Hello, dear ladies. My name is Skye, and today I want to share with you my own personal story, and health struggles, that has led me to a profound understanding of women's health.
I was born with rheumatoid arthritis, and from the early days of my childhood I remember battling pain and inflammation, consuming copious amounts of drugs, consulting doctors, driving to Brisbane every month to see specialist’s, multiple surgeries, even wearing casts and having tubes in me at school which, on top of having distorted joints, made me a target for school bullies, making the physical pain seem like nothing.
My parents, each with their own unique beliefs, did their best to support me and provide me with the best care. While my mother faithfully followed the advice of medical specialists, my father introduced me to the world of natural remedies - wheatgrass smoothies with fish oil, turmeric and garlic, as a child, can put you off health drinks for years!
Despite their efforts, none of it was specific. Although the wheatgrass smoothies were packed full of everything I needed to fight inflammation, when it was paired with my mother’s home baked muffins that were full of sugar, and a diet that had no real thought put into it, my conditions were still apparent.
The Advice Was Never Specific
The advice that my parents, and I, had been given by doctors and specialists were:
Exercise - Sure, but what does this actually mean? My parents were both sports players, and always active, my father played AFL and was in the army, and my mother loved to play squash. I was always an active child too, I had a skateboard and bmx, we also had a pool and lived in Noosa so I swam most days, I even made it to states for Tennis! I was ‘exercising’ as per the recommended advice yet rather than the symptoms easing, I was in more pain than before.
Supplements - Again, this is an excellent recommendation, and according to my father ‘the holy grail’. My father always made sure to provide me with the recommendations: curcumin, garlic, fish oil, calcium, magnesium, glucosamine, chondroitin, and multi-vitamins. However, the rest of my diet remained much the same. They had, and still have, very little knowledge when it comes to nutrition - I still struggle to get them to understand why eating dessert every night is not healthy! My parent’s idea of a healthy diet meant cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, snacks throughout the day, a big dinner, and mum’s home made dessert of choice. The problem: cereal contains way too much sugar, and very little protein, sandwiches are gluten, and combined with jams or mustards, full of sugar, the snack consisted of muffins, tiny teddy’s and roll ups, even more sugar, then there was dinner, which my parents assumed was the healthiest meal of the day, often experimenting with sauces, breadcrumbs, noodles, salt’s - more sugar and gluten.
What some assume is healthy, or has healthy ingredients, is often as a whole far from it, and enough to exacerbate symptoms.
There were multiple other things my parents had done with the guidance of professionals, but none if it was SPECIFIC.
Breaking Free from Generic Advice
The turning point came at the age of 26 when I went to see my specialist as my pain was getting worse. I told her I was desperate, and was willing to do anything! - She did nothing other than recommended increasing my methotrexate dosage (for those of you that don’t know, methotrexate is a chemotherapy agent).
That moment ignited a determination to explore alternative paths to health.
I began researching the advice I was ready given - to exercise, to consume certain vitamins and minerals, and to go to the physio monthly. This made sense to me, but I knew there was more to it.
Exercise - I was already exercising, but the type of exercise I chose was exacerbating my condition. After investigating further I fell into resistance training, which builds muscle, strengthens bones and joints, improves heart health, and is what every woman simply must do to prevent pain, improve hormonal health and longevity.
Supplements - Although I was taking every supplement under the sun, it is the diet as a whole that needs to be looked at. My diet was mostly fine, but I was still consuming alcohol, too much caffeine, and sugar. I adjusted my diet, removed the toxins, and slowly found a diet that seemed to lessen the symptoms.
Physiotherapist - This was something I thought I would need to continue, because no matter how much I try, my joints will never have full range of motion. Well, after the 26 years I had been to the physio every single month, with continuous ‘stretches’, I thought it was time to find something different. I can still remember doing a test and the physio saying ‘wow, you have 30 degrees range of motion, it doesn’t get much better than that!’ - well it does. I can now move my wrist 90 degrees. I still have less range than my other wrist, and slight imbalances, however, I no longer see a physio and my specific routine is now just once per week.
This worked! - mostly. Although my flare ups were happening much less, they still seemed to have a certain monthly rhythm. I still had headaches, bloating, inflammation, and I couldn’t do squats, or anything too strenuous on my joints leading up to my period.
I still felt there was more to it.
Discovering Cycle Syncing
Enter cycle syncing – a revolutionary approach that was, at the time, relatively unknown. Recognising the intricate hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle, cycle syncing advocated for tailored adjustments to optimise well-being. Understanding the impact of hormones on pain, inflammation, metabolism, and overall health, I learned to work with my body's unique flow - not against it.
Implementing this approach allowed me to wake up every day without pain, flourish at work, squat even during that time of month, and navigate the distinct changes in each phase of my cycle. The benefits extended beyond the physical – improved memory, mood stability, and a newfound sense of well-being. Cycle syncing became the missing piece of the puzzle, providing a comprehensive strategy for maintaining hormonal balance and preventing arthritis flare-ups every day, not 3 weeks out of 4.
Empowering Others
Today, I am passionate about sharing this approach with women like yourself. I've witnessed the transformative power of embracing true health, and being SPECIFIC when it comes to recommendations for women – a synergy of weight resistance and mobility training, nutrition, and cycle syncing. It's about understanding our bodies, respecting their unique rhythms, and making intentional choices that support our own individual overall well-being.
Every woman is unique, and deserves specific advice.
If you are a women, like me, who has struggled with auto immune or health conditions drop this post a like, or comment below.
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