One Life… Live It Out Loud

If you know me at all, you know that I have been into health and fitness since college and got certified as a group fitness instructor in 1999 – in the days of step aerobics. I moved onto the get certified and teach kickboxing, cycle, mat pilates, and 200 hour yoga certification. I spent the better part of my adult life working out. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I loved it for connecting me to a community, serving others, and managing my stress and mental health. Exercise made me feel better and made me a better human.

After years of chronic stress and trauma, my body crashed. I was exhausted, I could barely make it out of bed some days, let alone a work out, my hair was falling out, and I was gaining weight despite nothing else changing. I was in adrenal fatigue due to chronic stress. THAT is how damaging stress is to our bodies. The body keeps the score – whatever is not processed and released will remain in the body and cause dis-ease. DISEASE.

My journey of yoga and pilates and years of running and therapy taught me about the body-mind-spirit connection, but this led me to a journey of seeking and healing. Seeking information and knowledge from holistic healers and functional medicine doctors. Why aren’t we talking about this more? Why isn’t this more mainstream? The statistics of disease, suicide, and addiction related to stress are staggering. Add in menopause??? Something that every woman will go through, but no medical training, research, or resources go to.

It’s been 6 years of chronic fatigue, low thyroid, low progesterone, low testosterone, weight gain, hot flashes, brain fog, and an overall feeling of not feeling good and not being ok to push me to continue to explore, learn, grow, and share to help others. In addition to the years of fitness, yoga therapy and essential oils, I have spent the last 6 years experimenting with western medicine, functional medicine, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, high grade natural supplements, chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, herbal tinctures, infrared saunas, red light therapy, cold plunges, reiki massage, therapy, life coaching, and neuro linguistic programming (NLP or what I like to call “Coaching on Crack”). It’s been years of two steps forward, three steps back, and mostly learning to manage my stress, manage my mind, manage my hormones, and listen to my body and intuition.

After a particularly rough 6 months into this year, I reached out to a friend who is a certified NLP coach and attended Level 1 retreat in June, incorporating all of the above and an overwhelmingly amount of information about the science of the brain, the history, quantum physics, epigenetics in 5 powerful and amazing days. As I continue to get through my level 1 certification to learn more, I continue to explore and grow on my journey to wellness and healing. We have one life. We deserve to live it out loud. We were created for this time…to impact those around us. We can only do that if we can show up as our best selves.

When it comes to health, many of us are starting to realize that our current system isn’t really set up to keep us well—it’s more about treating us once something goes wrong. This reactive approach has left a lot of people looking for alternatives that focus on prevention and overall well-being. That’s where holistic wellness and biohacking come into play. These practices offer a way to take charge of your health, focusing on keeping you healthy in the first place, rather than just fixing problems as they arise. Let’s dive into what these practices are all about and why they’re so important, especially in today’s world where stress is a major player in many health issues.

The Problem with a Treatment-First Approach

Let’s face it: the healthcare system we rely on is great at treating symptoms, but not so great at preventing them. It’s like waiting for the engine light to come on before we get our car checked, instead of doing regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. This approach often leaves us feeling like we’re just managing problems rather than truly being healthy.

Holistic wellness flips this idea on its head. It’s all about looking at the bigger picture—how our body, mind, and emotions are connected and how they all play a role in our overall health. Instead of just popping a pill to fix something, holistic practices encourage us to eat well, move our bodies, manage stress, and take care of our mental health. It’s a proactive way to keep our bodies in balance, so we don’t end up in the doctor’s office as often.

Biohacking takes this a step further. It’s like being your own health detective, using data and experiments to find what works best for your body. Whether it’s tweaking your diet, adjusting your sleep schedule, or using technology to track your health metrics, biohacking is about optimizing your health in a very personalized way.

Why Holistic Wellness Matters

Holistic wellness is more than just a buzzword—it’s a way to live that keeps you feeling good day in and day out. By focusing on the whole person, holistic practices help you stay balanced and prevent problems before they start. For example, things like meditation and yoga are great for reducing stress, which we know is a big factor in many chronic illnesses. Eating a diet rich in whole foods, getting regular exercise, and making time for relaxation aren’t just good ideas—they’re essential for keeping our bodies functioning at their best.

And it’s not just about physical health. Our mental and emotional well-being is just as important. Holistic wellness practices like mindfulness and acupuncture can help keep us calm and centered, which in turn supports our physical health. It’s all connected, and when one part is out of balance, it can throw everything else off.

The Power of Biohacking

If holistic wellness is about balance, biohacking is about fine-tuning. Biohacking gives you the tools to understand what your body needs and how to give it exactly that. Think of it as optimizing your health like you would tune a car engine—making small adjustments to improve performance.

For example, you might use a fitness tracker to see how well you’re sleeping. If the data shows you’re not getting enough deep sleep, you can experiment with changes like adjusting your bedtime routine or using blackout curtains to see what helps. Over time, these small tweaks can add up to big improvements in your overall health.

Biohacking is empowering because it puts you in the driver’s seat. You don’t have to wait for a doctor to tell you what’s wrong—you can start making changes and see the results for yourself.

How Stress Fits into the Picture

Stress is a huge part of the health equation, and it’s something that both holistic wellness and biohacking aim to tackle. Chronic stress can lead to a range of health problems, from heart disease to depression. Our bodies are designed to handle short bursts of stress, not the constant, low-level stress many of us experience daily.

Holistic practices like meditation, deep breathing, and spending time in nature can help lower stress levels, making it easier for your body to stay healthy. Meanwhile, biohacking tools like heart rate variability monitors can give you real-time feedback on how your body is handling stress and help you find the best ways to manage it.

A Shift Toward Prevention

The reality is that our healthcare system isn’t likely to shift its focus from treatment to prevention anytime soon, which is why it’s so important for us to take our health into our own hands. Holistic wellness and biohacking offer practical ways to do just that. They give us the tools to not only prevent illness but to thrive in all aspects of our lives.

By incorporating these practices into our daily routines, we can reduce our reliance on a system that’s more about fixing problems than preventing them. It’s about making small, consistent changes that add up to a healthier, more balanced life. In the end, it’s not just about avoiding illness—it’s about feeling your best and living a life full of energy and vitality. Live it well…live it out loud.