Why Holistic Nutrition?

Welcome to my website and first blog post! I'm super excited to be on this journey of growing a business but also helping you navigate the world of nutrition and assist in achieving all your goals.

All through high school, I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do post secondary. I wanted to be an interior designer, then a counsellor/therapist and then a child care worker. I became a nanny right after I graduated and have been doing that for 6 years. I realized there was no point in going to school for something I was already doing if it wasn't going to take me further than where I was. I've always loved food (who doesn't) and became really interested in nutrition and how food affects the body about 7 years ago.

I've always had issues with my weight, but it was around that same time I started to exercise regularly and pay attention to what I was putting in my body. I lost almost 50 pounds and I felt great! Fast forward a couple years and I knew something was off. For years I had issues with:

- severe cystic acne

- excessive sweating (it could be -10 and snowing and I was still a sweaty mess)

- hair growth in places I didn't want it - terrible psoriasis

- painful periods

I found out I had cysts on my ovaries and was put on the pill which was supposed to be the cure all for everything I was feeling. Well, let me tell you that it wasn't and now looking back, it actually probably made everything worse. but I'll get into that in a different post. I saw countless doctors and specialists, and no one knew what was wrong. It wasn't until my mom and I did some research and came across PCOS. I ticked off almost every single symptom. We went to my family doctor and sure enough, I got diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Briefly, this basically means my hormones are so extremely out of whack which is what causes all these awful symptoms. I was told there was no way to get rid of it, that I would have it forever and it would be unlikely I could have children. Now, telling that to a 17/18-year-old who loves children was probably the worst thing they could have told me. I was offered different medications to help but they had terrible side effects that could affect major organs, and I just didn't want any more issues.

This is essentially what lead me to going back to school to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I knew there was a way I could help myself without unnecessary drugs being thrown at me, and I wasn't getting that help from a doctor. Don't get me wrong, doctors are absolutely necessary, but 9/10, an imbalance or issue can be brought back to balance with alternative methods. I'm now off the pill and trying to bring everything back to balance with the help of my naturopath and working with the knowledge I have to help myself. This means eating whole foods, adequate amounts of good fats (hormones are made from fats), limiting (but not cutting out) treats and really just listening to my body. I knew this before school, but it really drilled in the fact that we should all listen to what our bodies want. If you need to sleep an extra hour, sleep. If you want ice cream on a hot day, have that ice cream! Life is too short to restrict. It's a long recovery road, but I know it'll be so worth it.

Going through this experience myself, and many other health issues I've faced, made me compassionate, more understanding and has given me so much knowledge to help others that struggle with their health. You don't have to do it alone and I’ll be right by your side, guiding you every step of the way. Change doesn't happen overnight, or even over a few days. It takes a lot of dedication, consistency and strength but trust me when I say that turning over to the Naked life will forever change how you feel.

-xo Samantha