My Journey Reducing Inflammation (with accessible tools and NO crazy dieting!)
First - if you’re new here - welcome! I’m a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and recipe developer who helps women feel empowered in their health journey, learn how to confidently eat well, find healing and support during chronic illness, and gain kitchen confidence through simple, delicious recipes for you and your family!
In many ways I don’t feel like the same person I was a year ago. 2025 was really formational for me, and I saw a huge decrease in inflammation alongside noticeably more internal peace and regulation.
I prioritized a handful of things that left me feeling so FULL. I was on social media a lot less. Outside a lot more. Read a TON.
You know what my FAVORITE detail is about all of this?
I didn't slave away to anything. I pursued attainable, enjoyable, and affordable tools. I did a lot of the “basics”. There wasn’t a 6 day a week exercise plan or crash diet involved.
It was mostly just small daily habits that felt absolutely seamless!
Before I get to the details, though, I want to wear my heart on my sleeve for a moment. I hesitated to even share a big “before and after” pic because my heart for this platform has never been about weight loss, and actually if you have been a part of my journey, you know I was severely malnourished and needed to gain some healthy weight when I started healing my thyroid and metabolism!
So yes, you can probably visibly see my weight reduced this last year, but I hope you hear that I see a girl on both sides who is loved by Jesus, her husband, her children, her friends and family, and did not change in value based on ANY scale number over the years. I’ve been a size 2, a size 12, and everything in-between. I have never been loved less or more because of whatever stage I’m in (and that goes for you too, dear friend!).
I never want my messaging in this regard to change - I still deeply believe that the women’s health and diet industry is good at convincing us that skinnier is better to an unhealthy end, and that our natural healthy weight is often more than we think it might need to be. We sadly can have a very skewed cultural definition of “healthy", often influenced by Hollywood and trends more than true biological health.
Alongside that, however, I will say that this last year I have felt more like myself again. I never “lost” myself by ANY means, but the state I’m in now feels regulated, safe, and good. I’m not striving for it, I’m not crash dieting. My life is a culmination of sustainable, enjoyable rhythms and nourishment that I truly love! I don’t carry the weight of thinking about my body as much as I used to, I think exactly because of my experience with the ups and downs, and as a result, have felt more secure in my true identity along the way!
AND NOW….drumroll….
Here are the top things that made a big difference in my inflammation (and weight!) this last year (stay tuned to the end for some emotional components as well!).
Habits, Tools, & Rhythms That Reduced My Inflammation
Homeopathic Support
While I have been studying and practicing homeopathy for over half a decade now, I saw it truly change my life this year. I became more confident in my family prescribing ability and saw it do incredible things in my own home and with some close family and friends I took on as mock clients. It is SUCH a beautiful God-given tool!
I experienced really severe and completely puzzling symptoms this last year that including muscle pain and twitching, intense insomnia, and fairly severe fibromyalgia-type pain. I found a lot of things that helped, but I struggled to make it go away completely. As someone who cares deeply about my health and have all the other boxes “checked” in terms of my lifestyle, environment, etc, this was a really challenging and difficult season that I truly believe the Lord used to deepen both my trust in him and His word, and also my understanding of the beauty of homeopathic protocols for long-standing conditions!
I have been a big fan of Joette Calabrese for a long time, and between researching on her site and digging more into the Banerji Protocols, I finally stumbled across a combination of remedies for musculoskeletal issues that matched EXACTLY what I was experiencing: Rhus Tox 200c and Bryonia 200c. Within 2-3 months of consistently taking 3 pellets of each twice a day, all of the above-mentioned symptoms and issues were completely gone!
The beautiful thing about these protocols is that they are also meant to be stopped once improvement is seen, unlike prescriptions and even supplements! I stopped taking these remedies several months ago now, and only find that I need Rhus Tox specifically if I have those fibromyalgia-like body pains come up again (usually after or during traveling/being out of my normal!). Homeopathy is NOT typically meant to be used indefinitely when addressing conditions or symptoms - the goal is to stop when you’re better! (And that right there y’all is GOOD medicine - we don’t become a slave to it!)
(and PS - that Rhus Tox 200c is amazing for arthritis.)
I also fell more in love with cell salts this year, and dove more into Ferrum Phos in particular. This remedy can help balance iron issues in the body (anaemia, iron overload, etc.) and is a huge help in supporting the immune system while also reducing overall inflammation. I like the 6x potency and used this remedy nearly daily (1 pellet 1-2 times a day with this formula).
You can see my additional favorite homeopathy resources here!
Of course, this information is not prescriptive and should not be taken as medical advice. Homeopathy is safe and effective and is also medicine. We use it thoughtfully and not willy-nilly! However, there are no known drug interactions, unlike some herbs and supplements and of course medications, and I LOVE how affordable it is.
As an extra aside, I’ve seen some wonky misunderstandings of homeopathy from a Biblical perspective circulating, and I’ve love to share a more precise and accurate view here - this blog article by a trusted Christian homeopath is a beautiful explanation of how this medicine fits amazingly and perfectly within a Biblical worldview!
*a note for beginners - the numbers on the bottle do MATTER, and the descriptions on the bottle, often don’t 😂I focused on lymphatic support
I did this mainly through dry brushing & the big 6 routine; two incredibly easy, accessible, and nearly free tools with huge impact! I got a dry brush at a local health store and focus on broad strokes towards my heart - there are plenty of great videos and tutorials out there!
