the way. If we do our part, he will do his. If we learn how to take care of the body that he gave us, he will bless us with health. I have seen it with my own eyes. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for changing my perspective and refusing to quit when it felt like I was going backwards. Lyme disease, adverse events, complicated diseases— these are all things that take time and can be frustrating at times. Steady on my friend, as we walk together toward wellness. You can bet that I won’t give up on you and I will do my absolute best to help in any way that I can. I do not know it all, but I do know the One who does. I take every client that comes in my doors or sees me virtually seriously. What makes a good client?
A Client who does the work with diet and lifestyle changes that I recommend, even if there needs to be adjustments.
A client who doesn’t expected a quick fix. I am not western medicine. I do not practice medicine. While there are herbs that are pretty fast acting, there is no quick fix for truly repairing and healing the body.
A client who sees health as an investment. I know that things can get expensive, but I actually spent more money when I tried treating Lyme through pharmaceutical medications. I looked at it as an investment. If I put the work and money into it now, I will not have to be in the hospital or quitting my job later because I can’t function. It is important to sacrifice so that we can invest in our health. I spend more on groceries and very little on entertainment because I want to FEEL great. It isn’t enough for me to just feel “ok.” I want my family health and able to do what God has called us to do with all the energy we can have.
A client who is consistent with their regimen. It is tough to make changes. I always say to go slow, unless you were like me and went through three rounds of treatments with antibiotics and was so tired of no results. I went ALL IN with diet, lifestyle changes and supplements. It made a world of difference, but I also realize that this is hard for a large majority of people. We can definitely ease in, just know that it will take a little longer if we ease in. I just want you sticking to it. If you cheat every time you turn around, you aren’t helping yourself. It takes discipline. It pays off though. Reaching optimal wellness is not about being to eat whatever you want whenever you want again. It is about changing the way you think about food and lifestyle. It’s important to make healthier habits now for your future.
A client who understands that repair is a rollercoaster. Like I said above, it can be up and down for quite some time as the body repairs itself. It can be uncomfortable sometimes. We don’t want you too uncomfortable, which is why we go slow, but when the body is repairing itself, it is quite common that people get scared if they start to have bowels change or have a little nausea. As antibiotics cause nausea (remember, they kill bacteria), when we target bacteria, it may cause discomfort. Trust me, I’ll give you some binders or herbs to help alleviate a lot of that. The difference between antibiotics and natural antibiotics is that western antibiotics kills all bacteria and the herbs that I use help the gut repair and flourish while targeting the bad pathogens.
A client who doesn’t make excuses. This is a big one. I am not here to condemn. I understand that it’s tough to change your lifestyle. I understand that it takes discipline and that changing the way you think can be difficult. I will never condemn you. What I do need from you is to own up to it so that we can say, “Ok Let’s do this!” Instead of trying to make excuses. You want to get better, let’s try to see how we can make that a little more enjoyable for you or take it from a different angle. Either way, if you are struggling, let’s own it and try to fix it.
A client who is not driven by fear, but instead is motivated by the hope of getting better. I talked about this is prior blogs but I will say it again, mindset is everything. Fear is debilitating. We cannot be fearful if we want to be well. Fear creates stress and stress works against our bodies. I know that right now in our nation, fear is still spreading. It is poison and it will ruin your life and health. God does not give us a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind. We must have a sound mind to get better. We cannot look back with regrets on how we got here. We must look forward to a better tomorrow where you will be full of energy, strength and life! The clients who are not driven by fear get better a lot faster than those who are constantly worrying and fearful. I am seeing it a lot. I understand that fear is real and I will never dismiss that, but if we can’t get past that fear, then you will not get well. It’s ok if you need help with this, that is what I am here for. We will tackle it together, but as we build a relationship, you need to trust me. I do not want to hurt you nor do things that aren’t backed by science. I am very careful with recommendations and go slow.
I hope that this helps as you start your journey to wellness. I love all of my clients and it has been such a great honor to walk with so many. As we continue to work together, or if we haven’t worked together yet (I hope we can), let’s be honest and work diligently to support your body. I do believe there are great things in store for you. I do believe we can get your life back. I know that is claiming some strong things, but I serve a big God and I have seen the miracles of what he does when we do our part.
All of these statements are not approved by the FDA. They are not meant to cure, diagnose or treat any disease. I am not a doctor, I am a Holistic Health Practitioner who educates on Holistic Health.
