As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach with a background in Nutritional Endocrinology, I analyze lab work, help my clients find the foods in their diets that are the root-cause of their ailments & health issues, and fine-tune their supplements. It all happened with a terrible migraine that was diagnosed as a stroke when I turned 30 years old. What was interesting about this particular moment in my life was that I didn't take very good care of my health/ and nutrition. I was told to wait for a second opinion after having an excruciating, blinding migraine, which lasted for long month. Through this time I was not able to take migraine medication; I was struggling with rest; I was a stay-at-home mother of a busy two year old little girl, and I begged for relief. After spending a week in one of the best hospitals in our country, I finally got migraine medication I desperately needed. I learned that the food I was consuming had been causing constant headaches for me and keeping me sick. I woke up one morning and decided to make a change in my diet. I cut out a few things like gluten, and dairy. I still had migraines. I began to journal my diet and made very little progress on my own. I decided to see a Nutritionist because I knew by this point I had developed a phobia of food as I was staying sick, and was offered everything to try through my neurologist, yet nothing worked. Finally, I felt free. I got real answers from the nutritionist that I felt I needed for so long. This opened my eyes. If only she could help me in the grocery store. I made changes for my life that stuck. I implemented these to change my life, and from that moment in my life I had actually taken my power back. It was an adjustment. It was difficult many times. I struggled going places, but I made it through to the end. I definitely have to say that I will never return to that sick, sad, medicated woman I used to be. Now I rarely have to take migraine medication. I began this journey in Nutrition to coach those people through their low moments and tough times. I want to see more smiles on faces I pass by in my future, and I hope the same for my future clients. Live happily.
~April Houk
