Living with an autoimmune disease can be a challenge. When a flare up decides to wreak havoc in your body, even the simple things can be very difficult. These conditions – where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, encompass a wide range of disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Sjogren’s Syndrome, and Psoriasis. Individuals diagnosed with autoimmune diseases often face symptoms that impact various aspects of their lives, from physical well-being to emotional and social aspects. In this article, we’ll explore ways to manage autoimmune diseases through a comprehensive approach to health and wellness.
Understanding Autoimmune Diseases:
Autoimmune diseases attack healthy cells and tissues. The exact cause of these conditions remains complex and can involve genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, like most other diseases. Managing autoimmune diseases requires a thorough understanding of the specific condition and its triggers, as each disorder can present with varying symptoms and challenges.
1. Education and Communication:
Empowerment begins with knowledge. Understanding the fundamentals of your autoimmune condition, its symptoms, triggers, and treatment options is crucial. Regular communication with healthcare professionals, including specialists, can help you make informed decisions about your health. Establishing a strong patient-doctor relationship fosters open dialogue, allowing you to work together in creating a personalized treatment plan.
2. Diet and Nutrition:
A balanced diet plays a pivotal role in managing autoimmune diseases. Certain foods can either exacerbate inflammation or promote healing. Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some individuals may benefit from eliminating specific trigger foods, such as gluten or dairy, while others might find relief from incorporating anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric, ginger, and fatty fish.
3. Physical Activity:
Regular exercise offers numerous benefits for individuals with autoimmune diseases. Engaging in low-impact activities like yoga, swimming, or walking can help improve joint mobility, reduce inflammation, and boost mood. It’s important to find an exercise routine that aligns with your condition’s limitations and your personal preferences. Consulting a physical therapist or trainer experienced in working with autoimmune patients can help design a safe and effective exercise plan.
4. Stress Management:
Stress has been linked to exacerbating autoimmune symptoms. Incorporating stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce the impact of stress on the immune system. Prioritizing self-care and finding activities that bring joy and relaxation are essential components of managing autoimmune diseases. For more on this, please read my next article: My Favorite Apps for Autoimmune Warriors.
5. Sleep Hygiene:
Quality sleep is crucial for overall health, especially for those with autoimmune conditions. Poor sleep can negatively affect the immune system, exacerbate inflammation, and amplify symptoms. Establish a consistent sleep routine, create a comfortable sleep environment, and practice relaxation techniques before bedtime to improve sleep quality.
6. Social and Emotional Support:
The support of friends and family is so important when you live with chronic illness. But, living with an autoimmune disease can sometimes feel isolating. So, connecting with others who share similar experiences can help you feel less alone in your journey. It’s healthy to find your tribe and create a sense of community to help in navigating the challenges that come with these conditions. There are facebook groups, and there are other #AIWarriors who share theirs stories on social media, so if you need a little understanding but can’t get out of bed, it’s easy to access. Also, seeking support from in person support groups, or therapists can provide emotional relief and help in finding tools to manage every day life.
7. Medication and Treatment:
In collaboration with healthcare professionals, individuals with autoimmune diseases may require medication to manage symptoms and slow disease progression. Adhering to prescribed treatment plans and attending regular medical appointments are essential for optimal health outcomes. It is also important for you to communicate clearly with your health care professionals about what you are taking, including supplements to make sure the medications are being optimized specifically for you.
Conclusion:
Autoimmune diseases require a comprehensive approach to health and wellness that encompasses physical, emotional, and lifestyle factors. By educating yourself, communicating effectively with healthcare professionals, adopting a nourishing diet, staying active, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, seeking support, and adhering to treatment plans, you can take proactive steps towards managing your condition and enhancing your overall well-being. Remember, every individual’s journey is unique, so crafting a personalized approach that suits your needs is key to achieving a fulfilling life despite the challenges posed by autoimmune diseases.
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In the past year, my health has become so much more stable than it has been in the past five years or more. Many people have asked me, how did I do it? Well, the truth is, I didn’t do it alone. I worked hard and gathered an incredible team to help me make the best choices, and teach me ways to take better care of my health and chronic illnesses in a holistic way. Up until that point, I had been mostly managing pain, managing symptoms, and just trying to be well enough to get to my job and be my best for everyone else who depends on me. Over the course of the break I took last year to focus on my overall wellness, I learned the great value of having a supportive team. When most of us think of wellness, we think of our doctors. And if you’re a little more forward thinking, or were not raised on Western medicine, you may have an acupuncturist, chiropractor, or a masseuse on your team. But as we’ve discussed in our previous articles, there’s also another layer – our mental wellness and focusing on our dreams.
Coaches can be a great addition to your team, and I myself work with an ADHD coach who has taught me so much about the way my brain works. And that has lessened the stress that caused my autoimmune flare ups. I can’t say that it’s going to happen for everyone, but I will say it was a missing link in my puzzle. Also, working with the incredible Dr. Amen has helped me tremendously, as he was very consistent in my life and very proactive in every decision I made. He has met with me regularly since I called him that one night while he was watching Game of Thrones, and I was unsure if I was going to make it to the next day. Then there’s the Medical Medium, Anthony William, who has been my friend but has also been helping me with his incredible advice. He showed me which recipes and protocols from his books that I should follow, and helped me to realized that it was Epstein Barr syndrome that was wreaking havoc on my system. Then I have a person who works with me on my physical activity, my trainer, Michelle Lovitt. She also helps me manage the muscle tightness that comes along with my fibromyalgia, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, scoliosis, and spinal stenosis.
