Hey girl, hey!
Welcome to Rooted in Healing. My name is Whitney and I run the show around here. This isn’t just your average health and wellness blog. While my #1 priority is helping you heal autoimmunity through diet, lifestyle, and mindset changes, I also care a lot about the environment, eliminating toxic chemicals from the home, and social justice. I try to infuse those things throughout the pages of this website so you get an authentic feel for who I am. The world doesn’t need another health blogger. It needs someone who is going to show up raw, unfiltered, and authentic, so you don’t see an unattainable, cookie cutter version of what it’s like to live with chronic illness.
Education
I received a certification in Nutritional Therapy from the Nutritional Therapy Association out of Olympia, Washington. This holistic nutrition program focuses on correcting weaknesses in the body through nutrition and lifestyle. I learned how to support my autoimmune clients through food and targeted supplementation, while maintaining a strong focus on their bio-individual needs.
My bachelors degree is in Gender Studies from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. I studied the complexities of race, class, and gender, and learned the way those things intertwine to create systemic oppression.
My Story
My journey started in 2015 when I noticed a bald patch on my head.
I had been depressed and tired for many years and this was the first visible indication there was something wrong with me. I freaked out, scoured dr. google for answers and eventually learned I was dealing with an autoimmune disease. I went to several different doctors and specialists but no one would help me find a root cause other than “you’re just stressed” or “why don’t you increase your anti-depressants?” I was given a referral to a dermatologist for cortisol injections, but something told me that wasn’t right.
I never made it to the dermatologist’s office, but I did manage to get on the schedule of one of the top endocrinologists in Denver. I felt sure she would have the answers! Except, all she told me was that I had thyroid antibodies and they were within the “normal” range. She also said it was a waiting game and that she wouldn’t be able to treat me until my thyroid was destroyed enough to warrant hormone supplementation.
I was devastated. She was basically telling me I was sick and there was nothing that could be done until I was… sicker? When I shared my frustration at the lack of preventative care, she told me she could just put me on supplemental hormones now, if I wanted. Prior to my appointment I had been reading about healing autoimmune disease through diet and lifestyle changes. I mentioned this to her she laughed in my face.
It got better.
I was eventually diagnosed with hashimotos, alopecia, PCOS, SIBO and endometriosis. No wonder I had been feeling so crappy! The migraines, bloating, constipation, brutal period pain, and hair loss all stemmed from a severe imbalance in my body. It was through changing my diet, lifestyle and deepening my spiritual practices that I was able to rebalance and find healing.
That’s why I fully believe in a mind, body, spirit approach to health.
You can PREVENT illness instead of waiting around to succumb to it. Our medical paradigm needs to shift in a way that supports root cause medicine. My diseases are completely reversed as of right now. I also was able to come off anti-depressants and mood stabilizers for the first time in 15 years. I lowered my antibody count, grew my hair back, and live a full, active life.
After learning the power of food and how broken both our food and healthcare systems are, I decided to go back to school to study nutrition. I opened my practice at the end of 2018 and have worked dozens of women to heal their autoimmune and gut issues since then. I also run a group coaching program, The Rooted Way, which helps women recenter and build community while reversing autoimmunity.
If you haven’t yet, make sure you snag my Free 7-Day Meal Plan!
