Healing Through Real Food: My Journey from Autoimmune Disease to Wellness

When I was sick with a rare autoimmune disease, it was truly awful. And while this might be TMI, I want to be honest about my experience. My skin would weep, and sometimes I’d wake up to find the sores on my scalp stuck to my pillow. Those open cracks in my skin inevitably became invaded by bacteria. I dealt with cellulitis regularly and spent weeks on IV antibiotics. I lost the vast majority of my hair and wore a wig. My legs would swell to the point where walking was difficult. The itching and stinging of my skin were almost unbearable. And as a self-employed parent with three little kids, I had to keep going despite the pain.

I don’t share this for sympathy—just to give a real picture of what I went through. I saw countless doctors and was offered oral medications and creams, none of which worked. I tried everything from prescription treatments to over-the-counter remedies, but nothing truly addressed the root cause of my illness.

Eventually, with the guidance of a naturopathic doctor and a lot of my own research, I began to see improvement. The turning point was realizing that healing starts from the inside—specifically, in the gut. It took years of learning how to nourish my body properly, restoring gut health, and removing inflammatory foods from my diet before I started to see consistent relief. The process was gradual, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately empowering.

Looking back, I now believe that everything I went through happened for a reason. I learned what my body truly needed to be healthy and how fragile yet resilient our systems can be. I learned that optimal health and wellness isn’t about quick fixes or miracle cures—it’s about consistently supporting your body with the right nutrients, real food, and mindful habits.

This journey also taught me that whole, real foods are powerful medicine. Foods in their natural state, unprocessed and nutrient-rich, provide the body with what it needs to repair, strengthen, and thrive. Eating real food doesn’t just address physical symptoms—it nourishes the mind, balances hormones, improves energy, and supports long-term wellness.

Because of my experience, I now want to be an effective channel for the message of eating real, whole foods, helping others achieve optimal health and wellness. I want people to understand that healing is possible, that they can take control of their health, and that vibrant living is within reach—one meal at a time. My mission is to educate, support, and inspire people to make small, realistic changes that lead to profound results, just as they did for me.

Ultimately, my journey has transformed not only my health but my purpose. I now approach every day with gratitude for my body’s resilience and the lessons it has taught me. And I hope that by sharing my story and promoting the power of real food, I can guide others toward the same freedom, vitality, and wellness that I’ve been fortunate to experience.