Today we dive into healing health issues the holistic way and what that journey looked like for Rachel Smith.
The Radiant Mission Podcast | Episode 17
Host: Rebecca Twomey @theradiantmission
Co-Host: Rachel Smith
Thank you for listening to The Radiant Mission podcast! We are on a mission to encourage and inspire you on your walk with Christ and as you journey through life.
In Episode 17 we discuss Rachel’s journey to healing health issues through holistic methods. She shares what the Lord taught her during this journey, what she discovered about her root causes, protocols used to heal her body, and more.
In This Episode on Healing Health Issues the Holistic Way:
- Seeking a holistic path for healing
- The goal is to find the root cause of symptoms, not to mask symptoms. For example, Rachel experiencing infertility was a sign that something wasn’t right. After performing the Dutch panel, she discovered she had extremely high estrogen levels and a number of other issues that needed to be healed through food and nutrients.Symptoms are clues for something larger.
- Healing started with a change in diet. First was cutting out all alcohol, including wine, as the liver has to work extremely hard to process even one glass per week.
- Discussion on coping mechanisms and recognizing how they can often be a sign of dysfunctions, deficiencies, imbalances, and other issues within our bodies.
- Rachel worked with Paula Carper, a registered dietician. Paula helped her add in healthier foods that were specifically to support and balance her hormones. She focused on gut healthy foods to help heal her gut and detox her liver to open up her liver pathway. Certain amino acids can help to detox the liver.
- Learning moment: even supplements have risks and can impact each individual in a different way. For example, Rachel had a bad reaction to a supplement called DIM. It gave her severe headaches and migraines; her body did not tolerate it. It’s important to note that just because something is “natural,” is from a plant, or naturally occurs in our bodies, does not mean it cannot negatively impact us. This is why it’s important to work with a registered dietician with a holistic mindset.
- If you’re looking for someone who can work with you virtually, check out Paula Carper of Noble Nutrition.
- Healing doesn’t happen in an instant. It takes time to detox and for the body to readjust after dysfunction.
- Rachel talked to Paula about her continued issues and she suspected that other issues were going on and wanted to perform genetic testing. There had been suspicions of potentially having the MTHFR genetic mutation by another natural-minded doctor. After testing, she discovered she did not have MTHFR but did have GAD-1, which greatly impacts her ability to handle glutamate, including monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is in a large percentage of processed foods. This knowledge helped Rachel to understand that she can help to manage her mental health and mood through the foods that she eats (or doesn’t eat).
- MSG: SO many products have monosodium glutamate in it. This ingredient is artificial, is a food enhancer, and makes foods more addictive.
- Rachel then started talking to another holistic-minded practitioner who sat with her for a long time and asked her lots of questions that began to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She then did bloodwork for autoimmune disorders. The results came back that Rachel had a form of Lyme disease and chronic Epstein Barr virus that was active,
- She then started a paleo AIP diet to help fight these viruses into remission. It is not a lifestyle diet, it’s a temporary diet to heal. For three months, Rachel followed this diet.
- After her diagnosis, Rachel felt that the Lord brought to her mind the story of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9. Healing is a miracle. The Lord wanted her to have this miracle. It isn’t always immediate. For the blind man it was a salve made from saliva from the God of the Universe and dirt from the earth. But it also took an action of faith from the blind man to follow is words to go to the pool in order to be healed. Similarly, Rachel learned that she needed to follow what the Lord was teaching her about healing with food.
- All of this led to Rachel’s healing! 3 months later she discovered her Lyme was now gone, the chronic Epstein Barr virus was in remission, AND she had a sweet surprise: she is now pregnant!
- Rachel talked to Paula about her continued issues and she suspected that other issues were going on and wanted to perform genetic testing. There had been suspicions of potentially having the MTHFR genetic mutation by another natural-minded doctor. After testing, she discovered she did not have MTHFR but did have GAD-1, which greatly impacts her ability to handle glutamate, including monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is in a large percentage of processed foods. This knowledge helped Rachel to understand that she can help to manage her mental health and mood through the foods that she eats (or doesn’t eat).
Bible Verses Mentioned:
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Resources Mentioned in Healing Health Issues the Holistic Way:
- Noble Nutrition with Paula Carper
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