I’m probably not the typical idea of a functional medicine health coach. It’s kind of a long story that leads to me becoming the health coach I needed.
Home is a homestead on 45 acres of mostly forested land in a remote area of Maine. I’m deeply rooted in nature and a holistic lifestyle. As a licensed massage therapist, certified reflexologist, and student of Healing Touch (energy), I work in holistic healthcare. Becoming a functional medicine certified health coach was a natural fit. Holistic covers mind, body, and spirit/soul.
It sounds idyllic to many, but my health has been challenging most of my life. Weight was a constant battle. I’ve been on medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammation and arthritis, and depression. None of them came with more instruction than “take one once a day,” and “lose weight and get some exercise.” If health were a simple as “lose weight and exercise,” we’d all be fit, trim, and strong. On my sister Sarah’s advice, I turned to functional medicine in early 2022 and got a handle on my health.
Through very thorough testing, I learned that my gut health was a wreck. My food intolerance tests showed 87 foods I wasn’t digesting properly. My thyroid was “low but in the normal range.” Normal range for who? The masses. I am not the masses. I am an individual. Health and health care are individual. We’re all basically the same, but we are all different at the same time. What’s great for you is a disaster for others. I ate well. I grind flour from organic red and white, soft and hard wheat berries. I don’t have gluten sensitivity, but non-organic flour upsets my digestive system, and it shows up as inflammation. Vegetables come from my garden, so I know exactly how they were grown and what’s in my soil. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuces, chard, and spinach were high in my diet, but only chard and spinach were being digested well.
I spent six months healing my gut with the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Elimination diet. At the same time, I got the thyroid medication I’d been requesting for three decades. I lost 30 pounds quickly. Brain fog cleared up, and my short-term and immediate memory returned. I had energy again!
It was a lot of work that required hundreds of hours of researching online and trial and error. Primary care providers are barely given time to spend face-to-face with patients let alone help them through the process of dieting and losing weight. Just as health is individual, so is improving our health. Sarah suggested that I could become a functional medicine certified health coach and help others improve their health and wellness. Here I am. I’ll listen intently. I’ll hear you. I’ll help you figure out what you need and want to do. Let’s talk. You can email me to get started.