What’s important when you’re dealing with health or mystery illness, even if it’s just getting older, is to find the answers that make sense for you and give you lasting results. I thought that if you have an autoimmune condition, you go to a rheumatologist. You do everything they say, and that’s it. Then you go to a pain doctor and do everything they say. And then you go to the orthopedic surgeon and you get their advice. The truth is, it’s a combination of both and it takes an incredible amount of energy, focus, and note taking to come back from a mystery illness. This could even be long haul COVID or whatever you want to call it. Health has a lot to do with your own energy blueprint. I think it’s fascinating to approach my own health that way. And because of that new approach, my homeostasis in a much better place now. I’m eternally grateful for that and to all the people that are a part of my team.
So if you’re struggling with chronic or mystery illnesses, I suggest gathering a team. You need the support. You need their information, you need their years of studying, so that they can help you find the answers that work specifically for you. But they also need you to be proactive. You are the leader of the team, not the doctors. My wish for everyone is to have a life that feels good, and a life that is fulfilling. If you’re in constant pain, feel incredible lethargy, can’t focus, can’t sleep, are having unexplained panic attacks, or are so overwhelmed that you can’t keep your job, it’s time to start building your wellness team.
Here’s a list of my own personal wellness team, the types of people on it, and what I go to them for:
Rheumatologist – A rheumatologist is “an internist or pediatrician who received further training in the diagnosis (detection), and treatment of diseases that affect the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons” (rheumatology.org). My rheumatologist helps me with my autoimmune conditions and he is the one who orders the blood tests to help me diagnose what is going on.
Functional Medicine Doctor – “Functional medicine doctors use specialized training and techniques to find the root causes of complex illnesses. They may investigate multiple factors causing a condition, or they may look into multiple conditions causing one symptom” (webmd.com). My functional medicine Doctor helps me think about my body as a whole, and what could be causing some of the symptoms, like Lyme Disease and other areas that the rheumatologist doesn’t cover.
Body Workers – Bodywork is “any therapeutic or personal development technique that involves working with the human body in a form involving manipulative therapy (like massage), breathwork, or energy medicine” (wikipedia.org). If you can afford to get some body work with a massage therapist, that is helpful to keep things moving. They can help alleviate pain and keep things flowing.
Pain Management Doctor – I believe in pain management. When you are in immense pain, it is difficult to be your own health advocate. In order to manage and heal from autoimmune issues, it takes a lot of work and concentration. I work with a pain management doctor, which is a specialist that “treats patients experiencing chronic, sometimes disabling, pain” (health.usnews.com).
Psychiatrist – Psychiatry “is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders” (psychiatry.org). I work with Dr. Daniel Amen, who has helped me immensely ( see our conversation here) by using brain imaging. Seeing what is going on with my brain helps me to understand how to approach my own mental health. We look at it as brain health, and if we make the brain healthy, the rest will follow.
ADHD Coach – I work with an ADHD coach who helps me keep my stress levels down so that I don’t overwhelm my body and cause a flare up. She helps me find solutions for some of the problems I struggle with in life. ADHD coaches “work collaboratively with their clients who have ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms to address specific needs and personal goals” (chadd.org).
Reiki Healer – I work with a lot of energy workers. For me, it helps. “Energy medicine aims to help the flow of energy and remove blocks in a similar way to acupuncture or acupressure. Reiki practitioners believe that improving the flow of energy around the body can enable relaxation, relieve pain, speed healing, and reduce other symptoms of illness” (medicalnewstoday.com). As a dancer I am tuned in to my body’s energy so these types of healers have been helpful. But it doesn’t work for everyone.
Acupuncturist – I work with an acupuncturist as well. I have used acupuncture my whole adult life to help with injuries and keep my system running well. Acupuncture is “a system of integrative medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions” (Oxford Dictionary). If you don’t like needles, this may not be for you. If not, you could use acupressure as an alternative.
My friends and family – This is the support group that we all need. Having friends that will listen or understand that sometimes you need extra help is wonderful. The unconditional love of family and friends is so important. Make sure you let them know how grateful you are… and how much you appreciate them. It’s not easy for people to understand what it’s like to live with autoimmune disease or chronic illness.
Online support groups – Sometimes you just need people who understand what it’s like to have the illness or condition you have. They can help give honest feedback about medications and side effects, and how it feels emotionally to have certain conditions. I am a member of the Sjogrens Sisters group and a Lupus and Fibromyalgia group. I can discuss openly some questions I have and get responses from other people who have the same symptoms I have. I have found these groups to be very helpful. Just remember that they are not experts in the field, but they are people who live with it. So do not follow any advice unless you clear it with your own doctor as well.
It’s also important to note that finding a good doctor might take some trial and error. Be persistent. A doctor should be empathetic, a good listener, and willing to be collaborative. If you don’t feel comfortable with a doctor or feel that they are dismissing any of your symptoms, try someone else. You should not have to fight to prove to a medical professional that you are experiencing pain or discomfort. You deserve perfect wellness, and don’t settle for anything less!
