My Story
Hi, I'm Kristina
Certified Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach
With 20 years of personal experience living with Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid, I have firsthand knowledge in how to reduce symptoms, heal the gut and create health by aligning mind, body and spirit.
so this is thyroid disease
At 17 my life came to a halt with symptoms of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I fluctuated often between hyper and hypothyroid symptoms with periods of insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks and weight loss to months later sleeping 15 hours a day, gaining weight, losing hair and feeling extremely tired all the time. This lasted for 6 years, going to doctors without getting any answers for my symptoms.
As a young adult this disease had a negative impact on my self esteem, education, career and friendships.
I experienced severe stomach pains, bloating, fatigue and struggled with anxiety and depression. I became addicted to sugar and unhealthy carbs for “energy” to get through the day.
After 7 trips to my doctor for worsening symptoms, I finally received an antibody test that showed Hashimoto’s. I was relieved to have an answer and thought medication would reduce my symptoms. However, while trying to optimize medication dosages, I still experienced hyper and hypothyroid symptoms and I slowly felt worse over the next 5 years.
Optimal nutrition was the first step to feeling better!
i can do this
I worked with 8 different Endocrinologists over the years, looking for one that would listen to me and treat my symptoms, not just the lab results. During this process I became my own health advocate! I tracked my symptoms, mood, food and thyroid levels/dosages and began to uncover what worked for my body through this data.
I gained knowledge in reading & interpreting lab results and connecting my thyroid levels, symptoms and mood with the food I was eating. With several years of data, certain patterns emerged that showed me nutrition and consistent action towards a healthier lifestyle were key to my improved health – something doctors had never mentioned during all my years of thyroid treatment!
I began a holistic approach to healing with functional medicine by doing an elimination diet that removed gluten and dairy. Prior to this I had no cooking experience. It was a huge barrier for me, but I learned to make simple, easy meals that were gluten and dairy free. This was very different from the usual fast food or frozen meals.
Within a few months, my daily stomach pains went away, inflammation was reduced, I had more energy and less brain fog. I was able to exercise again and lost 25 pounds on a whole foods, gluten free diet. I experienced the power of nutrition and functional healing. I’ve maintained that weight loss and now cook the majority of my meals at home.
learning to thrive
For several years I tracked my food intolerances and experimented with diet plans including Paleo, AIP, Low FODMAP and SIBO diet. I learned to be consistent with my exercise, practiced mindfulness activities, reduced stress with yoga and worked on building my self-esteem through mind/body exercises & cognitive behavioral therapy.
I requested further testing from a Naturopathic Doctor for gut issues, which revealed a severe case of SIBO and Candida overgrowth.
I made all of my food at home on a specific diet plan and committed to an herbal regimen that helped successfully eradicate the bacteria and yeast overgrowth after a year.
By listening to my body’s symptoms and being my own health advocate, I was able to heal my body. Through this process I designed Mindful Thyroid – Create Your Healthy Life Program that uses a holistic approach to create the healthy life you deserve!
