Follow Your Fckn Gut: The Origin
For those wondering what right this uncertified, unqualified and, according to some, undignified amateur has to talk about wellness, let me start by saying-not much. However, I have been a human guinea pig for gut health the better part of my life and have tried practically every major fad, elixir, diet and pill known to man. With all of this hands-on experience, I consider myself somewhat of an underground professional in the field.
Let’s back up 16 years ago, to the year 2005. Tom Cruise is jumping on couches, Jessica Simpson is filing for divorce from Nick Lachey and my mother is giving me an enema as a last ditch effort to alleviate my chronic constipation. All of these events were scarring for everyone involved but some still remain ingrained in my brain over others…for obvious reasons.
Quick disclaimer (before we get too far in): I am well aware that gut health is not the sexiest topic. I am also not sure this is the smartest marketing tactic for my launch but I promised authenticity so here we fucking go.
I have had SERIOUS digestion issues ever since I can remember, which have only worsened over the years. Long story short, I have had chronic constipation mixed with the occasional relief of explosive diarrhea from the time I was around 12. What a prime time to develop this convenient issue.
Throughout the years, I have seen countless doctors - several who specialized in gastroenterology and were considered ‘experts’ in their field - who all told me something different. My symptoms were constantly dismissed since my condition appeared to be ‘manageable’ with the correct over-the-counter prescription. I experienced medical gaslighting and was made to believe that my symptoms were not ‘bad’ enough to be taken seriously.
One doctor said my issues were linked to anxiety while another told me I wasn’t eating enough fiber (even though I consumed WELL over the recommended 25 grams per day). The most infuriating diagnosis I ever received, which still makes my blood boil to this day, was that, “I must just have a slow colon” and to pretty much “deal with it.”
I wish I told that doctor to go fuck herself as opposed to crying in her office out of sheer hopelessness. But hey, we live and we learn and might even write a blog about it some day.
Before I knew the negative effects of long-term laxative use, one of the OTC medications my doctor prescribed as a daily “cure” for my constipation was MiraLAX. While this worked in the short term, my body became dependent on it and after only a few months, I started to reject it. Another doctor recommended Colace (a stool softener) while the brilliant “slow colon” doctor tried to push a laxative pill that was still in the “trial phase.”
If your doctor recommends any of these as a cure to your stomach issues, RUN don’t WALK right out of their office. If your gut was as fucked up as mine was, you are going to want to get to the root cause of your issue. Trust me on this.
None of these highly sought-out, medically-trained professionals could give me any guidance whatsoever. Each time I left a different doctor’s office, I became angrier. Thankfully, my anger fueled me to follow my fucking gut and begin researching potential cures on my own.
From approximately 2013 until May of 2021, I tried eliminating gluten and dairy, juicing everyday, purchasing every advertised probiotic under the sun, eating greens at every meal, drinking over 3 liters of water daily and even becoming vegan for a month, only to have my symptoms continue to worsen.
By worsen, I mean I experienced DAILY gastric reflux, intense bloating/fullness and stomach pain, painful gas, major fatigue and sluggishness ON TOP of constipation. I mean, talk about sexy, damn.
By April of 2021, I was at my lowest point health-wise. I had ALMOST come to terms with feeling this way forever and began to rationalize my pain as not being as bad as it actually was.
My body was literally shutting down and telling me to figure out what the fuck was going on and FAST. As a last-ditch option, I tried naturopathy. This controversial route is often looked upon as fraudulent, which made me skeptical, especially with the anticipated costs associated. Homeopathic medicine and testing are not covered by insurance because it’s considered “alternative” as opposed to “conventional” medicine. It’s bullshit and absolutely infuriating, but more on that later.
However, up until this point, nothing else had worked and I was willing to try anything. 5 months later, I can now undoubtedly say, that my naturopathic doctor has changed, and quite-literally, saved my life.