Jim Curtis is an author, speaker, health coach, and Head of Business at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He is a graduate of the Whittemore School of Business at the University of New Hampshire. He has been a wellness pioneer for the last 20 years, helping to develop WebMD, Everyday Health, and Remedy as well as publishing The Stimulati Experience : Nine Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness(Random House).
This article is an excerpt from Carrie Ann’s February 17th, 2022 Instagram Live conversation with Jim Curtis. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Wellness burnout. It’s a thing. When you’re flooded with opinions and options, looking for answers can actually leave you with more questions. The sheer amount of “cures” and information out there can be exhausting to sort through, especially when doctors can’t provide a clear diagnosis. Someone who probably knows this feeling better than most is our latest guest, author and health coach Jim Curtis. His story is fascinating and a testament to his resilience in fighting his invisible illness. Not to mention the persistence needed to advocate for yourself and your health. He’s tried it all, and turned that knowledge into a career in coaching and growing businesses in the health sector. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!
Carrie Ann: My guest today is a really cool guy, and he’s been through a lot. I found him on social media when I came across his TED talk, and at that time I was going through a very, very difficult period. For all my autoimmune sisters and brothers out there, I was going through a really bad flare up. It was around the time that I had taken leave from “The Talk”. And his TED talk really inspired me. It’s called “The Cosmic Algorithm: Deciphering the Signs”. When I watched it, I was deeply moved, and I felt connected to him through his story.
He is a speaker, author, and is the Head Coach and Head of Business at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. His philosophy is really fascinating and it focuses on all facets of life – mental, emotional, spiritual, relationships, and career. I thought you all would love this conversation.
Thank you so much for being here today Jim, I’m very grateful to you for taking the time.
Jim Curtis: I’m so happy to be here, I’ve been watching your conversations. I saw the last one with Fran Drescher and I couldn’t wait to get on this conversation!
Carrie Ann: Thank you! Yeah, we talked about detoxing the home. So I have a nontoxic candle in the background. And I know you know all about detoxing because of your background. But I want to start with how I was introduced to you – I found you on Instagram, and came across your TED talk. I have lupus, fibromyalgia, and Sjogren’s syndrome, and I was in a really terrible flare up. I listened to your TED talk, and you talked about how you had gone through something similar. Would you mind kind starting there and telling people about your story, and how you came into this world of healing?
Jim Curtis: I love connecting with people that are going through chronic illness because I can understand it. There was a time when I was having all these symptoms, including paralysis in my legs, and I could not figure out what it was. I had a lesion on my spinal cord and it was inflamed, but we couldn’t figure out what it was and the treatments weren’t working. It was going on at a point in time where there were no communities to connect with. I was 20 years old – there wasn’t and Instagram or even YouTube where you could find a TED talk. So you felt alone, you felt really alone. You were in what I call survival mode, because you don’t know what’s happening to you. The fear of trying to figure it out just puts you in this survival mode where you shut down some of your emotions, otherwise you’d become so overwhelmed with it. But you still get hit with bouts of fear and a little bit of panic. That went on for me for 15 years, and then finally I was able to get out of it a little bit. I still walk with a little bit of a limp today, I still have some issues, but I’m no longer living in illness.
Carrie Ann: First of all, I’m glad to hear that you’re no longer living in “dis-ease” or illness. But it sounds like it was such an uphill battle for you, and probably took you having to become a seeker of knowledge, wellness, and answers. What was that path like for you?
Jim Curtis: I think you’re probably familiar with this too, you can always keep seeking right?
Carrie Ann: Yes! I’m a seeker.
Jim Curtis: I’m a seeker too. But at the time, I wasn’t a seeker and I just had a type A father and sister, who kept asking “did you go here? Did you go there? You have to go here”. I think I went to hospitals all around the country. Then I started to go to Europe, because I had a good family unit who wouldn’t let me not find out what it was. I think that once you start talking about your illness, especially today, everybody has a guy. Like, “I got a guy for you, you’ve got to see my guy, he cured this”. Everything from energy healing to Western medicine. Everybody always has a recommendation. You can choose to see those people or not. I was luckily in a position where I could say, okay, I’m just gonna say yes to everybody’s guy. I ended up seeing over 200 people, everybody from an Ecuadorian shaman to grandmasters of kung fu, to watsu (a combination of hydrotherapy in warm water and Shiatsu massage) and qigong healers (an ancient Chinese healing method that includes meditation, controlled breathing and movement exercises). I went all over the country and the world, from the Mayo Clinic to the East Village. I just kept searching. I think I found a lot of answers that kind of led me to where I am today.
Carrie Ann: You said you saw over 200 healers and professionals, and I relate to that so much. Right now I’m in the process of Lyme disease treatment. I just had oxygen IV ozone therapy, and it didn’t go so well. I’m kind of in a state of a conundrum right now. Sometimes, there’s so many healers and it can be confusing. From your point of view – because I’m going through it myself right now – what can I do to avoid that kind of confusion? I feel like I should just trust my intuition, but sometimes I get scared to do that.
