This past May I turned 58, and as I make my way around this bend I am more determined than ever to not accept that my changing body and aches and pains are the norm. Thankfully, I am surrounded by wellness practitioners through my Aspen Business Connect network who are guiding me toward wellness, teaching me that there are medicine-free modalities out there to help us feel more youthful and less in pain; Candice Claire of Swan Sage insists that aches and pains are actually not the norm as we age, Brittany Buffalino, founder of Aspen Elevated Health takes a holistic, functional and preventive natural approach to medicine and Dr. Jenn Drake has laser light that can help transform our pain at the cellular level.
The scary thing is that I would continue living this way, ignoring my decline, if my mother didn’t have Fibromyalgia Rheumatica, an inflammatory disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness, especially in the shoulders and hips. It would be futile to watch the person I love struggle physically and not see it as a warning for my own future. I may feel strong now, but I do have muscle aches and bloating and suspect that if I continue to ignore, or worse, accept that my ailments are a natural course of aging, I too may be unable to do all the things I love in 20 years.
As a teen, turning 58 was unperceivable to me. For sure I never envisioned myself as a 58-year-old mountain biking, pickle balling, solo entrepreneur, and mama of three boys, living in Aspen no less. In fact, as a teen, I had no vision whatsoever of what my future looked like, other than being married to a tall, dark and handsome Colorado boy, and that happened. Had I known I was a super manifestor I would have poured more into creating my future, better late than never I guess, and I’m ready to make that commitment toward wellness. The journey begins with a licensed dietician nutritionist with an MS in Human Nutrition, Shari Havourd of Aetio. Shari’s style is to work collaboratively and with compassion when helping her clients cope with their medical and mental health diagnoses, overcome dieting distress and improve their quality of life through nutrition and lifestyle changes. Shari offers evidence-based medical nutrition therapy, intuitive eating skills, mindfulness practices, and uses functional labs and selective supplements when needed.
Shari does not always begin her work by getting tests done, but because of my history of GI issues and pathogenic overgrowth, plus a cough, she suggested getting updated stool and bloodwork tests.
My intake with Shari is tomorrow, and I will be journaling my progress with her for all of you, and keeping myself accountable to get to the bottom of all of this and mark my changes. I believe that my acceptance of my health feels like the norm and I want to help change that norm.
So what are my current issues? Seems I picked up pathogens years ago and I have not been able to get rid of them and complications are beginning to arise such as; signs of a leaky gut, foggy brain, and a deep cough that my boys have been on top of me to get to the bottom of. With healthcare being so absolutely dysfunctional in our country, paying for self-care has majorly gotten in the way of my diligently taking care of myself. I have never had an advocate by my side reading the test results and breaking them down for me to understand what it all means and suggesting the paths I need to take towards wellness. At 58 I am committed to doing what it takes to feel better. After all, if I feel this way now, I will be an absolute rockstar if I improve my gut health.
I also will be experiencing Tuesday Foods, which will be delivered tomorrow. Founded by certified health coach and vegan chef Kelly Hollins and Lisa Cohen, an accredited nutritionist and weight-loss expert. Tuesday Foods delivers delicious, nutritious plant-based ready-to-eat meals, to your door. All you have to do is choose your preferred package, pick your delivery date, place your order online, and await your delivery.
Did you know that 95% of your serotonin, “the happy molecule” also lives within your microbiome? It’s true that you have an entire guidance system in the center of your body – sometimes referred to as your “second brain” or recognized as “gut instinct.”
TuesdayFoods.co
Up until now, I have believed that I have been living a well-balanced life. But when I record how balanced I realize that I am not as healthy as I think. With a vision of a more beautiful, improved me, I “think” I am ready to commit to whatever Shari suggests, even if it means that I have to curtail some of the bad habits that I have always seen as good, like opening up a glass of bubbly accompanied by crackers, Manchego and pepper jelly for dinner. Knowing that you are reading this will help me to stay on track. I’m looking forward to sharing a new, improved me in the hopes that it will also help you!
