Practicing What I Preach

By Laura Gauslaa, 21st August 2023

I started All About You Wellness Clinic because I wanted to offer a service that gave people options-affordability, what they wanted/needed- but also providing them with an element of accountability. If I give you everything, what do you learn? In four weeks when the meal plans stop what will you do? Most likely convert back to what you know and continue with what you've been doing for years! By providing information, support and the tools you need to transform your life and making you accountable for this transformation means you really wanted this change, you were ready for it. No quick fixes here. Just accountability, consistency and hopefully lots of happiness.

Just a quick disclaimer- No, this is not medical advice or even a diagnosis, that's what your GP or Specialist is for. This is just plain old information that you can use to help you on your own health journey- I always recommend doing your own research, this allows you to understand and make informed choices of what suits you and your individual situation. Once again making you accountable for your choices/actions.

I've decided to use this space to make myself accountable, practice what I preach. I thought blogging my journey through the maze of having an autoimmune disease may help someone else, someone who is feeling alone on this journey-you are not alone but we often suffer in silence because no one really wants to hear truth in someone else's pain. It's uncomfortable and more often then not people don't know how they can help or how to respond. I don't want a pity party either (well some days I do, just ask my husband!:)) I just want people to understand the journey a person suffers when in chronic pain. Some days will be good and some days will be bad.

I'm currently in a slight flare and I know its time to pull out the tried and tested remedies to get my inflammation back under control. Living with an autoimmune disease like arthritis is quite complex and unless you have lived with the chronic pain of joint inflammation, the tiredness, the anguish/frustration/sadness especially during a flare, it's hard for people to truly understand what you're going through. How one day you can do something with ease and the next day you can barely move. Or you can move a joint one way but not another way. Its truly difficult to explain.

Inflammation can move around the body as well. At the end of last year, early this year I was suffering from severe neck pain. I dreaded going to bed, knowing through the night or when I woke in the morning my neck would be stiff and hurt like hell. The pain when changing positions or getting up was so intense. Today, however I have no neck pain but I have, at times, severe pain in my left jaw joint...it's quite difficult to chew when your jaw is in pain. My thumbs are throbbing with pain, I feel bruised and depleted and yet I refuse to give in....my body is telling me a story...slow down, breathe, take a minute and listen.

Anyway, I didn't start this blog to 'whinge' about my symptoms but just to paint a picture of how it changes day by day. And to show what I do to help feel good during these flare ups. So, this week I'll be prepping to start AIP (Autoimmune Protocol)- I like going back to this protocol because I know it quite well and I have a few books I usually fall back on- great support and super yum recipes! AIP is more then just a 'diet' it's about a complete lifestyle change. Moving your body (gently when in a flare), decreasing toxic loads, decreasing stress and being kind to yourself. The timing of this flare is uncanny, a week ago I was holding onto some anger/toxic thoughts and bam inflammation out of control this week!! Our minds are very powerful.

Anyway, wish me luck and I'll check in later during the week with an update on how I'm travelling!:)