Below I share what I call my wellness toolkit for the mind, body and spirit with my vestibular something and beyond. I encourage you to read my book Uncovering Bliss: A Journey With A Vestibular Condition and Beyond (and I so appreciate your support!) and visit Vestibular Warrior YouTube. The chapter of my life with a vestibular something guided me to sharing the holistic goodness that supported my health along way and continues to. I know in my heart and soul that I am meant to share healing vibes with others. I breakdown the components of my routine below. It's all about nourishing and supporting glowing health. Think: creating your wellness through lifestyle shifts and embracing bliss.
I first embraced a plant-based diet in 2009, which completely changed how I felt about myself and at the same time released me of so much negativity. It certainly didn't happen overnight, but looking back over the last decade I can very easily point out that making that shift to eat a plant-powered was the catalyst for so much goodness.
Even though I was eating a plant-based diet when it all happened, I still needed to make tweaks. I had to really listen and pay attention to the feedback my body is giving you. My vestibular something journey inspired me to become a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, which I did to learn more to support my health but also to help others. I'm a firm believe eliminating dairy/eggs, white sugar and junky processed foods can help all Vestibular Warriors.
The food we eat influences how we feel today, tomorrow and beyond. It impacts how we think, heal, and how we move forward with our vestibular somethings. When I was in the midst of it, I did not have the luxury to eat whatever my heart desired, but as I started to feel better, what I desired was simply nourishing food. It might start out difficult, but then it becomes a habit, and then it is a part of you.
Even though I was eating a plant-based diet when it all happened, I still needed to make tweaks. I had to really listen and pay attention to the feedback my body is giving you. My vestibular something journey inspired me to become a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, which I did to learn more to support my health but also to help others. I'm a firm believe eliminating dairy/eggs, white sugar and junky processed foods can help all Vestibular Warriors.
The food we eat influences how we feel today, tomorrow and beyond. It impacts how we think, heal, and how we move forward with our vestibular somethings. When I was in the midst of it, I did not have the luxury to eat whatever my heart desired, but as I started to feel better, what I desired was simply nourishing food. It might start out difficult, but then it becomes a habit, and then it is a part of you.
I'll just start by saying that I believe in taking supplements because every day we face many hurdles to our health + wellness: (1) nutrient deficiencies caused by diet, (2) lack of exercise and quality sleep, and (3) exposure to toxins, pathogens, viral load, etc.
If we do not meet our daily nutrition requirements this can lead to problems, or make existing problems worse. I am not willing to chance it. Does a nutrient dense diet filled with whole foods help? Absolutely! Supplements do not replace a wholesome diet, but they work with that diet to provide your glowing wellness. So I supplement to promote overall wellness and address person health issues (hello, vestibular something). I want to know that I am doing everything I can to nourish and support my body. Because this is my body – the only one I got – and I deserve to feel better than just ok, I deserve to glow. And my friend, so do you.
When I got hit with a vestibular condition, I wasn’t supplementing consistently. I started to do my own research (countless hours looking for answers) and as I took a look at my holistic approach, I felt there was a hole. Enter: supplementation. I’m going to share with you the supplements I take and then I ask that you take a look at your current wellness routine and determine whether it could use a boost. This is about uncovering what is best for you and to do that you have to consider how you’re nourishing your body now, and what changes may be needed.
Note: I'm a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Wellness Coach and this is how I choose to supplement. I also change up my routine as I see fit and it is always evolving. Do your own research and advocate for yourself.
If we do not meet our daily nutrition requirements this can lead to problems, or make existing problems worse. I am not willing to chance it. Does a nutrient dense diet filled with whole foods help? Absolutely! Supplements do not replace a wholesome diet, but they work with that diet to provide your glowing wellness. So I supplement to promote overall wellness and address person health issues (hello, vestibular something). I want to know that I am doing everything I can to nourish and support my body. Because this is my body – the only one I got – and I deserve to feel better than just ok, I deserve to glow. And my friend, so do you.
When I got hit with a vestibular condition, I wasn’t supplementing consistently. I started to do my own research (countless hours looking for answers) and as I took a look at my holistic approach, I felt there was a hole. Enter: supplementation. I’m going to share with you the supplements I take and then I ask that you take a look at your current wellness routine and determine whether it could use a boost. This is about uncovering what is best for you and to do that you have to consider how you’re nourishing your body now, and what changes may be needed.
