Stop fighting your ‘dis-ease’. Start supporting your health.

“Lots of people have bad skin so you’d be better off lowering your expectations and learning to live with it.” I’m paraphrasing, but this is the essence of actual advice I received from a GP some time during my early 30s. 

I’d booked the appointment because, once again (I was probably about 16 years in by this point), the health of my skin had crashed through the floor, taking with it my self-esteem and mood.

As many as 60% of us will experience a skin condition at some point in our lives, according to the British Skin Foundation, so at least the first part of the GP’s statement was accurate. 

For years, I’d waged war on my spotty, inflamed skin with countless rounds of acne medications, including antibiotics, birth control, and isotretinoin. There were also topical versions of some of the above, along with stingy peels that left my skin red and raw. The fight was on.

That was just how things were, from my late teens until the abovementioned GP appointment, which left me crying angry, frustrated tears all the way home.

Healing turning point

This was the turning point for me. So, you might say I have a lot to thank that GP for. I was now officially done with the rollercoaster of mild improvement while taking the latest treatment or product followed by even worse skin health a few months after stopping it. Every time. On repeat. 

What is it they say about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Yes, that was what I was doing, because I didn’t know I had any other choice.

But the angry tears inspired action. I started looking into how holistic therapies might actually support me to heal for good rather than just suppress symptoms temporarily.

A fresh take on holistic therapies

I opened my mind up to the possibility that those holistic therapies could do a lot more than provide an expensive way to relax (my erroneous belief up until that point). This was the start of my healing process.

I had reflexology, which supported my physical health in ways I couldn’t have imagined. But the most beneficial parts of the interaction with the reflexologist were the conversations about gentle skincare products that support sensitive skin rather than harsh ones that fight acne. 

It was an eye-opening revelation to think of my skin as sensitive and in need of support rather than oily and gross and in need of fighting by way of stripping the oil it was producing. 

I saw a homoeopath / kinesiologist, who educated me on the nutrients I needed to support skin health and some potential food intolerances to watch out for. This was again helpful, but the most important support he gave me was to ask me about my connections with others. 

I was confused, and a bit unnerved, by his line of questioning at the time, but I now see how important connection is to our general health and wellbeing and how we view ourselves. 

Both of these practitioners inspired my healing process in ways I didn’t foresee when I booked the appointments. They even inspired me to look into studying a holistic therapy for myself, which led me to enroll on the Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition programme at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). 

Healing through diet and lifestyle

From this point, my mind began to open fully to the idea that we can improve our state of health through changing what and how we eat, and how we live.

During my time at CNM, I discovered one major food intolerance. This was a game changer. It forced me to take a greater interest in cooking, which I then began to enjoy more and more as I got better at it.

I started supporting my skin from within, through the whole foods I was eating. I stopped attacking it on the surface with harsh products containing unpronounceable ingredients I’d never heard of.

I was now giving my skin – and my whole body and mind – the fighting chance it needed to heal. 

Empowering others to improve their health

I believe that everyone can make improvements to their state of health with the right support. But, each individual needs to do it at their own pace and in their own way. This is why I added health coaching to my health and wellbeing training.

Health coaching empowers the individual to set realistic health goals that work for them, on their terms. It supports people to challenge behaviours and thinking that may no longer serve them. Nutrition and lifestyle mentoring comes in at appropriate moments, and only when welcomed by the client.

For me, true healing doesn’t come in a bottle of pills, which can be great at suppressing symptoms – while you’re taking them. Healing comes from supporting the whole human being – physically, mentally and emotionally – by making manageable and sustainable changes to what and how they eat, and how they live their lives. 

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