food, wellness
There is one thing that I have learned throughout my years of being in the health and wellness space ... it's how important gut health is to your overall health. A couple of years ago I was under a ton of stress from working like an animal for a TV show I was on. During this time I started to develop chronic UTI sensation that lasted for a solid year. My bladder and gut were literally screaming at me from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. The worst part was I was up all night and couldn't sleep because of the pain and consent sensation of having to use the bathroom! Every day I would wake up exhausted and had to run to rehearsals. The days were grueling and the energy was honestly toxic. My body was basically shutting down and I didn't know what to do. The worst part was I had to be in a tiny sports bra and happily sporting my "6-pack." Little did they know my belly was so inflamed and I was fighting back bladder pains that could nail someone to the ground. In my head I just kept telling myself, "Natalie you are not a quitter, you can do this." So ... that's what I did.
As you can imagine, I sought out every top specialist in the tri-state area trying to get answers, literally begging people to help me. I mean for god's sakes, my body was being picked apart every day, all day, and the pressure to look perfect was insane. The worst part was the negative energy from the producer, she was constantly body shaming me and talking behind my back. I can honestly say, she got in my head in a way not many have. I come from a household where my mother always preached how important it was to support other women! So, for me it was so hard to wrap my head around this woman's behavior ... who was deemed a top "leader" in our industry!!! I mean seriously people?!? But what's scary is that I am not only has she has preyed on. The more I dug into her background, the more women shared their stories with me. All terrible and 100% but mostly importantly not acceptable. I just kept scratching my head on how she still is in the game?! I couldn't care less is she makes a good product, she is causing major ramifications in the women's lives around her.
So basically, my body was under massive stress and that toxic energy was like a brick in my belly, festering and getting more toxic by the hour. After months of massive bloating and gutting out the MOST intense pain I have ever dealt with, I was put into the category from a top NY specialist of possibly having "Interstitial Cystitis." For anyone who has looked up that word it's not at all fun and so scary! I was SO scared that I would be living with this terrible life-altering condition for the rest of my life. All I kept thinking was "how did this happen?" I was heartbroken and didn't know what to do. I just couldn't believe this was my reality. The stress of the show mixed with the overwhelming negativity from this woman was killing me. And, for those of you who know me, know that I am "allergic" to negative energy and have been since I was a little girl. I tend to soak up everyone's emotions who are around me. I am a feeler. So, being around this woman's energy was manifesting in my body in a MAJOR way.
Fast forward a couple of months, I was still dealing with the pain and the endless hours in rehearsals continued. One day a light went off in my head and I decided I was going to cut the toxic energy out and focus on improving my gut health. My mom and I were talking and she mentioned that I try working on that aspect of my life, something I could control. That night, I spent hours researching the expert in the field and ended up going to a lecture that week by a NY guru named Gil Jacobs. Everything he talked about made SO MUCH sense. Finally someone was talking about improving my overall health the right way. His school of thought might be extreme to some, but it sure made sense to me. I dove into his regimes and quickly started the detoxing process in my body. I was filled with toxic energy and toxic sludge that was stuck in my gut. He suggested a slew of things, one being to drink his detox juice to help with obtaining optimum health. For me, that's all I cared about! The thought of having Interstitial Cystitis scared the daylights out of me and I was willing to try anything. So, that's what I did.
After I saw Gil, I focused all my attention of getting my life back. A few weeks later I got a call that the show was not going to continue and I have never been so happy in my life. I remember having this intense relief lift off my shoulders! I was so happy I did not have to quit, it was just over. This experience was one of the most challenging times in my life but I got through it. I learned so much about myself and found strength I never thought I had. From that day forward I vowed to myself that I would never let anyone steal my light like that again.
Today, I continue to hold that promise to myself, and I am happy to report I have not had a spell in over two years! I do not have IC and I will always be grateful for someone like Gil who reframed my attention to how food has the power to heal. With the combination of de-stressing, elimination of a toxic environment, and food I gained my gut health and headspace back. I hope my story helps anyone who might be suffering from "off-market" unexplained pain. I feel you and I encourage you to never stop looking for answers and most importantly TRUST YOUR GUT!
Reminder to wash those all your produce!
detox juice
ingredients
Handful of Dinosaur Kale
Handful of dandelion greens
Handful of spinach
1 bundle of celery
2 cucumbers
2 lemons
2 slices of turmeric
APPLIANCES
Steps
1. First, get all your ingredients out and wash your greens.
2. Place each ingredient in the juicer.
3. After everything is juiced. I like to pour my juice over ice into mason jars. That way I can keep it refrigerated for a couple of days.
When to Drink
First thing in the AM! But, first start by drinking a full glass of water first. After you are done with your water, it is time to start drinking the juice. I usually take mine to the computer where I answer emails and get my day started.
Then let the healing begin!
Photography by: Chelsea Chorpenning
