The Exact Steps I Took to Heal My Skin, My Digestion and Improve My Overall Health
Its been two years since I started healing my skin, my digestive system and my overall health but this journey started long before that. In 2018 when I moved to Geneva, I was happy with my achievement of getting into the master’s I was accepted to and I was overjoyed with moving to a new country. Despite that happiness I could tell that a part of me was unhappy, I felt accomplished but not great in my body. I was suffering a period of low mood, overall inflammation and ups and downs in terms of weight. I thought nothing of it until more recently.
In November 2021, I suffered a very difficult period (read more about that in this blog posts here: https://www.skin-body-alchemy.com/blog-1/my-skin-story-part-2 ) that resulted in hormonal acne and health issues that began with physical health but turned into mental health issues as well. If you haven’t heard the story yet, basically, over the span of a few months I began to have serious skin problems and had started to feel extreme indigestion and pains after every meal, unable to sleep without waking up multiple times a night. What I thought was the culprit was a period of stress that interacted poorly with the birth control method I was using, and had triggered the initial skin incident. However, even once removed from the equation, the hormonal imbalance continued to plague me. During the last years since moving to Geneva I frantically tried all the products, facials, diets to try and heal my skin and health before I started to implement a structured wellness routine and began to see positive results. Here are the exact steps I took when I started to improve:
I did a blood test for hormonal imbalances:
I knew I could only understand the root cause of hormonal imbalances if I had data, so I had various blood tests done that showed me I had mild PCOS. A blood test is critical as it helps identify any hormonal imbalances, allowing for targeted and effective treatment. It provided me with valuable insights into the specific hormones influencing my skin’s health, enabling a more personalized approach to my healing. This allowed me to understand that my body was imbalanced and allowed me to work on my specific case holistically.
I was tested for intolerances and made dietary adjustments:
Once I knew I had a hormonal imbalance, I was advised to take an intolerance test by a naturopath, as our digestive system houses many cells that interact with our endocrine system. Hence, identifying food intolerances through testing is pivotal - I realized I was gluten and dairy-free, which I had already anticipated, but I also had a number of other intolerances that I needed to address that were unique to me (have you ever heard of anyone intolerant to lemons, oranges, and grapefruit? Yeah, that’s me!). Certain foods can trigger inflammation, exacerbating all sorts of health issues. Eliminating these culprits createc a foundation for healing both my stomach and my skin.
I began to eliminate alcohol and toxic products from my daily life:
I slowly began to realize that everything in our lives is connected. From our environment to our thoughts, to the food we eat. I realized that my liver, which works so hard to detoxify my body, needed time to rest. I started to eliminate all toxic products such as alcohol, skincare, body care, candles, home care (e.g. detergent, cleaning products) that can burden the liver, hindering its ability to detoxify the body. I then swapped all my old products for high quality natural, organic and clean products for my skincare, supplements and in my environment. This made a visible difference after a few months.
I opted for home cooking for dietary control:
I am someone who loves eating out. Regular outings for dinners, drinks, and weekend foodie trips are forever a favorite hobby of mine. But to take charge of my health, I needed not to diet (like most of us think) but to focus on cooking food that was simpler and lighter on the digestive system. I had to become picky about what I ate, even though I hated being that person. While I still ate out once in a while, cooking at home empowered me to select wholesome ingredients and know what was in my dishes. To stay social, I also began to have more dinners at home and host people because it gave me a chance to be creative around my own dietary intolerances. It also made me happy to cook healthy, healing foods for my close friends and family.
I chose therapeutic healing methods to support wellness:
I chose multiple therapies that were natural and well-known for their healing effects. For me, this was regular acupuncture and lymphatic drainage massages. While going to a massage therapist or acupuncturist is not in everyone’s budget, these methods are also available to do at home using a dry brush for lymph stimulation, and reflexology (pressing various points on your body to stimulate energy in your organs). These two methods helped for two reasons: acupuncture stimulated energy in various organs to help them function optimally when they were working suboptimally. It also acted as a simultaneous stress reliever. Lymph massages were key for the draining of toxins. Most of us don’t realize that the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system, cleanses nearly every cell in your body using a network of vessels and nodes by removing metabolic waste. When we look puffy or inflamed, it can often be because our lymph system is not working well or is holding on to liquids.
I included regular exercise for detoxification and hormonal balance in my routine:
I have always been big into exercise, but during this period, it was a non-negotiable. Exercise plays a key role in detoxification, skin health, and overall health. Sweating during physical activity helps eliminate toxins, while regular exercise has been shown to regulate hormones, with slower movement like pilates and yoga benefiting my mental health and reducing my stress hormones such as cortisol.
I implemented Mindset Reflection Moments (MRM):
I began to acknowledge the connection between mindset and overall health. I began to meditate more regularly (a few times a week) and to visualize where I wanted my health to be and how I would feel when I got there. Reflecting on thought patterns and addressing deeper programming is something I realized could also positively impact my stress levels. I understood that by judging and focusing on my imperfections, I would only attract more of them to my life.
I began to act from a place of self-acceptance and gratitude:
Embracing oneself with gratitude is a powerful step toward healing. I realized that we are all on a journey and my body is only trying to show me what is wrong inside. I accepted that my skin and health is in the process of improvement, and they will eventually heal; this helped support my positive mindset. When we do not accept ourselves, our body knows and feels it, cultivating self-acceptance also reduced stress for me.
I worked to listen to myself and my body’s cues:
It’s not always easy to listen to what our body wants because our brain has so much more logic and experience running our life. But I promise when you learn to use your body’s guidance, it will never guide you astray. Sometimes the “gut feeling” is more than right, so try and let your body tell you what it feels is right for you. Even when I received varying advice that was contradictory from different medical practitioners I found a way to try and listen to myself to understand what way works for me. Part of the process is that you have to believe wholeheartedly in what you are doing to improve your life, if you do not believe in its efficacy, it’s like the placebo effect, it won’t work. However, even something with less “scientifically-proven results” can be more effective if you believe that it is improving your health. We are all unique, there is no one size fits all solution to anything, so we must learn to live intuitively. That is each one of our strengths.
I asked for help and let myself be vulnerable:
I realized it’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay to not be the strong, independent, and fearless person pretending to be okay. I finally decided that it was okay to share what was really going on with me and not telling everyone I was fine. I could let my friends and family know what was happening inside (and evidently also on the outside) through vulnerable discussions and expression of emotions. We all fear being judged and being put down when people know our weaknesses but when you let your guard down it actually gives you strength. This also gives people the chance to support you and give you the affection, kindness, and love you need to keep going on your journey.
Physical health issues become mental health issues and mental health issues can become physical issues; healing is complex, and it isn’t linear. Incorporating these steps was a holistic approach to putting me on the right path to address both internal and external factors affecting my overall health. I now know that it is not a one-step process and there is no band-aid solution to heal; it’s about incorporating a wellness practice. Five years since I moved to Geneva and I am happier than ever. It took these experiences for me to realize that wellness practices should not be activated only when we are in pain or suffering; all these things can and should be incorporated into your life even if you are healthy and happy today. It will only make you feel like you are taking care of yourself to your best ability all the time, and shouldn’t that be our ultimate goal anyway.
