International Women’s Day – Women Who Have Inspired Me on My Wellness Journey

With today being International Women’s Day, it got me thinking of the women who have been instrumental in my wellness journey.  I’ve never met any of them but through their books, blogs or talks I’ve learnt so much about health and happiness that’s been invaluable to my healing journey.

Sarah Ballantyne – The Paleo Approach

It was through Sarah’s book The Paleo Approach and her blog The Paleo Mom that I learnt so much about autoimmune disease and the autoimmune paleo protocol (AIP).  I feel that the protocol has been the main reason that my gut is healing (slowly but surely) and that inflammation has been keeping away.  What I love about Sarah is that she goes into the science behind everything she talks about – it’s an education.  Plus I love that the protocol not only talks about the foods to take out of the diet but what must be added in and that a huge piece of the puzzle is lifestyle factors – sleep, exercise, fun etc.

Gretchen Ruben – The Happiness Project

Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books including The Happiness Project and Better Than Before.  The Happiness Project showed me that I could be proactive in making my life happier and that increased happiness was indeed attainable.  I read it when I was grieving my Dad’s passing and it gave me hope for happiness.  I love her weekly podcast Happier which she does with her sister Elizabeth Craft as there are great insights and tips for good habits and happiness.

Gabrielle Bernstein

Gabrielle Bernstein is a motivational speaker, life coach, and author and teaches primarily from the metaphysical text A Course In Miracles. She teaches a practical application of the Course’s principles emphasizing self-love, forgiveness, and a holistic approach to spirituality.  I saw her speak last year in London and she was brilliant, I actually didn’t want her talk to end.  She’s very real when she talks, she’s relatable and is very cool.  I love her book May Cause Miracles and she’s the spiritual guru for the modern girl for sure!

Jess Ainscough

I found Jess’s Wellness Warrior blog probably in early 2012 soon after I got diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.  I wanted to be proactive about my health and learn more about wellness.  Her blog and vlogs were brilliant.  She was a twenty-something cancer patient and advocate of alternative cancer treatments.  She was honest about her journey, curious about different ways of healing and so so informative.  I learnt so much from her and she was the reason I decided to study with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as she had taken the course herself.  I was so sad when she passed away in early 2015 but I’ll always be grateful for what she taught me.

Jill Carnahan

Dr Jill’s recovery story http://www.jillcarnahan.com/my-story/ from cancer and Crohn’s is so inspiring.  She uses functional medicine to help patients find answers to the cause of their illness and addresses the biochemical imbalances that may be making them feel ill.  I’ve listened to numerous interviews with her and her compassion and empathy for her patients and passion for what she does is palpable.  She’s definitely inspired me to be curious about my condition and to never give up.

Lissa Rankin, MD – Mind Over Medicine

Passionate about what makes people optimally healthy and what predisposes them to illness, LIssa is on a mission to merge science and spirituality in a way that not only facilitates the health of the individual, but also uplifts the health of the collective.  Her book Mind Over Medicine was a real game-changer for me.  It gave me an insight into what our bodies are actually capable of doing and that healing was indeed very possible.