Jim Curtis: I call it wellness FOMO (fear of missing out). Like, could there be a cure that I’m not willing to try? I’m gonna try it because I don’t want to miss out on that cure! I was doing it because I could, and because I was researching. I wanted to write a book. But at one point, I just said, no, I’m not seeing any more people. You could literally go down this rabbit hole forever, and sometimes you have to just stick with one thing. Even though it’s so enticing when someone says, “I have this new therapy, have you heard about it?”. And you want to just quickly go try it and spend more money and time investigating it. Sometimes you just have to say no, and reduce the amount of information coming into your head so you can focus on a few things that are working for you. That’s what I did.
Carrie Ann: I like that. Keep it small, just reduce, because it can be overwhelming. There are so many options right now. That’s one thing about social media, you have access to everything. I heard you say something about how you’ve got to do research when you’re working with people. Have you ever had a weird experience with a healer?
Jim Curtis: Yes. I believe that wellness is incredibly seductive. In the sense that you can be seduced into bliss. If someone offers you bliss, you want it. When you’re feeling sick, and someone’s like, “I have a solution”, you say, “yes, please can I have a solution”. But not everyone in wellness has good intentions. There’s a real practical side of this, and I learned this a number of times. So of the hundreds of people that I’ve seen, some were true masters and had energy, and some were people that positioned themselves that way to make money. The story that I tell sometimes is during the time period that I was saying yes to everyone, someone said there was a shaman in town who was working magic. It was really hard to get him, so you had to do some weird things. I said alright, fine, I’ll go bring $200 in cash and a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. I was like, alright, I’ve done weirder stuff than that.
I find myself in the East Village of New York City in the most rundown building ever, walking with my broken body up six flights of stairs to the top apartment. I’m pulling on the railing, and it literally comes off my hand and I stumble down a couple steps. I finally make it all the way up. The shaman has a translator there who tells me to take off all of my clothes and lay down on this map, and it was pretty dirty in there. I was like, “take off all my clothes, did I understand that right?”. And she says yes. So I did it. I’m laying face down naked while this guy is blowing Marlboro cigarettes across my body and beating me with a burning sage tray. So I just started laughing uncontrollably about the situation I had just gotten myself into. I had to find the humor in it. Because it was so bizarre that I was going through such lengths just to find that person that could heal me, that I started laughing. And of course, they thought that was the cure, that was me dispelling the negative energy. And perhaps I was, even if it wasn’t the intention. That definitely gave me some levity. I left there wrapped in newspaper under my clothes, so I didn’t let out the good energy as he instructed. But yeah, I would never do it again.
Carrie Ann: You left there wrapped in newspaper?
Jim Curtis: Yeah, he had me wrap myself in newspaper and then put my clothes back on. I wasn’t to remove the newspaper or shower for two days. So I went to work like that, crinkling every time I walked, and it didn’t work. Needless to say I wasn’t cured, but it was definitely enlightening in that you have to be careful. You have to be prudent.
Carrie Ann: That might be the best story I’ve heard. And I have experienced some very odd things. So I think I you win. I do love the levity of it all. I mean, I think that laughter is good medicine. Sometimes you do need those, as you said in your TED Talk, perfect place, perfect time moments. It’s sort of like that was a perfect place, perfect time for you to remember, okay, wait, maybe I don’t need to go see every single healer. And maybe the newspaper thing isn’t quite what I’m looking for. Maybe I need to trust myself a little bit more.
Something that I liked about your book, “The Stimulati Experience: Nine Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness”, was how it’s written in your voice, which is a masculine voice. This is a voice we don’t often hear in the world of autoimmune disease. There’s not a lot of people out there who speak openly about this. You talked about hating yourself, and that you got to the place where you were in gratitude for your chronic illness. Now, that’s quite a journey. First of all, thank you for saying you hated yourself, because I think you gave me permission to honor the feelings within myself and everybody else who read your book. That’s a big part of this process. It’s okay to feel those feelings, but I love that you give us tools to get to the other side. What was that process like for you?
Jim Curtis: First you have to recognize that oh, my god, I really dislike myself, I hate myself, I’m not being good to myself, right? Because a lot of us do. The way we look at ourselves in the mirror can really cultivate low self-esteem. It’s a question of how do you get beyond that? One is awareness, you have to recognize that that’s what I’m doing to myself. That’s how I feel about myself. Now, how can I feel better about it? A lot of it is having some grace with yourself, finding the things that you actually like about yourself, and interrupting the negative talk. Literally asking yourself, “would I say this to my best friend?”. Also, it’s about doing the things that you say that you’ll do to build self-esteem. Oftentimes, when we begin to really dislike ourselves or feel not good enough, or just completely inadequate, we don’t do the things we say we’ll do. So just taking those small steps will increase your self-esteem amazingly.
In fact, in the “Six Pillars of Self-Esteem” by Nathaniel Branden, he talks about this. He gets into how you raise your self-esteem, and oftentimes it’s by living in integrity and doing the things that you say you’ll do. And then having a little bit of grace with yourself in terms of what you think that you’re faltering on. Then if you want to get to the metaphysical, you can create a fire burning ceremony, you could change your energy, you can do all the fun stuff, but there are really practical things to it.