Note: I'm a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Wellness Coach and this is how I choose to supplement. I also change up my routine as I see fit and it is always evolving. Do your own research and advocate for yourself.
Embracing a holistic toolkit of Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils into my wellness routine supported my mind and body when I was in the darkness with the vestibular stuff. Further, it continues to be my healthcare system today. When I felt so disconnected from my body, like I was in another universe but somehow still in my body, taking steps like I was walking on a trampoline, my neck being so tight I could hardly turn my head, feeling like I couldn't quite "see" the world right in front of me... essential oils were my support system.
I believe in pure plant oils so much that while I was digging myself out of the awfulness of a vestibular condition I started teaching classes and sharing all the ways oils were supporting my health. I stood in front of a class of people feeling like I was floating across the floor, rambling on about how Oregano essential oil was what started my healing journey.
I share my love for pure plant oils because it fuels my soul. The incredible part of this is that I get to help others and then they can go on and spread the word as well if their heart is drawn to it. The world of healthcare is shifting and I believe that a holistic support system is an amazing opportunity to elevate our wellness now and into the future.
I believe in pure plant oils so much that while I was digging myself out of the awfulness of a vestibular condition I started teaching classes and sharing all the ways oils were supporting my health. I stood in front of a class of people feeling like I was floating across the floor, rambling on about how Oregano essential oil was what started my healing journey.
I share my love for pure plant oils because it fuels my soul. The incredible part of this is that I get to help others and then they can go on and spread the word as well if their heart is drawn to it. The world of healthcare is shifting and I believe that a holistic support system is an amazing opportunity to elevate our wellness now and into the future.
The most common question I get asked when it comes to my vestibular disorder is: How did you get through it?
I can assure you that confidence does not happen overnight.
I had to get incredibly uncomfortable every moment of every day for days, weeks and months to uncover a whole lot of courage and determination. It started by showing up in my life again, but this time with a vestibular condition. My youngest child was three months old and my older son was two years old when the vestibular stuff hit. I still was up half the night to feed my baby, and to be honest it’s all a crazy blur. I was getting by only by focusing on life moment-to-moment. I relentlessly moved through each day regardless of how I felt and fighting every moment somehow knowing I could do it no matter what.
My simple answer is: I showed up.
I had to hit the true edge of my comfort zone, to then find confidence while sitting in that feeling.
When I felt like I was standing on a moving dock 24/7 for months on end, I showed up. I went to work and the grocery store and everywhere and it all felt awful. Nowhere provided relief so I figured going through the motions was worth a shot.
When the anxiety was coursing through my body like fire, I showed up.
When I felt off kilter and completely detached from the world, I showed up.
That’s the blessing part of an invisible condition…I could show up because on the outside I was still the same person.
I remember standing in line at the grocery store experiencing so many symptoms, the lights driving me crazy, feeling like I was floating, taking steps like I was on a trampoline, and wondering if anyone else felt like I did in that moment. What I learned was that I was not alone and that provided me with comfort in the darker moments. Showing up was half the battle, but from doing it over and over (and over) again, it got easier. I learned to trust my body and that even when I was being overcome with symptoms, I could still push through. But it took repetitive practice for months and months until one day, I was the one in control again. I was out in the world, living life once again, but with a vestibular something.
My mindset towards my vestibular disorder was one of the strongest elements that I had going for me. I’m not bragging as I’m sure you understand that vestibular stuff has the ability to make you feel powerless, so I was grasping for whatever I could hang onto. I was in pure survival mode. I wouldn’t have left my house if it wasn’t for the persistent determination to be a part of life. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t have terrible days, because the symptoms were dreadful for a long while.
But, my mindset carried me through those difficult moments and forced me to look beyond the hell I was drowning in. I was always working to stay afloat and to do that I had to fight every moment. It’s exhausting, right? It weighed on my heart and soul so heavily, but I’m telling you that my mindset had power over that weight.
