When Aicha came to me she was struggling with her skin and digestion. A combo which I often see women struggle with in my clinic:
Acne on her face and back
Weight fluctuations
Poor sleep
Bloating and constipation, often going to the toilet less than once per day
Aicha had been given a 3 month course of antibiotics by the doctor to clear up her acne. We discussed the pro’s and con’s of taking the medication and Aicha decided that she wanted to take a more natural approach first and see if we could use nutrition to help improve her skin.
Priority was to balance Aicha’s hormones (which were the cause for the acne) by stabilising her blood sugar levels and ensuring harmful toxins and excess hormones were being excreted properly.
Constipation is a major factor in hormonal imbalance, as irregular bowel movements means that hormones aren't able to leave the body efficiently and end up being recirculated back into the bloodstream (this is how constipation can cause pumples too as the toxins can exit via the skin!).
We worked together on improving the types of food she was eating, when she ate and the importance of proper hydration. This was coupled with advice on exercise and lifestyle which is important to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, our ‘rest and digest’ nervous system.
Many people don't realise that stress plays a huge role in hormonal imbalance. Cortisol, our stress hormone can negatively affect our insulin levels, which is directly related to our hormones. The more this is out of balance, the more we will experience symptoms of PMS, acne, fatigue and low mood.
Within the first month, Aicha’s motivation had improved and she found herself enjoying cooking again and her insomnia had disappeared. By the third month, Aicha’s acne had started to clear up, digestion and bowel movements were very regular, and her moods throughout the month were balanced.
More importantly, Aicha felt in control, and knew what steps to take to get herself back in balance through food and exercise.
After four months of working with Kelly, Aicha no longer experiences mood swings around her periods and her acne is almost gone. She’s much happier and confident with herself and empowered to nourish her body, adjusting to its needs.
Here is what Aicha had to say...
"My concerns were that it would not work, as I did see dermatologists and treated my acne before many times, but it always kept coming back. And with all the commercial recommendations out there, we feel wary of who to trust when it comes to our health and well-being.
I felt like rediscovering myself. The person I wanted to be had finally come out of its shell & stepped out into the light. This was my highlight: the food programme was definitely life changing because although I was eating healthily overall prior to our meeting, I discovered with you that I was not eating the right way at the right time.
You introduced me to new products and I understood which ones were good for my health and which ones were bad, and consequently the reason for my acne coming back. This also helped greatly with my digestion, but also my mood swings started to lessen and my appetite was finding balance again as well as my weight.
I found pleasure in cooking again, something I love and very much enjoy, I sleep better, my mood swings are gone, I understand why they kept coming due to my sugar, sugar, sugar
cravings, which have now been replaced with healthy snacks & breakfast.
I found joy in exercising once more now that my eating and weight gain are in harmony, whereas before I felt discouraged to exercise and was not consistent with sticking to my weekly programme because it made me lose weight very quickly.
I only have something sweet occasionally now, where I actually enjoy it. So, this has been great in the sense, I am in control of what I eat, what products I use in a healthy manner, which was what I wanted to achieve.
I could not have asked for better. You have been amazing to work with, and I actually wouldn't use ‘work’, because you made me feel so comfortable, it felt like confiding in a friend. I very much appreciated the genuine side to you whenever you gave me advice, your ethical approach whereby you care about privacy and confidentiality,
and how you took time to listen - really took the time to listen. I think it's what I needed, someone who could listen, someone I could speak to about my anxiety without actually fearing judgement or shame, someone who would recognise the recurring patterns and advise me in an honest constructive way.
I am very grateful to you; you have made my journey exciting and enjoyable, I could not have hoped for a better coach. I needed this change; it's been there in my subconscious for a long time and I am so happy and thankful that I came across you when I decided to act upon it.
The process was so natural and balanced, just like your motto.
Thank you for your positive energy and for being considerate to other people' feelings, something that is rare nowadays.”
Aicha was on the 3 Month Nutritional Therapy Package.
If you're experiencing similar symptoms, book a free 20 minute consultation on how I can help you today.
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Kelly Mulhall
Registered Nutritional Therapist
Kelly is a Registered Nutritional Therapist who focuses on positive physical and mental wellbeing, achieved through diet, lifestyle, sleep and exercise. Having struggled for years with IBS and hormonal imbalance, and increasingly frustrated with the lack of support and helpful advice from her GP, Kelly began her own journey of healing the body from the inside out. After seeing huge improvements she quit her job to study nutrition and focus on harnessing the healing powers of food to help other people in similar situations.
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