Carrie Ann: Those are the things that I like to keep in my back pocket, like honoring your word. You could also read The Four Agreementsby Don Miguel Ruiz, I think he talks about having integrity with your word. What I’m learning more and more in this world of wellness and health, is that we’re all saying the same thing, just in a slightly different way. This is what I find so fascinating about what you do, because you are Head Coach and Head of Business at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. You guys create health coaches. I think this is what the world needs, because people are understanding that health takes effort, attention, and awareness. I believe it’s a right, a god given natural born right to have wellness. But I think that we weren’t taught how much work it takes, and people are now starting to see that.
I want to go back real quickly, because I’m fascinated by this one aspect of your journey. As a man who went through what you did, was it harder for you to be more open about it, because men are expected to be strong? I know that’s a very traditional thought and outdated. Have you experienced that?
Jim Curtis: Yeah, I have. I think it’s opening up a little bit more, there’s almost a renaissance of men being able to be vulnerable and get out of this kind of protector / provider paradigm. But when I was sick, I would actually tell people that I walked with a limp because I was in a motorcycle accident. It was more macho, and I didn’t have to be vulnerable. No one would ask me questions about my illness. I didn’t have to talk about it. It was this way of like being a macho man, instead of saying, well, you know, this is what I’m really dealing with. This is how it’s affecting me emotionally. Luckily, I feel like those things are changing a little bit. You have a lot of people on Instagram that are opening up and becoming more vulnerable men. But yeah, as a man that’s expected to be the protector and provider, it was hard.
Carrie Ann: Well thank you for being a path opener for people, and opening doors for people to talk. You were way ahead of your time.
What do you guys think about Jim’s story? Leave us a comment below if something in particular resonated with you! There are so many nuggets of wisdom to take from this interview. Wellness burnout might be unavoidable in your own path to health, but people like Jim have been creating ways to avoid the pitfalls and unnecessary trips to shamans.
For more information on health coaches and classes at IIN, follow the links below!
Jim Curtis is an author, speaker, health coach, and Head of Business at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He is a graduate of the Whittemore School of Business at the University of New Hampshire. He has been a wellness pioneer for the last 20 years, helping to develop WebMD, Everyday Health, and Remedy as well as publishing “The Stimulati Experience : Nine Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness” (Random House).
This article is an excerpt from Carrie Ann’s February 17th, 2022 Instagram Live conversation with Jim Curtis. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The path to becoming a healthier version of you can be confusing, and at times, scary. We are constantly inundated with the latest cure-all trends, fad diets, and practices that all claim to be the answer. The truth is, what works for some people may not work for you, and the popularity of the wellness space has inherently attracted people who are solely interested in your money. Without guidance, it can feel like navigating a minefield. Enter experienced professionals who have tried it all so you don’t have to, or health coaches. These are the people that schools like the Institute for Integrative Nutrition train, and the demand for them has only been growing. So, what exactly is a health coach? What is their role in your wellness journey? Jim Curtis, the Head Coach at IIN, was kind enough to give us an overview of his profession and why health coaching involves a lot more than just diet.
Carrie Ann: I think people are starting to discover how vulnerable we are as people after two years of living with this pandemic. I’m so excited to share what you do, because I think people are going to be much more in need of health coaches. Could you explain a little bit about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and if you think there’s going to be a boom in the need for health coaching?
Jim Curtis: Oh, there already is. Health coaching is one of the fastest growing professions. Right now, the American Medical Association has health coaching under review for CPT codes, which is how you would get reimbursed by insurance. It should be reimbursed as a health insurance benefit within a year. When that happened with chiropractors, acupuncturists, and masseuses, those professions boomed as well. And that’s kind of what’s happening with coaching right now. It’s become very mainstream, and there’s thousands of new coaches because there’s millions of people that need it. And we have a tidal wave of wellness opportunities.
Coaches really serve as the guide that helps you with the plan and then the next steps. What do I buy in the grocery store? There’s 13 different gluten free options. Which one should I buy? Where do I go? Should I do red light therapy or cryo therapy? Should I do vegan or paleo or keto or vegetarian? A health coach is really there to guide you. We as a school have been training the best health coaches for the last 30 years. So the training is not just about food. There’s a lot of schools that have a functional nutrition training, but we train you about the mental, emotional, career, and relationship aspects of your mindset. And we pioneered that.
Carrie Ann: I’ve heard you speak about food as not just what you put in your mouth, but as all the different sorts of nutrition for living a life of wellness. It’s about relationships and community among other things, right?
Jim Curtis: Yeah, everything feeds us. Your relationships feed you, your career feeds you, everything feeds you. It starts with the primary foods, and then you can start to look at what foods are actually on your plate that you’re eating. We say food changes everything. If you’re in a relationship, and it’s feeding you in a healthy way, then that changes everything about you. Then when you get to food, it really does change everything. You know how you feel when you drink a cup of coffee versus a glass of wine. The food that you eat literally turns into your blood and your cells and it creates you. So there are two components – there’s the mental or emotional, and there is the physical – and we focus on both.
Carrie Ann: I think that’s really important, and I think this is what people are looking for right now. They’re looking for real answers, and the real answers are multi-dimensional. It’s not just one lane. It’s not just food, it’s your relationships. In your book, The Stimulati Experience, you talk about your own trauma and how you got out of it. For somebody who’s [reading] this right now that might be in a place of trauma or fear, what are some tips that you would share with them?
