Living WOW Out Loud: Thriving With Autoimmune Diseases

Although it wasn't one of the 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me that I wrote about directly; PREVENTION definitely feels like a topic that needs to be addressed because too many of us are lulled into complacency. I didn't address it in the book because I had missed the proverbial boat and was in full blown crisis. I know I was complacent and thought I was doing ok when really I just didn't realize that pa...

It is time to wake up, return to your roots, and realize that you are the expert in your own body. Over the past 50 years, there has been a startling rise in the number of autoimmune diseases and chronic diseases in the United States and around the world. Just as startling is the realization that we have brought it on ourselves. Why in the world would I say that? Because it is true. As was learned...

Where will you be in 15 years? If you would have told me 15 years ago what I would be doing today, I would have told you that you were crazy! At that time, I didn't know what I didn't know. I was running on autopilot. I was doing what I needed to do because it was what needed to be done. Sure, I was tired, but who wouldn't be keeping the schedule I kept? Sure, I had chronic pain, but I had rheumat...

My heart is heavy, and I feel like it is necessary to speak about mental health here on this platform in a way that is quite raw and real. The Living WOW Lifestyle was created as an alternative to the living SAD lifestyle that we default into with our culture and beliefs. It has evolved as an awareness of the choices you make on a daily basis from the foods you choose to consume or not, the self-c...

As we transition into the Autumn season the cooler temperatures and fall harvest cue us to begin transitioning and preparing for winter. Autumn is the season of change and preparation. Spring is a time of planting, Summer is massive growth, and now in the Fall you get to reap the benefits of all your hard work. Of course, that doesn’t mean the work is over, rather it is changing. We can take cues...

As we wrap up the 8 Systems Framework series it is worthwhile to point out that this final system is both external and internal. I include it in the 8 Systems Framework because it is impossible to separate yourself from or ignore the driving conditions completely. Additionally, for the most part, you have very little, if any, control over the driving conditions. With that said you must be aware of...

Your body is telling you what it needs. Are you listening? Are you too busy to hear it? Do you know the language of your body? Are you experiencing deep fatigue? Irritable bowels, diarrhea, bloating, constipation? Headaches? Brain fog? Rashes? Do you have pain? Where at and what kind? Some symptoms may appear universal but actually can be specific and telling with your autoimmune disease. When you...

I spoke briefly of the navigation system during the introduction of the Driver of System 5. Remember that the driver does what it is told with the purpose of getting you to your destination safely. But how do you know where to go? Your navigation system! Of course, you will see navigation helps all along the journey. This may be in the form of signs, maps, or even other drivers giving you informat...

Who is driving your vehicle? Well, your mind of course! Your mind is an interesting character because it is made up of both a physical organ, your brain, and an energetic intelligence that is eternal. I think of the mind as the bridge that connects the physical body and the energetic/spiritual body so that the 2 realms cross over and communicate in their respective roles. Now before you check out...

Bonus Episode 9! The final episode in the 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving To Thriving With Autoimmune Diseases bonus podcast series. This episode includes both the final Lesson 8: All You Need Is (Unconditional) Love and also (bonus within a bonus) the final chapter Closing Thoughts to wrap up the book.  This final lesson 8 is the most personal and difficult, even now. Maybe because...

System 4 Oil relates to supplements in the human body. This is a system that is kind of a subsystem because it is related to your fuel but it's not the same as your fuel. You have to have oil to keep your engine working properly. It’s also part of maintenance because you have to change it routinely and which oil you use depends on your vehicle, much like your fuel and other required maintenance. S...

What maintenance equates to for the human body is self-care and movement because that is how we keep our systems in tip-top shape. It's less intense or focused than nutrition because it's more routine and honestly easier to make excuses or let it go. If you think about your car you do routine maintenance every day. Your maintenance schedule is different based on the make, model, or age of your car...

