Gogetter>Glowgetter

I had a pretty rough ride throughout my 20s! I was a type A, go-getter who never wanted to let anyone down - 'failure' was terrifying to me. For 8 years I was a high achieving, people pleasing, corporate girlie working in PR in fast-paced London at top agencies. 

Whilst on the outside it looked like I was thriving, I'd started to develop a really stressful relationship with my body and with food - in short, it felt like they genuinely both hated me and I blamed them for it. Whatever I ate resulted in an extremely uncomfortable 6-month-preggo bloated belly, sharp stabbing pains, nausea and multiple trips to the loo... and that was before it got 'bad'. 

For years I saw doctor after doctor, yet after waiting months for appointments all of my tests would come back ‘normal’ and I'd be sent away with painkillers. It felt hopeless and as a type A, totally out of my control! I was miserable. It felt like my illness was taking over my life. Not only was I overhauling my diet each week, but I was spending thousands of pounds on appointments, tests and supplements, for my symptoms just to continue to get worse and more widespread.

FYI my symptoms went on to include; insane fatigue (my whole body felt like lead), muscle aches, brain fog, mood swings, headaches, skin breakouts, rashes, painful restless legs, weight gain and hair thinning.. as well as the previous bloating, GERD, nausea, diarrhea, gas and awful stabbing stomach pains and 'heaviness'. 

By the time I started to trial alternative therapies (homeopathy, gut directed hypnotherapy, naturopaths, TCM, acupuncture, Reiki - I tried it all!), my symptoms had become so chronic I was getting taxi's to work because my legs would buckle walking down the street, and I couldn't lift my arm above my head to brush my hair, the brush would fall out of my hand. My list of 'safe' foods had become non existent. I was terrified, and physically and mentally exhausted. 

I had hit rock bottom. My 'Katie spark' I was known for, had most definitely left the building and I was almost too tired to even care. I wasn’t sleeping, I was depressed, overwhelmed and my anxiety was sky high – I couldn’t even make simple decisions anymore. I shut myself off from my friends. I felt totally lost. It felt like my body was shutting down and nobody was listening to me. Doctors were supposed to fix you, they were supposed to help you – if they couldn’t who could? I was sick of telling my friends and family I didn’t feel well and that no, the doctors haven’t found anything. I started to feel like I was going mad, and that maybe it was in my head? 

By some miracle, I saw one lovely Doctor, who although she had no idea what was wrong with me, she showed empathy and compassion and she knew something was wrong - she wasn't sure what, but she told me she thought I needed to change my career and lifestyle. 

(Btw at the time I thought what a load of s*** .. how naïve and uneducated I was! FYI I also told Doctors I didn't have high functioning anxiety and I couldn't possibly be depressed when they diagnosed me... and I thought things like acupuncture and yoga were woo woo and wouldn't help me with my very REAL problems, thanks. HA. Sometimes we need to learn the hard way I guess!! But that was the 'I can handle it' 'I'm fine' 'I can figure it out' 'it must be my diet' mindset I was in.) 

>> Fast forward >> things got worse, my friend had been begging me to come to Aus with her for a years' working holiday visa and I'd been saying no, but at this point I knew SOMETHING desperately needed to change, so I went! After a move to Aus, I was finally given a 'diagnosis'. Turns out I did in fact have quite a lot wrong! They uncovered a parasite, H Pylori, SIBO, leaky gut, chronic inflammation, hormonal balances, adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue. I since went on to discover I also had a hiatus hernia. Quite the hot mess! .. But weirdly after taking all the medication etc. the doctors told me to take to feel better, I didn't feel any different. In fact, I felt worse.
 

At this point, following my own wealth of research, I decided I’d become as knowledgeable as most of the ‘experts’ I was talking to, so I decided to take my health into my own hands and I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) - it was my last ditch attempt at healing, and thank goodness, it worked. As soon as I stopped obsessing over diets and quick fixes, and instead started to take a 360 approach to my health and healing, and target my root cause I saw changes and fast. 

At first I got really mad, that there was this wealth of knowledge out there, yet so many people were suffering needlessly, being handed medication and nothing else! But it was also the push I needed. Health and wellness was something I'd become incredibly passionate about - so I decided I wanted to give back and help be a part of the solution! I was sure that if I could fix myself, I could help others too!
 

Fast forward to today, I’m a different person. I’ve managed to totally transform my wellbeing and outlook on life. I’m now full of energy, I have a new lease on life and anything feels possible. I enjoy food again, I no longer have food fear, I prioritise my own happiness and ‘me time’. I’ve broken up with people pleasing - ‘perfect’ is no longer in my vocabulary. I move my body because it feels good, not to burn calories.. and my inner 'mean girl' is getting way quieter! 

I’m not perfect, life happens and like everyone I slip up here and there. I’m human and I’m always learning, but it’s how you respond that truly matters - that’s where the shift is the most life changing and where genuine transformation takes place. 

Are you feeling stuck, like no one is listening to you and no one gets it? Overwhelmed, uninspired and exhausted by life and your mysterious health issues? Maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it.. but you’re pretty convinced life isn’t supposed to be this hard. Get in touch and book in for an initial chat with me! 

If I can do it, and my clients can do it - so can you! It's possible, promise. 

Let's do it together! With Love, Katie x