Hi, I’m Jill, and I’m the older sister!
I believe that the journey toward optimal health is one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given. I hope to pay it forward by providing the resources to help others on their individual journeys. If you want to take control of your health, but don't know HOW, you're in the right place.
This is why I'm on a mission...
In high school I was a 3x All-American softball player. I committed to play at UNC - Chapel Hill when I was 16. Right around that time is when I started experiencing symptoms commonly diagnosed as IBS.
IBS followed me to college and only worsened from there. I was in an extremely strenuous environment, both physically and mentally. I battled anxiety and started experiencing constant vomiting. I went to psychologists as well as gastroenterologists, who all downplayed my symptoms.
There is nothing more frustrating than knowing there is something seriously wrong with you, yet having doctors tell you that you’re “healthy.”
They tried to put me on antidepressants to control the vomiting and IBS instead of working to figure out what was causing these problems. I was embarrassed about my symptoms, and I found it extremely difficult to execute on the field or in the classroom when I rarely felt healthy. I started to believe that this was just the way I was going to live my life.
To help others find their optimal health.
The happy ending I didn't think was possible, happened.
During my junior year, I stopped being able to digest red meat and many other fatty foods. Once again, everything checked out “fine.” I found ways to manage my symptoms, but more so I just got really good at throwing up, running to the bathroom and drinking ginger ale to help ease indigestion.
After college, I transferred to Duke University to play softball and pursue my master’s degree. My symptoms worsened, so I went gluten free and vegetarian to help my body survive softball season. It worked to a certain degree, but I still had what I call “flare-ups." One notable flare-up was on the bus ride home from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I threw up for the majority of the eight hour bus ride. It was brutal. At that point I felt outright helpless.
After graduation, I expected my symptoms to calm down. The doctors swore this was stress based, so being out of college and no longer playing a division I sport should help me - right?
Wrong. Instead, I developed cystic acne and extremely painful cramping known as “dysmenorrhea.” This time doctors tried to prescribe the birth control pill as the cure. I didn’t want to go on it, but I decided I’d do whatever it took to clear up my skin and help ease the painful cramping.
The birth control pill didn’t help too much, but I figured I would stay on it just in case. About a year later I started seeing a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) who changed my life. Through muscle testing, we removed food groups that were irritating my gut and body. Within weeks I started looking less puffy and bloated, my acne cleared up, my vomiting completely stopped, I didn’t have any indigestion at night and I felt more in control of my life than ever before. The change was so drastic I almost didn’t believe it myself.
My life made a 180 degree turn for the better.
Since then, my quality of life has improved so drastically that I can’t believe how I lived my day to day life before. I went from feeling hopeless, exhausted, and defeated to feeling like I can do absolutely anything. That's why I'm here, Keepin' Fit Real. I know what losing hope and giving up feels like. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined making such a drastic turn around. I hope to be the guide and resource that I so desperately needed. If we make one person feel more hopeful or less alone, we have already accomplished something great. Thanks for reading, we hope you'll join our journey as we move forward on our journey Keepin' Fit Real.
