Hello and welcome!
Thank you so much for stopping by. This website is a culmination of years of reading, research, experience and heartbreak. For almost 10 years I’ve had an undiagnosed hormonal imbalance and chronic illness. I’ve been dismissed by doctors and during this neglect I suffered multiple miscarriages. I was living a pretty healthy lifestyle, yet I still suffered from depression and anxiety. My gut health was a mess starting at 18 years old and I’ve been on a journey to healing since 2015. I was suffering from severe PMS symptoms and believed it was “normal.” I had no idea these issues were my body trying to tell me that something was wrong. It took me hours of reading to even begin to understand what I was experiencing and 5 years to finally find a doctor that would listen. We are not supposed to feel sick and tired. We are not doomed with painful periods and fertility issues. We are meant to feel better and there is so much you can do to start that journey today! My hope is to inspire you to be your own health advocate, to empower you with information, to choose hope, to choose joy and maybe even grieve with you or help you feel less alone.
This space contains a lot of loneliness, failure, loss, resilience, joy, faith and more. I had a lot of fear (and still do) over creating this space. Brené Brown says, “Vulnerability is not a personal marketing strategy. It’s not an oversharing strategy. Rumbling with vulnerability is about leaning into rather than walking away from the situations that make us feel uncertain, at risk, or emotionally exposed.” I hope that by sharing my story, we can lean-in together. I hope you will be inspired to choose joy despite the trials and tribulations you face. I hope you learn that your ailments and struggles may be common, but know that they are most likely not normal. I long to give you hope that you are meant to feel better and that your body (with the right fuel, work and support) can heal and improve the quality of your life. I want to show you that discipline is possible! The key to consistency in understanding that the goal is progress, not perfection. Failure is guaranteed, heartbreak is possible, frustration is daily and the fear can feel insurmountable. You are not alone.
So what got me here? I’ll go into more detail in my blog, but here’s an overview: I didn’t know enough to ask for the care I needed. At times I’ve been lost in my own depression and anxiety, doubted myself and finally discovered that I’ve had an undiagnosed hormonal imbalance and chronic illness. I’ve suffered 2-4 miscarriages (more detail on this later) and have worked to heal my gut after being diagnosed with IBS. If you asked me 10 years ago about environmental toxins or hormonal imbalances, I would have no clue what you were talking about. It wasn’t until recently that I began to understand the power and negative influence that environmental toxins can have on the body especially on fertility and hormones. What’s worse is that most of the world either does not know or does not care. But here is the good news, I care and there are a growing number of companies who are teaming up to change the status quo, to fight for better legislation, increase awareness and bring better products to the marketplace.
Where am I at now? There is no arrival point when it comes to a health journey, rather, we have moments of celebration and moments of frustration in an ever-evolving story. Sometimes when you find one problem, you find 3 more and sometimes one thing can help improve 3 other issues. That was (and still is) the case for me. I’m so proud and pleased to be where I am today. I’m now a twin mom!! I was diagnosed with and now managing Hashimoto, supporting my body’s hormone imbalances and following an gluten free diet (mostly).
My home is now 100% fragrance free. My husband and I have slowly added bigger ticket items to our home like air purifiers, a whole house water filter, we got a new couch and rug that are free of flame retardants, organic bath towels and more. My hard work and tenacity has brought me here and it all started with Beautycounter. Their mission of education and advocacy work changed my life and I’m hoping it will change yours.
Lastly, perhaps you don’t resonate with my story and have no health issues or fertility issues. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones, but I’ll bet you know someone that has battled with cancer or struggled with fertility. My encouragement to you is to listen and hear the stories of women like me. Share in the conviction that we all deserve safer products and better health laws. Start choosing better products for yourself, your children, grandchildren, your parents, siblings and best friends because it matters. I can’t unlearn the things I’ve learned and I’m so honored I get to share this information with you.