Daily morning sunshine
I wrote an entire blog post on the benefits, instructions, and effects of this practice - it not only helped lower inflammation through the hormone balance it provides, but it also greatly impacted my vision as well (you can read more about that in the linked post)! I often combine my morning sunshine with my big 6 routine!LOTS of outdoor walking/hiking/rucking
The benefits of walking truly cannot be overstated! For me, this looked liked playing a ton of disc golf with my family, as well as solo neighborhood walks! Hiking several miles through differing terrain with a backpack in the Texas heat? That’ll do some good 😂A targeted short season of desiccated thyroid support
I want to give you my experience without oversharing, because I do believe this is something that is best done alongside very careful monitoring with a practitioner - please hear that before anything else! I have been off thyroid medication for around 5 years after having been on it for about 5 (after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s - that’s now in remission - you can read about that here!). While my symptoms have been mainly gone for years, I noticed my TSH was above the recommended functional range and it was showing up in my weight and metabolic processes in particular. I used a reputable desiccated thyroid brand and cut the dose into about 1/4th of the recommendation - you do NOT want to go hard and heavy here.
(I used ThyroGold; I also really like the new Heart & Soil Thyroid+ version! It is very low dose when just 1 capsule is taken.)
I even scaled back eventually because I started noticing some hyperthyroid symptoms (heart palpitations, hair shedding, etc.) and after rechecking my thyroid labs and being very pleased with the ranges, stopped the support. I was comfortable doing this with a handful of practitioner check-ins and as a nutritional practitioner myself who has a good grasp on interpreting labs and listening to my body. Please talk with your care team about this option as opposed to blindly jumping in!
I was inspired by this option after reading how desiccated thyroid support can be much less risky and more supportive than medicated thyroid support in one of my CN-P certification textbooks - desiccated thyroid certainly has a reputable and great track record but should be approached carefully!
I really leaned into slow-cooked bone-in meats and lots of fresh herbs.
The historical practice of eating plenty of braised and slow-cooked meat on the bone provides more amino acids and more nutrient-density than quick-cooked muscle meats. It is SUPER important to our mineral balances and oxidative stress levels to have a good ratio of slow-cooked bone-in meat alongside our other meat consumption throughout the week. And fresh herbs offer anti-inflammatory properties, heavy metal clearance, flavor, and can truly bring pizazz to a simple meal!
Both of these principles were foundational pieces in creating my Nourish book! The book has weekly and daily nourishment and nutrient goals, that help ensure you’re getting all of the vitamins, minerals, and energy needed!
(This is my Dutch Oven Rotisserie recipe in Nourish!)
7. I pattern my eating more with the sun.
I have found I do well now without a bedtime snack and focusing primarily on my three main meals! If you’ve been here for a while, you know I have felt strongly about the bedtime snack in the past! I always want to be someone who is humble enough to talk through individual needs, seasons - changing and learning as I grow! My Nourish book outlines all my food pursuits!
This is certainly more bio-individual and not concrete in my opinion, however, I have seen in my personal journey that having a great, nourishing dinner about 6pm and then being done eating for the night has been hugely beneficial both in terms of weight and inflammation - especially in the winter when the sun has already set!
8. I use the sauna (or sweat!) regularly.
This is my bougiest tool for SURE, which is why I put it at the end! I don’t think you HAVE to own a fancy sauna to be healthy, please don’t hear that! Sweating and detoxing, however, that’s up there as an important tool! I have a pop-up, cheaper-end (the prices for these get up there y’all), combination red light and sauna that I love. This is the first year I’ve been super consistent and used it about once a week! I know a lot of places offer sauna therapy and that’s a great tool as well, but otherwise, get outside on a hot day and get some movement in! 😉
Emotional Support that Has Helped My Peace & Regulation
I read through the Bible in a year. In all my years of following Jesus I hadn’t committed to that, and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. The word of God is so beautiful and so life-giving. I do fully believe in that beautiful connection of mind-body-soul and that internal peace truly influences our physical body! Of course this is not to say that physical ailments are always directly rooted in spiritual or emotional conflict, but I do certainly believe there can be a link. I won’t dive too far into this topic today and am mostly giving a lot of caveats to avoid assumptions around things I am not stating 😂
We are still keepin’ on with renting a small house & more minimal living pursuit, and boy is it a good one. I have reduced a LOT of stress by having a home that is easier to clean and maintain! It’s also so freeing to step away from the cultural pressure of owning more and keeping up with the Joneses. I have a lovely, comfortable, adorable home that I love SO much, and it’s nice to call someone else when a problem comes up 😉
I stopped mindlessly scrolling on social media. I can immediately feel the stress and insecurity rise when I don't stick to that habit!
I read and puzzled and spent lots of time with friends. It is SO important to have hobbies that are life-giving and people around you that point you to truth and gentleness and fill your cup!
I made sure I carved out time for rest. Easier said than done! This last year I felt an especial call to create a Sabbath rhythm and honor it. I’d love to share more about this specific bullet point another time! It both caused me to think proactively on the front end and rejuvenated my desire for work and order on the back end!
That’s all for today, friend! In no way is this list prescriptive, just sharing my heart and year recap. If it encourages you, I’m so thankful! This is not medical advice, just sharing my journey!
Thank you as always, for being here and letting me have the privilege of sharing my life and learnings with you!
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