Last Updated on June 11, 2020
Find Longevity and Live a Happy Healthy Life
My health is extremely important to me, and I want to live a happy healthy life. I have always been an athlete with a fairly decent metabolism and very active for most of my life. Running 5Ks, biking across Iowa, racing my horse in barrels and poles, hiking, skiing and pretty much anything outside has been my life. However, when I hit menopause at 47, I felt like I was hit by a truck. Recently, I had sold my tax software company and was trying to figure out the next phase of my life.
Looking back, it should have been the best time of life. But, instead, I was tired all the time. My symptoms ranged from brain fog, weight gain, bloating, aches, irritability, mood swings, sleep issues and more. I was miserable! Definitely, not a happy healthy life. My normal active lifestyle had become a tiresome mess. And, it took every ounce of effort just to get out of bed in the morning.
My typical day started by grabbing some caffeine and heading to my home office where I’d answer a few emails, then put my head on the desk for a quick nap. Then, about 10am, I'd catch a glimpse of my horses in the pasture and realize I'd forgotten to do chores. Or, maybe it was 1 pm, or 5:30 pm when my husband got home.
Whenever it was that I recognized the need to do chores, it would take all my might to force myself to get up, put on my boots and trudge the 1000 feet to the barn to do chores. Sadly, the horses would receive a depressed hello, and a scratch or two. Then, slowly I would head back to the house. It was like my life was moving in slow motion.
Finding the Problem
Finally, I had enough! It was time to take back my happy healthy life. Desperately, I searched for someone who could help me. Luckily, a friend recommended a specialist in integrative, anti-aging and functional medicine. After running a series of blood tests to identify the root problem, my doctor diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s disease as well as a hormonal imbalance.
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disease that affects your thyroid and is often triggered/exacerbated by gluten. The hormonal imbalance is not uncommon after menopause.
Getting Healthy Again
First, we had to get the Hashimoto’s under control. Treatment started with supplements to hit three areas:
- Boost my natural adrenal levels
- Clean up my gut health – have you heard of leaky gut?
- Help with my energy level
Starting with my adrenals, I added an adrenal support supplement. To improve my leaky gut, I gave up all gluten and cut back on dairy, adding fresh vegetables, fruit, and meats and added a probiotic. And, to help with energy, I added selenium, iron and vitamin D. These helped with some of my issues, but eventually, I began taking thyroid medicine, which I still do today.
After about a year, and getting serious with gluten-free, I began to feel better. It is a constant challenge to stay gluten-free, but it is important for me to stay healthy. It is always a balancing act to keep my health and activity level satisfactory, but if I hadn’t taken control of the situation, I would have lived a very sad, debilitated life – not the happy healthy life I want.
Back to Being a Happy Healthy Me
I was able to get back to my previous activity level and begin to enjoy life again. I feel so much better and am back to biking, kayaking, walking 5k every morning, trail riding my horses, snow skiing and being outside as much as I can with my grandkids.
While it’s natural to slow down a little as we age, I refuse to be the Grandma sitting on the sidelines. I’m going to participate in the family obstacle course, even if it means tweaking my knee and hobbling around for several days (just like I did last weekend)!
It Took Finding the Right Person
It definitely took finding the right person to help me get back to a happy healthy life. My specialist is Dr. Stephanie Gray with Integrative Health & Hormone Clinic in Iowa. She has dedicated her life to functional medicine and has written a book titled “Your Longevity Blueprint”. Dr. Gray goes into depth on getting yourself back to normal and how to stay that way.
You can find her book on Amazon, and if you are suffering from joint pain, headaches, fatigue, foggy memory, declining stamina, mood swings, sleep problems, inflammation, etc., check out her book. It’s a small investment to read about the impact our diet and environment can have on our health and longevity. Above all, you might even find something that will make you feel better.
Here’s to a wholesome, happy & HEALTHY life!
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