Dr. Me
For the past several years… At least six, I have been on a personal expedition to move from a category of feeling good enough to the space of feeling great and being able to fully participate in life however I desire.
I started a fresh journal recently and titled it, “my health journey”. Seems like a good place to stash my thoughts and ongoing consumption of information related to my health. The first page of the journal I wrote, “this journey has no specific start and most certainly only has an end date when I take my last breath. Embrace the process. This is my life.”
Although I have paid attention to my general health most of my life, it has been of particular interest in the last few years as I experience midlife hormone changes, increased joint and muscle pain and ongoing inability to lose those pounds that continue to stubbornly hang on.
I’ve been working with naturopaths, functional medicine doctors, healers, mentors, coaches, podcasters, thought leaders and psychologists who have reviewed labs talked with me at length about everything from my bloodwork, to my mental health, to my hormones, to my physical capacity and everything in between! Whoa, that is a lot of time and money invested! What they have all helped me to understand is that I truly am the only expert on me. All of these amazing and well educated helpers and the data they’ve helped me collect are valuable components to the puzzle I’m trying to solve, but ultimately only I can find my way to my own optimal health. Hello, Dr. Me!
Just today I had a follow up appointment with a foot doctor and to my frustration, her answer to nearly all my questions was, “Try it out and see how you feel. Your body will tell you if it is right or if you need to keep trying other options.” Ugh! I just wanted her to tell me what I needed and how to make everything feel better…quickly! After spending a little time outside I was able to reflect on this appointment and my frustration to realize that once again, I am the only expert on me. Only I really know if something is comfortable, feels good and is in service to my best self. In order to listen to Dr. Me I must slow down, stay curious, listen to my body and trust myself. To be clear, I am in no way suggesting that my knowledge is superior to that of a Dr. In fact, I believe the expertise I gain from doctors is what is required for me to be able to effectively put pieces together for myself. I want to empower the reader (and myself) to tune in more regularly to your own body and mind to develop a more trustworthy relationship.
Back to my journey for optimal health. Although my journey may have started with a desire to lose pesky pounds and rid myself of pain, it has transformed into a full-blown exploration into what is happening inside my body (and mind), when and why.
At this point many signs are pointing towards the need to reduce inflammation. Sound familiar? But where do I start, how much am I willing to sacrifice and how do I know it will work? Doing the work to figure out what exactly is causing the inflammation and how to disrupt it is overwhelming at times. The truth is, I am on a journey and there is no map or clear path to follow. I have to keep learning, trying new things and slowing down enough to listen to the messages from my body and mind. I must continue to consult with Dr. Me.
I was recently encouraged by one of my helpers to research a strict medical weight loss program, which I am sure works well for some but after careful consideration, I recognized it was completely out of alignment for me. As I continue to explore options for uncovering the root of my inflammation I am practicing the art of paying close attention to how I think and feel about various ideas and opportunities. There is no one size fits all solution to whatever ails. I work to remain open to any and all possibilities.
Currently my journey has me playing with time restricted eating or intermittent fasting, practicing stretching/ yoga nearly daily, getting outdoors (preferably to move my body) and totally committed to my regiment of supplements. Generally, I make an effort to eat organic, minimally processed foods with ingredients I can pronounce and every morning I start my day with an intention and end with a gratitude reflection.
I remain optimistic that I will continue to shift my labs in a positive direction, reduce inflammation and improve on the discomfort I experience from psoriasis. I feel much less connected with that desire to lose weight and more strongly aligned with making sure I have the ability to move my body however I desire without pain.
With so many twists and turns and changing factors, I am finding peace and settling into this journey. I am strengthening my connection with Dr. Me. Have you introduced yourself to your Dr. Me? Someday is today which means right now is the perfect opportunity to pause, breath, take a virtual scan of your heard-working, beautiful body. Listen to your Dr. Me!