Let’s talk about the symptoms I rarely see people discuss when it comes to autoimmune flare ups.
Anxiety.
2021 will go do down as the hardest year I have ever experienced to this day.
Literally, over night, my body put on excess weight. Anxiety appeared like a really mean bully. I was so not regulated.
I had checked all the boxes of healing all these past issues so what the heck was happening? Whose body was this????
What I didn’t understand at the time, is my body was giving me a new opportunity to heal issues at a greater level.
It was time to take things up a notch.
But, I don’t wanna!! I screamed in my head like a toddler. Internal fits were becoming the norm. Smiling on the outside and crying on the inside.
I just wanted my body back. The one that had accomplished so much healing.
I just wanted my body back.
Do you know how riveting it is to have lost 80 pounds, and not have PCOS symptoms anymore?!?!?! Normal periods, no acne, weight loss! I maintained normal periods and no acne but the weight starting piling on overnight, without a change in diet.
In fact, the only thing I did was actually diet more. I didn’t binge, but I kept jumping back to what I had done before that worked: vegan, low-carb, keto. It wasn’t working y’all.
And the anxiety. It was like a monster was in my body. Panic attacks out of nowhere. Heart racing. Fearful. This wasn’t the body that had spent 9 years releasing emotions on, and balancing out my body.
What took me a couple of years to pinpoint is that when I eat dairy, sugar, and nightshades, anxiety is a symptom. It comes out of nowhere and it is usually just paired with brain fog, and chronic fatigue and inability to focus and additionally connects to blood sugar becoming imbalanced (I'm not sure if there is science to back the connection, but all I can say is this has been my experience for the last 3 years).
I recently experimented with nightshades. I went off them for 3 months and added them back in. In the first 4 days, I gained 4 pounds. I had anxiety, and had the now knowing sensation of “this is not my body”. This person is moody, cranky, anxious, dizzy, brain foggy, forgetful.
Coupled with sliding back into intermittent fasting and I was back to having blood sugar dips which also cause anxiety, brain fog and fatigue.
It was a double whammy.
I took out nightshades and all of a sudden the world was rosy and wonderful again. My body settled back down. Literally, 3 days later, and I'm the life of the party, totally at ease and am saying "What anxiety?"
I was talking with someone who is knowledgeable of autoimmune and has lived through learning to manage it, and I asked her why do people not talk about the anxiety, emotional component?
I felt so out of control like anxiety had taken over my body. The big thought that kept running through my mind was “Am I getting worse? Is this how it’s going to be forever?”
We didn't have an answer. But, I have a passion for talking about topics that will help others in their journey. So, here I am, being vulnerable and sharing my story.
I’m so grateful to have the tools I need to walk through these experiences better than I did in 2021.
Some of my tools include:
Doing Body Code and life coaching on myself to clear out any beliefs and emotions that might be contributing.
Having a personal coach just for me to help me with my nutrition.
Having an extremely loving and supportive Nurse Practitioner and team at Lakeside Integrative.
Having such dear sweet friends like Kathryn and Lauren (my co-hosts on Ramblings of the Authentic Sisterhood), Tosha, Debbie and many more.
Techniques such as the creation cycle, grounding, walking, journaling, painting, knitting, somatic release.
Of course, prayer and the promise from God that through Jesus we are healed!!!!
And my own personal nutrition that has recently been tweaked to add a protein shake as soon as I wake up, then breakfast a couple of hours later. Eating 130-140 grams of protein.
Eating 30-40 grams of fiber.
No sugar in the diet.
Berries and apples as my preferred fruit.
No nightshades, dairy, gluten or sugar.
And the big emotional part of taking back my power.
Gentle walking and ESSENTRICS and vibration plate are my form of movement. Nothing intense. I’m supporting my body, not jerking it around putting it in a state of fight or flight with my movement.
Is this the end of my story? I truly don't believe so. I believe that as I heal more and more layers, including generational trauma and inherited genetic expressions, that I will be writing to you telling you I can eat any whole food and be in good health. Mark my words. That day is coming.
But, until then, I will listen to my body, be grateful for all that it does to bring me into homeostasis and will keep using the tools I offer my clients.
If you have had unexplained anxiety from health issues, I want you to know you aren’t crazy. Your body is speaking really loudly and wants you to know something.
Finding out what that is will be the most fulfilling thing you can do.
If no one has told you today, you are amazing! You’ve got this! Your body isn’t broken. It’s communicating with you. Sending you so much love!
With Much Love,
Amanda Surratt, BS, CECP, CBCP, CHLC, CHHC
Holistic Health Practitioner
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