Healing with Nature: My Wellness Journey and Nourish in Lake Country's Roots
From the darkest time of your life, you just may realize it was the blessing that brought your purpose.
My story is one where it took a debilitating health challenge to bring me to wake up and see that I needed to change it all — is that perhaps a point of all health challenges, to look for a solution from a wider angle lens?
If you work with me 1:1 or have attended classes, I often share the longer version of the root of Nourish Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar which parallels my healing journey — which you’ll learn below. Sharing it here on the Nourish site is important to me, because if I had read this in the thick of my illness and at my sickest point, that would have provided me hope.
Regardless of what you are up against, I believe that your solution exists.
Let me explain.
At a young age, my parents divorced, throwing me into a subconscious state of unsafety and grief. Kids are resilient and don’t always have the context to understand what’s going on, therefore the body often pushes away any sort of emotional struggles in order to proceed onward with, well, being a kid! That was me. Life proceeded onward.
Years later, my mom died of “natural causes” at 51 years old. While that never sat well with me, what could I do now that she had passed? I felt hopeless and also in great pain about the fact that Western medicine may have failed her. I truly felt, and still do, that there might have been other approaches that could have supported my mom’s health journey alongside traditional treatments, helping her find a solution.
As time went on, the grief was always with me. Whether I realized it or not at the time, my mom’s health battle and ultimate death had inspired me to explore the world of health, and I had enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) right before deciding to take a “soul journey” to Peru. While I wasn’t incredibly attuned to my emotional state at that time, I was starting to open my mind to the concept that there was something beyond my physical experience that wanted my attention. As I sat on Machu Piccu, I prayed.
“I am ready to release anything that no longer serves the purpose of my highest self.”
Just a day later, at age 28, I started to have physical symptoms. Three days later, I was experiencing anxiety attacks and what I felt was a heart attack, and within a week I was in a full blown physical assault. 3 feared heart attacks. What was the start of multiple autoimmune issues was diagnosed by the medical community as anxiety, and I was prescribed prescription drugs. I felt uncertain — how did this come out of nowhere in just days? I wanted to explore other possibilities that might complement the traditional medical advice I received, so I started researching and making lifestyle changes that I felt could support my health.
I took matters into my own hands. I started researching, and more so, I started making the changes. I took action on what I learned, cutting out dairy, gluten, soy, and refined sugar. I got back to the basics not just with my eating, but with my commitment to connection with nature. I was grounding, dabbling in healing modalities outside of the western system, and I immersed myself in holistic health culture. I was set on learning as much as I could because I refused to let this illness be my future.
And it was working.
I had lost 95 pounds, but despite that, I knew something else was missing, and I started to learn about and release my repressed emotions: grief, fear, and worry.
It’s at this time that I remember a healer in Peru telling me that “worry makes you sick.” He was working with our whole group one by one and giving a “Read” on what their state of illness or challenge was, and while everyone on the trip had a somewhat obvious concern they were hoping to heal, I had nothing presenting — yes I had the grief of my mom’s passing, but I was not yet experiencing the fullness of that range, so it would not have occurred to me how deeply I had tucked away those emotions. Through reflection, I realized how deeply I had stored emotions like grief and worry. When the healer shared that 'worry makes you sick,' it opened my eyes to the emotional work I needed to do. I began allowing myself to process those feelings with the mindset of 'It’s safe to feel, and it’s safe to heal.
This was the turning point in my healing journey, and maybe also, connecting with my life’s mission. I believe that you truly cannot have the physical state of wellness you desire without doing the emotional work required to let the body feel safe, regulated, empowered, liberated from the things that it is storing away in an attempt to keep you safe.
To be transparent, this worry is still with me, but my relationship to it is vastly different after the work that I’ve done. When I am triggered about things I cannot control, I use my tools to address the energy of this.
I was eventually diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus, Lyme Disease, and severe gut dysbiosis. Throughout my journey, I learned that the health of the gut and brain are closely connected, influencing mental and emotional well-being. Addressing these areas became a priority for me, alongside the emotional work I was doing. Alongside the energy work, I focused on nourishing my body through bone broth and juicing, giving my body the support it needed. I often thought, 'I wish I had a place that combined both nutritious options and enjoyable experiences.'
Nourish was born as the answer to that constant thought.
3 years later, we’ve moved from our original location and re-invented ourselves and our offerings, all while staying true to the core of our mission.
Nourish is akin to a comforting mother’s embrace, providing a sense of warmth and solace. As for the future of Nourish, we plan to continue crafting the beloved drinks that our customers adore, while also introducing new offerings, classes, educational resources, and fostering a stronger sense of community and connection. Our goal is to nurture and support our patrons in every aspect of their lives, creating a space where they can find solace and companionship, the very things I needed along my journey.
There was darkness in my story so I can bring more light to yours.
There’s so much more to come for Nourish and from me personally — I will continue to bring my story and my soul’s mission to help others find their wellness. And, we’re doing it with a perspective of levity, because otherwise the heaviness of illness will further perpetuate the stress cycle. We’re going to “make healing fun again.”
Curious about what I explored and what informs the Nourish offerings, other than personal LIVED experience and results?
Holistic Health & Wellness Coach — Studied at IIN institute for integrative nutrition
Holistic Esthetician — Studied at VICI Aveda
Reiki Master — Studied at Golden Light Healing
Soul Teacher & Soul Reader — Soul Reading Method by Nikki Novo
Certified Herbalist — Certified by Ecoversity
Pursuing Emotional Liberation with Dr. G’s Comprehensive Somatic Method
MIND BODY SOUL CHECK IN
What’s something in your story that you can trace to being an important contributing factor to who you are?
If you are struggling in a healing journey, have you considered the emotional component to it? If you asked your gut for a hint about what might need to be looked at, what do you hear or feel? Ask your body.