In college, I was diagnosed with an ulcer and acid reflux, marking the beginning of my "pain in the gut". After graduation, I worked as a Special Education teacher in an urban city school, got married and a few years later we began our family.

As a full-time teacher and a new mom with two children, balancing work and home life became overwhelming. If you are a teacher, you know the drill. Taking home lots of papers to correct, lesson plans to create, documents to fill out, along with students' behavioral and emotional issues. Ugh! My husband and I would have to juggle daycare drop off and pick up. Stress and frustration set in and I started to burn out.

All of this stress, take-home work, multitasking, and constant demands led to digestive issues like constipation, bloating, weight gain, and abdominal spasms. I was constantly exhausted, frustrated, and not sleeping well. The bloating and weight gain then caused self esteem issues. I was on a fast downward spiral!

My doctor ran tests and when nothing came up, he labeled me as having IBS and told me to increase my fiber intake. He offered a few ‘tips’ but nothing solid that would work. I tried to lose weight on different diets like keto, paleo, etc., but nothing was really making a big enough dent in my symptoms. I needed something else!

Determined to find relief, I started doing my own research. I reached out to naturopathic and complementary medicine doctors. As I treated my body as my own living classroom, I started to learn what was making my body sick and what was helping it heal. Through this process I discovered some foods that would trigger my symptoms, but also that stress and lack of exercise were even bigger triggers. By eating clean, avoiding gut irritants, reducing stress, and achieving work-life balance, I’ve eliminated spasms and bloating and regained my energy and confidence! I was able to fully engage in life and role model health to my family. Best of all, I started setting my kids on a path towards a bright future that we are still on today. I've gotten my sexy back and I can immediately recognize my body’s signals when life happens to get out of balance momentarily.

If you’re a teacher struggling with IBS, bloating, abdominal spasms, stress, and exhaustion, know that there is help. Check out this free starter kit and please feel free to connect with me.