Jim Curtis: I would say recognize the story that you’re telling yourself. Meaning, oftentimes, we get caught in trauma loops of the story that we’re telling ourselves, and we think that we think that we’re caught in the movie, instead of watching the movie. And that we can’t change anything. The first thing is to change the way you’re thinking in terms of your awareness of it. When you feel yourself spiraling, try to pull yourself out of it.
You can do a number of things, like going for a walk, talking to a friend, or just moving. I used to take a shower, and I wouldn’t realize that the water had been beating on my back for 15 minutes because I had been just obsessing over something. Now I can kind of click myself out of that by moving, turning the water cold, or getting out of the shower. So let’s first identify and break the pattern. And the second thing is there are so many resources you can get form group or community. For example, The Institute for Integrative Nutrition is a community of people that study together, work together, and learn together. And you can do it all online, but you still have your groups, you have your phone calls, and other things. Get into a community because it takes a village, it really does. And when you’re in a great community, your relationships are everything. Those are two ways that I really love.
Carrie Ann: Yeah, relationships and community have been hard in the last couple of years. I feel like those opportunities are actually starting to open up again, and we’re being able to connect with people. Even if we can’t connect with people in person, as you said, you have a you have an online course coming up.
Jim Curtis: Yeah, we have a course opening up now. If anybody’s interested in that they should call or go to integrativenutrition.com. That’s the best way you can speak to a graduate, who is also an admissions coach. It’s a really amazing experience even if you don’t want to be a health coach, it’s so transformative for yourself. Most people do it because they want to start coaching themselves, their family, or their friends. And then they realize, wow, I could really be of service with this, and they become health coaches. But oftentimes, it starts with just wanting to change their lives.
Carrie Ann: And there’s also a course in April, right?
Jim Curtis: There’s another course that starts April 25, if you don’t want to do March. We have nine starts a year, and those are the next two.
Carrie Ann: What I think is so wonderful about your school and what it’s doing, is that even if you don’t want to become a health coach, you learn how to do something that makes you a better person. So that you can show up better in this world, and in your own life feel better about yourself. And then, as we’ve talked about, like it’s a ripple effect, right? Once you’re feeling good, your vibes spread, and then you feel good because you helped other people feel good. I truly believe that we’re all energy, and that we’re all ultimately saying the same thing – that we are all connected. And when we do things that help ourselves or help other people, we’re helping everything. I love this contribution that you guys are putting into the world. Thank you so much Jim.
You guys, he has so much information, you have no idea. I just want to read a little passage from his book, “The Stimulati Experience: Nine Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness” . On page 113, he says “I realized that everybody has a story and people are in different parts of their story. No matter where they were. Their story became a great catalyst for me to get to the place of thinking if they can do it, so can I”. He goes on to say, “being with other people and being infused with the inspiration of personal stories, I felt more hopeful and ready to overcome the obstacles in my life”.
This is something that is so inspiring, and it is the reason why I’m doing Carrie Ann Conversations as well.
What is your opinion on health coaching? Would you be willing to try it? Let us know in the comments below! There are so many ways out there to get the help that you need, and the first step is always to ask for it. One of the greatest qualities of the internet is the community and support you can find. As Jim said, it takes a village. There’s no reason to suffer alone or in silence. We hope this conversation gave you something new to consider in your own journey to wellness!
For more information and resources from Jim Curtis, follow the links below:
How many times have you hit the pillow at night only to stare at the ceiling in a whirlwind of unproductive thoughts for another two hours? You said you’d go to bed at 10pm, but your mind can’t stop reviewing that one comment you made in a meeting or that presentation you have tomorrow. Those sticky “what if” thoughts can ruminate in your brain and make falling asleep easily seem wholly unattainable. The off switch is nowhere in sight, so frustration and stress set in. Now you’re in panic mode because you know you have to get to sleep soon. You’re worse off than when you got into bed an hour ago.
It can feel like an endless cycle, but researchers have tackled this phenomenon in order to bring us solutions. Barring sleeping pills, which have their own risks, there are several practical methods that can aid in creating an environment and mindset conducive to sleep. You might already do a few of these, however, they work best together. Buying black out curtains and calling it a day won’t solve insomnia, but using these tools together in conjunction with other self-care habits just might.
The Basics
If you’re a sleep hygiene newbie, checking off a list of “must haves” is an essential way to start to improve your routine. According to the CDC, “adults need 7 or more hours of sleep per night for the best health and wellbeing”. You probably already know this. Nevertheless, it’s likely you often fall short of this, as “a third of US adults report that they usually get less than the recommended amount of sleep” (CDC). Research has suggested that there are a few non-negotiables when it comes to getting a good night’s rest, and these are the first steps to getting that full 7.
What you can do during the day
Get adequate exercise
Get direct exposure to sunlight daily, especially in the mornings – Bright light, or ideally exposure to direct sunlight, helps to keep your circadian rhythm in balance. It signals to your body that it’s time to wake up.
Wake up at the same time every morning – Consistency is key. If you sleep in until 11am one day and wake up at 7am the next, your schedule is inevitably thrown off.
