What have you been dreaming of?
…a sense of calm
…a deflated tummy
…easier digestion
…the energy of your 30s (or your 20s!)
…feeling like yourself again
Your doctor says there’s nothing seriously wrong. YAY.
“But then… what’s with this… bloat… reflux… exhaustion… weight?
Maybe you have digestive issues (like me), or maybe your hormones are changing (me), or maybe growing up in the fat-free era left you with some serious sugar habits (also me). Either way, your body has hit its limit. You’re desperate to change.
But…
… it’s A LOT. And you’re busy. (You’re kind of a get-it-done Wonder Woman, in fact.) You can juggle your career and creative household. You can crush a to-do list, but – how to feel better while maintaining super human responsibilities? This has you stumped.
Lately your body isn’t doing what it used to. You’re tired. You’re frustrated.
You’re Done. Feeling. Crappy.
I get it. So was I.
My symptoms seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Looking back, though, I can see the contributing factors.
In my early career I lived a fast-paced life as a Radio City Rockette, actress, and event host in New York City. I was a fish outta water from my quiet Alaskan hometown. NYC life was action-packed – and I kept up the pace after moving to Los Angeles to continue my career. But the glossy exterior hid this truth…
…I was a hot mess trying to make it all happen.
Adrenalin, fake lashes, mocha frappuccinos and fat free Entenmann’s kept me going. Through it all, I suffered severe night sweats, adult onset acne, and loads of anxiety – not to mention inconsistent bowel movements.
But I figured, “I exercise, I must be healthy.”
Fast forward a decade: I was a new mom – overextended, exhausted, and feeling full most of the time (my belly wasn’t behaving like it used to).
I thought my bloat was extra weight.
But more cardio and counting calories didn’t help.
Then I was sure I had cancer.
I was relieved by a SIBO diagnosis. Cool. Treatable. Still… after several rounds of antibiotics my symptoms remained. I was bloated and constipated… and frustrated… and depressed. My doctor gave me a pamphlet on dietary suggestions.
“Wait… what? How am I supposed to stop eating bread, my mocha frappuccino… wine?”
I didn’t know what to eat.
My go-to treats were off the list, but I still craved them, and…
…I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to make lasting changes – so I didn’t.
I continued floundering, and like a faithful friend, my symptoms stayed with me… for years.
Does this sound familiar?
Because this is where I find so many others… suffering.
What I wish I had known – and what I want you to know…
…This. Is NOT. Your fault.
The modern-day pressures to “do it all” – shine at work, thrive at home, and crush that to-do list – can keep you stuck in “survival mode”, releasing a chronic stream of stress hormones that wreak havoc on your health and create an imbalance in your gut.
Perhaps you’ve heard, “health lies in the GUT” (along with trillions of beneficial bacteria). But when this flora is “out of balance”, certain (not so beneficial) bacteria overpopulate and get hangry…
(Enter: Cravings)
…for sugar and refined carbohydrates, making it extremely difficult for us to say “no” to the very foods keeping us stuck in our unique symptoms.
To top it off, to prepare for the next “emergency” (real or perceived) the body’s stress response system requires fast energy – uh, like the energy from sugar, salt, and processed fats. That means when we’re chronically stressed, our brains and bodies will demand these quick and convenient foods.
So that message you may have heard to “listen to your body”, or to “eat intuitively” for greater health? Yea, that’s likely not working for you right now – and if you’re frustrated – I truly understand. But here’s the part I really want you to hear…
…more will power is not the answer.
In fact, relying heavily on willpower alone can actually lead to more stress. It’s like holding your breath under water – at some point you’ll need to come up for air. Instead… we want to help ourselves ease our response to stress through practices that improve sleep, balance blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and calm the nervous system (I guide clients through this in my Partner Program).
Then – we prepare for dietary changes ahead of time (I give you tools to do this in my FREE audio training), shift the foods and habits keeping you stuck, and create the space for you to make purposeful choices in your health and in your life – without relying on blind will power.
This is HUGE. Imagine being free to make the choices that you want to make. Not ones that are made by default – influenced by cravings or by old habits that are no longer serving you – but choices that are made on purpose.
My road to relief was long, so yours doesn‘t have to be.
Things finally changed once I got scientific with my personal approach.
Since we’re all unique, I found the practices that worked best for me and my life, and identified the foods that were keeping me bloated (and stopped chasing each new “quick-fix” on the internet).
I sought out experts in the field of gut health and utilized recommended healing foods.
Then, I faced the deeper stuff…
…I was a stress ball. I was either jacked up or tapped out.
I had been ignoring self care – not mani pedis, per se – but “luxuries” like… enough sleep, time in nature, permission to pause. “Nope, no time, don’t need it. ”
Ahem: Not so fast, Jenny.
When the body is stressed, it gives all its attention to organs responsible for immediate survival and ignores extraneous functions, um, like… digestion.
“Oh, hello old friend.”
So, along with finding the foods that worked (and the foods that didn’t), I needed to handle my stress.
I got help.
I found support – implemented tools to encourage new habits, and techniques to manage my emotions around my sugar cravings. I made a lot of little changes that added up, and built my belief that my desired changes were possible.
Eventually, my bloat, pain, and inflammation disappeared. And even better – I had honed the skills to keep it that way.
I wanted to tell all those struggling, “It’s possible! I did it, you can too!” – so in 2016 I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am now a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach.
Since then I’ve worked one-on-one with individuals through my Partner Program – helping relieve symptoms and gain the freedom to make purposeful choices. More recently, I went back to school to learn more about functional and integrative approaches to health – completing Dr. Allison Siebecker ND’s SIBO Pro Course in 2020, and graduating Dr. Aviva Romm MD’s, Women’s Functional & Integrative Medicine Professional Training Program in 2022. I’m also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT).
For me, there’s little that’s more satisfying than helping another Wonder Woman find her way back to feeling good again.
Everyone deserves to feel good. Including you.
