By Guest-Blogger Meredith Rhodes Carson

I have a story of failed conventional healthcare that you might relate to, and a new, simple perspective on human health that healed my body and enabled me to thrive.

Hi, my name is Meredith Rhodes Carson, and I’m a human. I’m also a geologist, an ancestral health coach, a radio show host and most importantly, I’m now an expert in me.

My Story of Sick Care

My story begins when I was 32 and attempting to conceive child #2. After a very unsuccessful year and a visit to the reproductive endocrinologist, I was diagnosed with elevated prolactin.  Apparently, this was preventing me from ovulating.  With that diagnosis, I was medicated to lower my prolactin, and within weeks my son was conceived.

I was told that this elevated prolactin was common – and that there was probably a tumor on my pituitary gland that was causing it… but not to worry unless I had vision problems, an indication that the tumor was impinging on my optic nerve.

Awesome.

However, problem solved. (I now have a beautiful, thoughtful, orange-belt & future paleontologist who is about to graduate first grade.)

That wasn’t the end of my health concerns. In retrospect, fertility issues are like the canary in the coal mine.  It’s your body’s way of saying, “heck no, if I don’t have the resources to properly keep you alive, why would I attempt to grow another human?”.

Fast forward a few years to age 35 – and I was back at the doctor worried that I hadn’t had a period in a couple of years.  Thinking I was too young for a diagnosis of menopause, I had them check my prolactin again, and sure enough, it was elevated.  I was medicated once again to bring it down.

On top of this, I was now embarking on a conventional weight loss campaign of the eat-less and move-more variety.  I really wanted to lose that last 10 pounds of baby weight.  I was pretty good at this – after all – it’s something that I had complete control over, I was looking lean and getting great encouragement from my friends AND my doctor.

Superficially, I thought I was on the right track, because I thought that skinny equalled healthy.  But internally, my body was screaming at me – loud and clear.  Along with  my successful weight loss, I began to lose hair, I gained an extra heartbeat, I had dry skin, I was anxious, and importantly, I was no longer present with my family.  My health (or lack thereof) became all encompassing.  I didn’t have anything left to give.

My doctor couldn’t diagnose me, all of my bloodwork was normal, I appeared to be the picture of great health…so she sent me to a psychiatrist to work through my ‘hypochondria’.

This was not helpful.

In the end, I made it to a cardiologist – who monitored my heart, confirmed my heart palpitations – and medicated me for it.

My Story of Healing

I had had it. Something was wrong with me, my prolactin was up, my heart was flipping out, my head couldn’t hang on to hair, and the ‘cure’ was to treat the symptoms with medication.  In my frustration, I turned to my skills as a researcher – and literally made my own health my part-time job.

My background as a geologist with some knowledge of evolutionary biology really informed my approach.  I understood that as human beings, we have a deep evolutionary history.  Our form and function was literally shaped by our environment – just as it continues to be today.  The problem is this.  Our modern environment is vastly different than the environment within which the human race successfully evolved.

We are fish out of water, and what is the end result?

Disease. Chronic illness. Inflammation. Structural changes. Cancer. Changes in the mineralogy and strength of our skeleton.  Changes in the composition of our fat stores.  Vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Hormonal imbalances.  Infertility.  Skin conditions.  Leaky guts.  Food allergies.  Autoimmune diseases.  Missing microbes.  Thyroid havoc.  Depression.  Anxiety.

But also social stressors. Peer pressure. Fat shaming. Financial pressures. Traffic. Relationship stressors.  Inactivity.  Fear of the sun.  Isolation.  Lack of joy.  No time left in the day.  No time in nature.  Screens at night crowding out sleep.

Once I realized this disconnect in my own life – the disconnect between my health and my modern environment – I began to slowly correct it using ancestral perspective.

I started with food.

Within 4 months of re-defining food for myself (and firing my doctor and choosing to work with a health care professional who believed that I had control of my own health) I was able to wean myself off the 2 prescription medications that I was on.  I had energy, I was no longer hungry all of the time, I had an insanely good relationship with sleep, and I was inspired to see what other aspects of  my life could benefit from a little re-definition.

And there are oh-so-many.

Your Turn to Heal

My mission in life has changed. I now aim to help people re-connect with their primal instinct. I help people to lose weight and gain health using only the laws of nature.  You’re receiving this message because you’ve taken steps in this direction already…and it’s come to my attention that you might benefit from some longer-term support.

I’ve offered to hold a workshop or two at Dr. Fenske’s office in Middleton.

It can be overwhelming to make change in your life for the purposes of gaining health. The messages are mixed, your habits are entrenched, and you may not  know  where to begin or how to keep going.  This workshop will help you to identify some starting points in your own life, help you with some strategies to make your journey sustainable, and inspire you to approach your life with abundance rather than restriction.  Ancestral health is pretty much human health made simple.  You can be an expert in you.

I’d like to understand the best time for you, so I’ve created a poll. If you’re interested in attending my workshop – please follow the link below to cast your vote for a workshop date and time.  If there is enough interest, I’ll run it several times.  The cost is $10 – and space is limited (we can accommodate 10 people at a time, maximum). Please RSVP by responding to the poll linked below to vote for the time you’d prefer – and by sending me an email so that I have your contact information.

If you’re interested, but unable to attend at the times suggested, please leave me a comment after the poll.

http://doodle.com/prh4tczv4kyv4zc8

I look forward to meeting you!

Cheers!

Meredith