Eat meals at the same time every day – Again, consistency is key, even with digestion. Keeping your body on a schedule will set you up for sleep.
Limit caffeine in the afternoon – Resisting that afternoon pick me up may be difficult, but you’ll thank yourself later when you’re actually tired at bedtime.
Limit alcohol consumption – Having a glass of wine while you watch Bridgerton is probably fine, just don’t go overboard.
Keep your bed for sleeping – Meaning don’t do work and take meetings from it.
Take a nap if you need to – There’s no shame in a power nap! It’s recommended not to nap too late in the afternoon though, as this could further mess with your sleep schedule.
Make your room as peaceful as possible – Pick out décor, sheets, pillows, etc. with this in mind. Maybe invest in a humidifier, sound machine, or an essential oil diffuser. Anything that makes you feel most at peace.
View our Amazon list of recommended sleep friendly products HERE!
What you can do right before bed
Keep your bedtime consistent – It can be extremely tempting to have a late night, especially when you don’t get much free time. But if you know that will mess you up in the morning, at least limit it to the weekends.
Start winding down 30 mins to an hour before bed – This can consist of anything that helps you to relax. Meditate, listen to a sleep story, read a book (nothing too gripping though), do a 16 step skincare routine, write in a journal, take a bath, listen to a spa playlist, do a puzzle – whatever your heart desires.
Keep lights in your home or apartment dim – Just like bright sunlight ques your brain to wake up, dim light lets it know that it’s time to sleep.
Make sure your room is dark when you get into bed – Get blackout curtains if you need to, and cover up any light sources (even covering that tiny blue light emanating from your power strip can help).
Limit blue light (AKA your cell phone, laptop, or TV) the hour before bedtime – if you have to work late or can’t resist TikTok, put your devices on night mode. This yellows the screen and gives your eyes a break. An alternative is to buy blue light glasses.
Keep your room cool or at a temperature that is most comfortable to you
If you live on a busy street or have noisy neighbors, consider ear plugs or a sound machine
If you’ve been trying some of these methods but aren’t seeing results, the CDC recommends starting a sleep journal as a first line of defense. Write down your daily habits for a week – what time you went to bed / woke up, when you ate, what you ate, caffeine consumption, alcohol consumption, etc. This can help to reveal patterns and narrow down what isn’t working.
I’ve got my habits down, but I can’t stop beating myself up when they don’t work
One of the most infuriating side effects of sleep problems is how cognizant you are of the importance of sleep. How could you not be? You’ve set up a full routine of habits to get some much needed REM. On nights when that routine fails, you’re all too aware of it. Luckily, this is a frequent problem among the sleepless and researchers have come up with methods to solve it.
One common tool that even therapists use to combat this kind of thinking is called paradoxical intention. In general, paradoxical intention is “a psychotherapeutic technique […] in which the individual is asked to magnify a distressing, unwanted symptom” and aims to “help such individuals distance themselves from their symptoms, often by appreciating the humorous aspects of their exaggerated responses” (American Psychological Association). In treating insomnia, employing paradoxical intention means to avoid efforts to fall asleep. The “unwanted symptom” is not being able to fall asleep, and by engaging in the opposite – trying to stay awake – the performance anxiety you have has the opportunity to diminish.
Paradoxical Intention doesn’t mean you get into bed and do all the wrong things – like staring at a screen. It is used in combination with your regular techniques and routines. It’s the process of letting go of the fear of not sleeping, and releasing the guilt you may feel around it. Here are a few ways to put this method to work:
When you get into bed, instead of focusing on trying to fall asleep, try to stay awake. Keep your eyes open as long as you can. You might find that sleep comes easier when you’re trying to do the opposite.
Learn to be at peace with quiet, or passive, wakefulness. It’s okay to be in bed, resting with your eyes closed. At least you are resting. Try to move your thoughts away from why you can’t sleep, and focus on simply relaxing.
If you can’t sleep, get up. Move to a different room or somewhere that is not your bed. Start a relaxation technique, like a guided meditation, or read a boring book. This will help occupy your mind until you become sleepy.
I’ve tried it all – now what?
If you’re at the point where basic sleep hygiene isn’t cutting it, don’t worry. If your insomnia is severe enough, it’s time to visit your doctor. Sleep problems can be a sign of underlying conditions, so it’s important to get that checked before anything else. Some medical and therapeutic interventions include:
Sleep Studies: Your primary care physician can refer you to a doctor that specializes in sleep medicine. Sleep studies can rule out sleep apnea or anything happening neurologically.
Depression Treatment: Insomnia can be a symptom of depression, especially if you are a woman. According to the Sleep Foundation, “women are diagnosed with depression at higher rates than men, and sleeping too much or too little is a frequent symptom of that disorder. Studies have also found that women are more likely to ruminate about their concerns, which can contribute to anxiety, limiting one’s ability to fall asleep easily”.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): If you’ve gotten the all clear physically, one option is to try CBT, which is one of the most common types of talk therapy. The Mayo Clinic defines CBT for insomnia as “a structured program that helps you identify and replace thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen sleep problems with habits that promote sound sleep. Unlike sleeping pills, CBT-I helps you overcome the underlying causes of your sleep problems”.