Bonus Episode 8! I use the butterfly to symbolize the transformation in my coaching practice. For me, the butterfly is symbolic of transformation. As I selected the butterfly for symbolism, I still felt very much like a caterpillar surviving, going around munching on leaves and crawling on the ground, literally just trying to survive. That period with my autoimmune diagnoses when I realized what I...

This is episode 2 of 8 in the Framework Series: The second system in the framework to become the expert in your body is far more obvious and familiar to you. Fuel. However, I’ll preface with just because it is obvious and familiar does not mean that you have a healthy understanding of this system. Why would you? The information that is fed to you, to all of us, in the standard American diet (SAD)...

This is episode 1 of 8 in the Framework Series: Even though food/fuel was the catalyst for my initial change and is certainly foundational for healing. I really didn't understand energy until a lot farther down my transformation journey (in fact, it was one of the later lessons learned). As I put together the framework for thriving, I realized that energy needs to be addressed first. It is your ba...

Bonus Episode 7! This chapter of 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmune Diseases reflects on my progression from autopilot urgency of control, perfection, and busyness. As I share a couple of experiences that gave me the realization that prioritization, delegation, and excellence were better choices that I would, over time, come to appreciate and demonstrate. Running...

After realizing that I was once again surviving with my autoimmune diseases, I made a decision. Feeling literally like I had been transported back in time 12 years, I made the choice to once again take my life back. More specifically, my lifestyle. I knew that I had transformed my health with lifestyle choices once, so I could do it again.  In the fall of 2020, I set out on transformation 2.0...

Episode 12! Lifestyle changes can be so overwhelming that most people won’t even begin. We rationalize it’s not a good time. I have _________________ coming up (holiday, birthday, event). It’s too hard. I don’t have that kind of willpower. What will people think? My family won’t do it. Unfortunately, in my experience, most people will live in either the River Denial or on Someday Isle until someth...

Bonus Episode 6! This chapter of 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmune Diseases is based on the philosophy of Bruce Lee in martial arts. You empty your cup of knowledge so that you can take more in. If you are so sure that your way is the right way or the only way or that you are an expert and don't need to learn any more; your cup is full and you are not able, or s...

Episode 11! What to eat to thrive with autoimmune disease is definitely the question I get asked the most. Food as medicine was definitely what got my attention and started me on the transformation journey from surviving to thriving. Although it's not everything, food is by far the essential foundation in healing your body. It can be the catalyst to move from a sick cycle to a healthy cycle. There...

This inaugural interview episode is with my guest Jenna Rae. Being an integral part of my Living WOW life she shares her insights as a child living the journey of surviving to thriving with autoimmune diseases. Today, on her 17th birthday, she reflects back on the challenges and benefits of stepping out of SAD and embracing WOW. Visit https://livingwowcenter.com/ for more information, support, and...

Bonus Episode 5! This chapter of 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmune Diseases debunks many of the pushback and excuses about making health your #1 priority. The reality is if you don't have your health you really have nothing. This chapter gives you the facts and experience to take the guilt out of taking time for your health and embracing the ripple of healthy li...

I have spent a lot of time in my car and on the road! I learned to drive at a very young age in the fields on the farm in tractors and equipment too small to even reach the pedals on my dad's lap. For me, driving has always felt like a sense of freedom and independence. It's probably no coincidence that I find a lot of answers and symbolism in the vehicle and the journey. Today's message carries t...

The first place I go to work on improving my health is always my diet. I know that what I feed my body is critical to how I feel. I know that putting fuel in my mouth rather than junk is super important for how I thrive. It took me a while to figure out the rest of the story… In my book 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving With Autoimmune Diseases I chronicle this journey in recog...

Bonus Episode 4! This chapter of 8 Lessons Lupus Taught Me: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmune Diseases was a lesson that taught me about learning to listen to my spirit...something that had gotten lost in the noise of the world with expectations and beliefs. A huge 'ah-ha' occurred when I realized that living in conflict with who I was meant to be was creating an internal conflict that pr...