When I was 17, I got a UTI that turned into a severe kidney infection after taking a family trip abroad and was treated with multiple courses of broad spectrum antibiotics. Suddenly, my stomach started blowing up like a balloon after eating gluten. I gained weight while training normally, started to suffer from eczema, and consistently felt tired with brain fog. In a matter of months, my life felt turned upside down and I didn’t understand why.

This was over a decade ago, when gut health was not yet a fad. I went to a number of doctors about my concerning symptoms, but no doctor looked at me as a whole person, and they all failed to connect the dots to the root cause of my symptoms. I felt extremely unseen by the medical establishment. I was sent to a gastroenterologist, who diagnosed me with IBS (no ‘cure’); my primary care doctor suspected parasites and gave me an additional course of antibiotics (made everything worse), and after months of discomfort, I was sent to a nutritionist who tested me for celiac disease, which came back negative (suggested a gluten-free diet). On top of feeling physically ill, I also felt really alone. I finally worked with a holistic doctor who looked at me as a whole person. We identified that the main problem I was dealing with was candida overgrowth, which causes symptoms like chronic yeast infections, bloating and indigestion, brain fog, skin issues, anxiety, depression, low self- esteem/self-worth, feelings of heaviness/sluggishness, and/or loose stools, amongst others. Western medicine normally treats chronic yeast infections with over-the-counter creams or suppositories or anti-fungal medication for chronic conditions. They help with the symptoms for a while, and then it starts again. Candida “feeds” on sugars, so it is important to follow some sort of low-sugar/carb diet as part of treatment. I followed the strict elimination diet she had designed for me on and off for many years. While it will help for a while, it also left me stressed and isolated and ultimately never fully cured the roots of my problems.

I spent what felt like eternity stuck in a cycle of weight fluctuations, periods of depression, a lot of self-doubt, and feeling isolated from those around me. It took me years of researching to finally connect the dots and get to the root of my problems.

I realized I had something called leaky gut” on top of the candida, and needed to treat both. In an effort to finally heal myself, I dedicated myself to studying gut health with the Academy of Healing Nutrition where I learned about Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbalism, Ayurveda, food as medicine, and mindfulness practices. The Eastern perspective helped me understand the mind–body connection and that I couldn’t heal my gut without also healing my nervous system and relationship to self. I experimented on myself with different diets, herbs, and practices. I took courses in Functional Medicine and continued to expand my understanding of how macro level factors (our food systems, the stress of modern society) impact our gut health. I also began to practice yoga and meditation and go to therapy. I realized that all those years I had been trying to perfectly follow diets, I was holding myself to unrealistic expectations in many areas of my life. Healing these emotional narratives and my perspective was a key to my healing. For the first time, I was able to see healing as a journey to finding deeper love and understanding of myself instead of a punishment. I realized I was not a “victim” of candida—it was showing me where my life was not in alignment.

When I began to treat the mental, emotional, and physical all together, I started to see major improvements in my health and life. I had more energy and confidence to follow my dreams, to set boundaries, and to be my authentic self.

Today, I live a life where I feel connected to my body. I honor it for all the things it has allowed me to experience. I became a certified yoga teacher, started learning to surf, and have healed my gut enough that I even have a bite of gluten every now and again. My stomach feels remarkably resilient. My energy is steady, and I no longer suffer from periods of depression. I have freedom with my relationship to food and my body that I never thought I would achieve. Now, my path is to help other women find that freedom, understand the complex beauty of their unique bodies and how to live in harmony with them. I started coaching clients in 2022, and noticed a remarkable number of patterns in the women I treated with gut health imbalances. Most of them struggled to put themselves first. Many were burnt out from work, relationships, or the stressors of modern life. We worked together not only to heal their gut health on a physical level, but to heal their relationship to self mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I believe these processes must be interconnected.

If this sounds like something you need or you resonate with my story and want to talk more, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Love,
Sonia