MY back story

It all started around five years ago. If you had asked me then, I would’ve said I was healthy. But now, in retrospect, I realize I was burning the candle at both ends. Rest just wasn’t a priority, and I wouldn’t allow myself to be still. My mindset was that I always needed to be doing something.

I was traveling a lot for work, and warning signs began to present themselves, like my Vitamin D levels dropping low. My stress levels also increased. Back pain and tummy issues started, and I’d take over-the-counter meds to keep going.

Fast forward to July 2021. I went to a festival for the weekend, and while there, I noticed I was feeling off. My tummy started acting up, but I kept drinking anyway and carried on like nothing was wrong.

My situation progressively worsened. After four weeks, I finally decided to start seeing a doctor. I really shouldn’t have waited that long.

When my stool test results came back, my inflammation markers were really high. I had gone from 70kg to 55kg in a very short period of time. I couldn’t keep anything in and could barely leave the house.

Finally, I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, more specifically, Ulcerative Colitis. When I asked my doctor if diet and lifestyle mattered, he simply laughed and put me on a high dose of steroids and anti-inflammatories. He also said I'd have to be on medication for the rest of my life!! If medication wouldn't work, they would then consider removing a section of my small intestine. What?!?!

My inner voice could not accept this. I was so sure there was a way out. So, I began doing deeper research and reading every possible book about gut health and IBD. I experimented with different diets. I took the medications the doctor prescribed to regain some strength and mobility. I also began studying holistic health coaching at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. I needed to coach myself in order to get out of the darkest tunnel. It took a lot of hard work, determination, and strength - I lost some people along the way too. There were so many times throughout my healing journey when I wanted to give up, but a little voice inside me kept saying, “YOU GOT THIS!” So, I just carried on.

Eventually, the medication stopped working. By this stage, I had tried so many diets, but I knew something was still missing. I needed to get to the root cause of my illness. My body was craving rest and healing. So, I began following a new protocol diet, which was very much the opposite of what the doctor had told me to eat. I had to create new healthy habits, work on my mindset, and rest and nourish my body daily. Slowly but surely, my bowel movements and bleeding started to decrease. How amazing! I felt so happy for the first time in a while.

Getting myself into a good mental space was also one of the biggest contributors to my healing. It was a very lonely journey, filled with grief and trauma. A lot of people didn’t understand what I was going through. On the outside, I looked fine, but on the inside, I was far from it. People thought I wasn’t fun anymore. I had to embrace what was unfolding.

But all these things contributed to my healing journey. There was a need for change. I had to find the more spiritual side of things and work on my mindset. Once I began visualizing health, I started to manifest health. I had been aware of these tools for so long but hadn’t utilized or applied them to my own life, until that last phase of the journey.

So here I am! I’m now in remission from IBD, naturally, and I feel stronger - both mentally and physically. Something I’ve learned during my healing journey is that our body is designed to heal itself, and our job is to create the right environment for that to happen, as well as finding the root cause. Once the self-healing mechanism is activated, your body will flourish, and you will feel simply amazing.

Becoming a holistic health coach was never my plan, but my healing journey has taught me so much. I want to give something back to the community of people who are struggling and may not know where to start. While everyone’s journey is unique, by simply introducing small, healthy habits into our daily lives, we can make impactful changes to our bodies. This is the foundation of Pocket Habits, and I look forward to discovering yours with you!



Cheers,
Jack x