Recently, I was in Sedona on a visionary integrator retreat with my COO Julia. The whole point of the trip was to take a pause, think big, and get aligned. In the development of Beauty Culture and what it may become, we’ve tossed around a lot of different ideas.

Julia loves the mountains, and with her encouragement, we decided to go on the Devil’s Bridge hike while we were there. We finally made it to the bridge, which is majestic, Instagram worthy, and totally narrow. There was a line to take photos, and at one point these older women had their turn, but they were holding up the line.

Someone across the canyon yells “hurry up,” and one of the women turns around and says “I was once where you are—across the bridge—and now I’m here! So shut the F up!” Part of me was embarrassed for her, but the other part of me was obsessed with the audacity she had to take up space.

As women, we are conditioned to apologize for our success, shrink when we’re shining, and to snap the picture and get out of the way. We don’t want to inconvenience anyone else. But if you’ve put in the work, you’ve earned the photo. You didn’t climb this far to rush the moment.

When you meet a goal, take a moment of reverence and honor the mountain you’ve just climbed. You don’t owe anyone speed (even when your people-pleasing tendencies sneak up on you). Reclaiming space is about unlearning the narrative that you should just be small. You deserve the spotlight.

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@beautyculture.medspa

On this episode of Curated Beauty we’re talking about something that’s deep and personal for me. My son Daniel, my first child, has shaped a lot of who I am. He is definitely a significant part of what led me on the path to functional medicine not just as a provider, but as a mother.

When I was pregnant with Daniel, he was in breech position. For the safety of my baby, I was recommended for a C-section. After birth, he was given injections for hepatitis C and vitamin K, as well as administered antibiotics in his eyes. At one month old, he was jaundiced and had skin issues. He was given an IV, antivirals, and antibiotics, but was eventually sent home with doctors saying he just had baby acne.

As much as I tried to avoid vaccinations, I found his medical professionals talking me into them every time. After his six-month vaccination, he developed a fever and screamed uncontrollably. While he didn’t experience a massive regression, looking back I see that after this moment he was never the same.

I eventually found someone who made me feel sane—a former OBGYN who went through a similar experience. Not only did he listen to me, but he also facilitated a ton of testing for neuroinflammation, parasites, gut dysbiosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. We also started working with a chiropractor who helped us too.

I remember the first night Daniel stopped banging his head to sleep, and I began to have hope again. It took a lot of fighting, but I was able to build an army around us who believed that healing was possible. This has become my “why” and my son’s story is no longer a tragedy—it’s a triumph.

www.beautyculturespa.com

@beautyculture.medspa

Today I’m opening up about something very personal. I want to share my daughter’s story, because it’s an example of how physical manifestations can signal something deeper. I’m going to use this as a jumping off point to explain how we would approach a situation like this in my business.

A few years ago, our daughter was experiencing chronic hives (also called urticaria). We looked for triggers in her environment and her diet, as there are a lot of different possible triggers for inflammation. Functional lab testing is a great tool for taking a closer look at symptoms like these, and since I have access to this through my business, that’s the avenue we pursued.

Tests alone can help identify problems, but they can’t solve them. Once the tests are complete and they have been interpreted professionally, it’s important to come up with a plan. My daughter’s tests revealed food allergies, gut dysbiosis, overgrowth of certain types of bacteria, and mold exposure.

One of the changes we made was identifying a potential source of mold exposure—the cup she was using—and switched our brands for something that can come apart and be cleaned well. We also removed the foods that triggered her (corn, peanuts, cow’s milk, and more). She’s also on a gentle detox formula that’s safe for kids.

I also now have my daughter on a high dose of omega 3 fatty acids. This should improve the pro-inflammatory ratio from her testing. She also takes a multivitamin with methylated B-vitamins in it. If you’re watching your child struggle with symptoms, I hope this inspires you to get to the root cause and make a plan based on data.

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www.beautyculturespa.com

@beautyculture.medspa