I’m going to let you into my mind, because then you can experience what carried me through the darkness and out of the tunnel: This vestibular stuff does not define me. It is a part of me, but it is certainly not all of me. I am in the driver’s seat. I will see beyond these all-consuming symptoms. There is life beyond these symptoms. Fear will not dominate me. I will crush that fear with my hope, resilience and everything beautiful that makes up me, and I will keep showing up. I will show up every single day until every moment isn’t so challenging. I will cry and breakdown and then I will get up every time. This is a chapter of my life, but it is not my whole life. I can heal, nourish and elevate my mind and body. I will heal, and this chapter is shaping me for all I’m meant to do in this life.
I encourage you evaluate how your perspective is either hurting or healing you.
Start living now, not when you’re through this condition. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be completely through it, but I refuse to miss an opportunity to start fresh and live authentically as me, with a vestibular something, with happiness, with tough days, with really hard moments, with hope, with excitement, with happiness, and with an enthusiasm to see how I grow.
If I let this condition take me down, then it would be me saying ‘no’ to the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m going to enjoy this life with my vestibular something if it takes everything out of me because otherwise I’m missing out on this beautiful human-experience.
I can assure you that confidence does not happen overnight.
I had to get incredibly uncomfortable every moment of every day for days, weeks and months to uncover a whole lot of courage and determination. It started by showing up in my life again, but this time with a vestibular condition. My youngest child was three months old and my older son was two years old when the vestibular stuff hit. I still was up half the night to feed my baby, and to be honest it’s all a crazy blur. I was getting by only by focusing on life moment-to-moment. I relentlessly moved through each day regardless of how I felt and fighting every moment somehow knowing I could do it no matter what.
My simple answer is: I showed up.
I had to hit the true edge of my comfort zone, to then find confidence while sitting in that feeling.
When I felt like I was standing on a moving dock 24/7 for months on end, I showed up. I went to work and the grocery store and everywhere and it all felt awful. Nowhere provided relief so I figured going through the motions was worth a shot.
When the anxiety was coursing through my body like fire, I showed up.
When I felt off kilter and completely detached from the world, I showed up.
That’s the blessing part of an invisible condition…I could show up because on the outside I was still the same person.
I remember standing in line at the grocery store experiencing so many symptoms, the lights driving me crazy, feeling like I was floating, taking steps like I was on a trampoline, and wondering if anyone else felt like I did in that moment. What I learned was that I was not alone and that provided me with comfort in the darker moments. Showing up was half the battle, but from doing it over and over (and over) again, it got easier. I learned to trust my body and that even when I was being overcome with symptoms, I could still push through. But it took repetitive practice for months and months until one day, I was the one in control again. I was out in the world, living life once again, but with a vestibular something.
My mindset towards my vestibular disorder was one of the strongest elements that I had going for me. I’m not bragging as I’m sure you understand that vestibular stuff has the ability to make you feel powerless, so I was grasping for whatever I could hang onto. I was in pure survival mode. I wouldn’t have left my house if it wasn’t for the persistent determination to be a part of life. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t have terrible days, because the symptoms were dreadful for a long while.
But, my mindset carried me through those difficult moments and forced me to look beyond the hell I was drowning in. I was always working to stay afloat and to do that I had to fight every moment. It’s exhausting, right? It weighed on my heart and soul so heavily, but I’m telling you that my mindset had power over that weight.
I’m going to let you into my mind, because then you can experience what carried me through the darkness and out of the tunnel: This vestibular stuff does not define me. It is a part of me, but it is certainly not all of me. I am in the driver’s seat. I will see beyond these all-consuming symptoms. There is life beyond these symptoms. Fear will not dominate me. I will crush that fear with my hope, resilience and everything beautiful that makes up me, and I will keep showing up. I will show up every single day until every moment isn’t so challenging. I will cry and breakdown and then I will get up every time. This is a chapter of my life, but it is not my whole life. I can heal, nourish and elevate my mind and body. I will heal, and this chapter is shaping me for all I’m meant to do in this life.
I encourage you evaluate how your perspective is either hurting or healing you.
Start living now, not when you’re through this condition. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be completely through it, but I refuse to miss an opportunity to start fresh and live authentically as me, with a vestibular something, with happiness, with tough days, with really hard moments, with hope, with excitement, with happiness, and with an enthusiasm to see how I grow.
If I let this condition take me down, then it would be me saying ‘no’ to the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m going to enjoy this life with my vestibular something if it takes everything out of me because otherwise I’m missing out on this beautiful human-experience.
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