Free Flowing with the Go by Elena Stowell Page A

unbalanced. I had been training at Jiu-Jitsu for about six months, even competed one time. But I did not feel like an athlete. I was still heavy. I would get gassed during training. My weight would fluctuate five or ten pounds constantly. I was pre-hypertensive. The blood pressure really freaked me out because I had been 110/70 my whole life. I was tired, frustrated, and stressed out.
    Again, a power beyond random chance intervened. During the fundraiser for The Carly Stowell Foundation I mentioned previously (see Chapter 7), a last-minute donation was added to our silent auction. It was for a full wellness evaluation with a naturopath. I had always been curious about naturopathy, and it was obvious to me that my traditional Western tactics were failing. I bid and I “won.” (I think it’s funny when we are at silent auctions that my kids think we “won” something. Uh, no honey, that’s not how it works. ) I met Lisa two months after the fundraiser and following the holidays, and I felt at my physical rock bottom.
    Naturopathic medicine is different from conventional medicine. The fundamental tenets of the practice reflect on treating the whole person with a holistic approach. It supports the innate ability our bodies have to heal themselves with the support of ancient healing wisdom and modern scientific knowledge. Lisa has an undergraduate degree in cell and molecular biology and a naturopathic doctorate degree. Because I also had a background in the sciences and did my graduate work in molecular biology, we were able to “speak the same language.” Identifying and treating the underlying cause of any imbalance requires knowledge of both physiologic and nutritional biochemistry, endocrinology (hormones), and the science behind emotional health. It isn’t “hocus-pocus,” as my dad first called it. Later he conceded that whatever it was, naturopathy was certainly working for me and was therefore acceptable.
    Lisa empowered and educated me to not only move toward wellness but to manage and maintain it. On her website is this most applicable tenet: “I endeavor to educate you how to care for yourself, and in turn you can help others care for themselves.”
    Lisa confirmed some things I knew: my blood pressure was high, I was anemic, I was fat (she didn’t say it like that), my blood chemistry was a disaster, and I was spiritually wiped out. What I didn’t know was that my adrenal glands had been impacted by my chronic intense stress and my cortisol release was actually backwards from normal. These factors were likely the reason my weight kept changing and I had no energy. She patiently listened to my story of how I had gotten to this place, never judging, rushing, or blaming me. This is in stark contrast to some medical doctors, who, with little time and lots of patients, just looked at your chart, gave you a prescription, and said “adios” after fifteen minutes. Lisa was the most refreshing intervention I’d received.
    I think it was no coincidence that I ended up in Lisa’s office. When I saw her writing some things down, I gasped in shock, “You hold your pencil just like Carly.” My daughter had a bizarre way of holding her pencil that would have driven parochial school nuns crazy. It drove me crazy because I was subjected to nun-like penmanship and Pencil-Holding 101 back in elementary school. Carly held her pencil between her index and middle fingers and used her middle finger to press down on the pencil. I had never seen that style before, not even in any of my students during the course of my teaching career. To see that Lisa held her pencil the same way was a sign to me that I was supposed to be there and that I could trust her to help me unconditionally.
    And help me she did. Let me be the first to say, though, that I did the hard work. She counseled and made suggestions and did the tests, but I was the one who gagged down some