My Story: Why I Believe True Healing Starts from Within

Growing up, I was a well child with no major health concerns. That changed at age 13 when I was prescribed a strong dose of antibiotics to prevent an infection after a knee injury on a school trip. The medication caused severe stomach upsets, and my skin health declined significantly. Throughout my teenage years, I battled with acne and became extremely self-conscious about my skin. Looking back, I can now see the important connection between gut health, inflammation, and skin health.

Nobody taught me the connection between diet, lifestyle, and health. It wasn’t spoken about much at all back then.

So, like many in their early twenties, I enjoyed a typical amount of alcohol, coffee, and junk food. I was having a lot of fun, working hard, and playing hard, often burning the candle at both ends.

At 27, I had my first child. Navigating the stress of early motherhood and demanding work commitments, I found myself neglecting my well-being. I spent a couple of years chronically stressed—albeit unknowingly—until my health eventually caught up with me. I fell incredibly ill and was bedridden for several days with what was most likely strep throat. When I finally recovered, small scaly red patches appeared on my skin. My GP diagnosed me with an autoimmune condition—guttate psoriasis—and assured me it would ‘go away as quickly as it had come on,’ but it didn’t. Months later, I was still covered in these patches.

When doctors couldn’t solve my issues, I started to look for other answers. I began reassessing my priorities and exploring acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, lifestyle changes, and stress management.

A chance encounter with a nutritional therapy course ad was a lightbulb moment for me.