Lately I've been asked how I found my way into Nutrition.
I have two versions of MY story - Both of which are completely TRUE: I've always been obsessed & around food, travel & wellness thanks to my parents. In & out of the food industry for 10+ years as a server, bartender, GM, events, food writer, caterer etc etc.. Left FASHION (model/stylist) and then went back to school....
The TRUEST version includes a part that I don't share with many & have kept it pretty secret until today. Why am I sharing this now - Well after filling in a few people over the last year - the response seemed that its a story of MY healing, makes my path more open & vulnerable which could help others down the road OR inspire more people to turn to natural healing!
So here is the mini missing link..
A few years ago in the summer of 2010 I was unfortunately in a chemical explosion of sorts - for this purpose I'm not going to mention names or location for privacy & really has no purpose to the story.
The explosion found its way into my path - burning my face, neck & arms from 1st degree to 3rd. I was rushed to the hospital (in shock so I'm told) and had to have a chemical wash & infection prevention. I remember none of this. I woke up the next day not actually aware of what had happened the night before. It was oh so painful and sore. The doctors had me on a "cocktail" of prescription drugs for pain, infection, immune & more. I was taking up to 10 pills per meal (which was soup because of my mouth being burned) & was covered in gauze - quit my job & was on house arrest for weeks... which ended up being months.
(<script>
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');
ga('create', 'UA-78847608-1', 'auto');
ga('send', 'pageview');
</script>)
 | |||
| This is roughly a week or two after it happened. Not impressed as you can tell. |
 | |
| It sound weird but I was worried about my eyebrows growing back weird LOL. |
Anyway...after weeks of healing and my skin finally feeling better - I had a reaction to what I believe to be one of the pills I was on. My eyes we're swollen shut, skin covered in red/white bumps and mouth was swollen. I went to the doctors and they simply said to take a anti-histamine (which I already had and had made things worse - I was allergic again!). I explained that I had & they refused to offer any more advice and simply said "we don't what it is but will most likely clear up in 2-4 weeks, until then stay on all medications". WTF! Are you kidding me? Deciding this was no longer working for me - I STORMED out (For those of you who know me - I have perfected my storming out!) of the doctors ranting that this was BS and completely unacceptable treatment/lazy ...
The next morning I bought a giant ALOE plant from my local market (at night because I wasn't allowed in daylight/sun for 1 year because of the new skin) & stopped taking ALL of the pills!
 |
| Starting to HEAL! |
 |
| SAD face. |
 |
| The beginning of the infection/rash. |
If you can believe it - within 4 days the rash was starting to clear up, my eyes we're open-ish, and was starting to feel hopeful again!
THE POINT of this story: Natural & alternative healing (the aloe) opened my eyes about a new way of approaching health & wellness. I had always believed in whole foods, wellness, natural skincare BUT now herbal medicine & healing was my new obsession. I needed and wanted to learn MORE! The next year - after properly healing - I enrolled at IHN - The Institute of Holistic Nutrition - wanting to LEARN and SHARE - and the rest as they say is history!
I hope this helps you in any way or at least opens your mind to alternatives to Modern Medicine...
Email me if you have any questions! #askme
Like my RachelBies Nutrition page on FB OR follow us on Instagram for Recipes, Wellness & Health Tips and more!
xoxo
rbn.
*This is not meant to take away from people living with disease, auto-immune etc - that we're in my class & field, merely my small story to inspire & help people choose more natural options rather then pharmaceuticals, processed foods, etc.