Sleep is essential, not a luxury. It’s easy to fall into the trap of consistently working late to prove something to yourself or to others. But you are the only one that can take care of you. Not to mention, your work quality and overall health can falter when you’re not getting enough sleep. If you’re struggling, it’s worth it to take the time to adjust whatever needs adjusting, especially if you tend to ruminate and can’t mentally cut ties with the day. There’s so much help out there, and it’s just waiting for you to take the first step. You deserve a good night’s rest.
I’ve always felt the path to compassion is community. It’s one of the reasons I started this blog. Despite being told early in my career to remain quiet about my autoimmune journey I instead chose to be vocal and transparent about my insecurities, concerns, and treatments. I believe we all benefit from shared knowledge. That’s why I’m excited to be talking with Dr. Randall Harrell, the founder and CEO of Regener-Eyes®, about how his new technologies and research are helping people with autoimmune conditions.
When I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome I was finally able to put a name to my symptoms — especially my dry eyes. I used to wake up in the mornings barely able to open my eyes because they were so dry. It was painful to start my day that way. Regener-Eyes® has helped give me relief from my dryness and my eyes are clearer and brighter which is great for my on-camera duties.
I sat down with Dr. Harrell and quickly found we both had a passion for the intersection of science and wellness. I’m so excited to share the Regener-Eyes® story with you.
Carrie Ann: Dr. Harrell, it’s so nice to meet you, thank you for taking the time to talk to my followers about Regener-Eyes® eye drops. I’ve been using Regener-Eyes® eye drops since your company reached out to me and I have to say — ‘Regener-Eyes®, where have you been my whole life!’ Can you explain to me how Regener-Eyes® came to be?
Dr. Harrell: Thank YOU Carrie. What you are doing to help educate your fans about autoimmune diseases and treatments is really important. I am certain that you have helped many people find relief. My story starts a long time ago when I was a young boy. My mother had chronic dry eyes and I would go to the doctor with her and all the doctors that she saw really didn’t have much to offer. They would tell her to put a moist warm compress on your eye, and that was the extent of what they could do back in that time.
Carrie Ann: Yes, I totally understand that. I’ve been there as well.
Dr. Harrell: Even though I was young, it seemed to me there had to be a better option than a compress. As I was able to acquire more knowledge and understand more about the chronic inflammatory nature of all these diseases, including chronic dry eye, I thought if we could decrease the chronic inflammation and get the regeneration to occur we could get a much better outcome than anything else on the market. And that’s what we found in clinical practice. Creating a product to help solve for this seemed logical and exciting to me.
Carrie Ann: The science behind the development of this product fascinates me. Can you break it down for the average person, like myself, how Regener-Eyes® is able to lubricate my eyes and provide relief?
Dr. Harrell: Regener-Eyes® is a biologic eye drop made of anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. Cytokines are proteins produced by your cells and they serve like little messengers between cells. These types of proteins are necessary for cell function, overall health, and homeostasis.
My “ah-ha” moment was when I discovered that dry eye disease is really caused by chronic inflammation. I developed a simple eye drop solution to help improve the problem patients are having and potentially stimulate healing and regeneration to occur. Regener-Eyes® Ophthalmic Solution has been a real breakthrough in the treatment of dry eye disease, and it is part of a standard of care that is starting to change based on the science of regenerative medicine.
Carrie Ann: Why does this trend excite you?
Dr. Harrell: The biggest trend is now the advancement of regenerative medicine that started in the early 1990s. I was working with this in Texas, and lot of people thought our results were science fiction. Our results were too good be true, like it was some kind of lab error. But a lot of people now understand that regenerative medicine is the next evolution in health care. That’s just progress, and a lot of it is based on the concept of biologics.
All the pharma companies that don’t have a biologic in their pipeline will probably have one in the next five years. They work so much better than pharmaceuticals. They’re safer because they’re more natural, and they’re a lot more effective. A lot of them are derived from living tissue, either bacteria, fungus, or cells of animals and humans, and they’re much more complex than a small molecule pharmaceutical. That’s why a lot of people don’t know how they work, but that’s where the excitement is. That’s a change for almost all parts of medicine because you can affect all parts of your body with these new biologics.
Carrie Ann: What is the best way to use Regener-Eyes® and are there different versions of the product?
Dr. Harrell: We have two solutions: a light version for moderate symptoms that is shelf stable and can easily be carried in a purse for use on the go and throughout the day. Like when you are back and forth on set. We also have a Professional version for severe symptoms and needs to be refrigerated.
Carrie Ann: How can someone get Regener-Eyes® eye drops?
Dr. Harrell: The easiest way is to contact your eye care provider and request the eye drop. We will then ship Regener-Eyes® directly to your home. You can also visit www.RegenerEyes.com/CarrieAnn for more information.
Carrie Ann: I love that I got my own page. Super cool. Thank you.
Dr. Harrell: We are so excited to be working with you. If there is any way we can support you or your fans further please give me a call. Thank you for sharing and thank you for having me as part of CarrieAnnConversations.com. And good luck with Dancing With The Stars. My family loves that show.
Carrie Ann: It has been my pleasure. I’m so excited to be partnering with you.
For more information about Regener-Eyes® and its products go to www.RegenerEyes.com/CarrieAnn
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