Ashley’s Story

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, I grew up on the less fortunate side of the city. At 22, I moved to Ottawa, Ontario, and instantly fell in love with its vibrant atmosphere, diverse culinary scene, and overall energy.

My journey into nutrition and fitness began at 16 when I struggled with weight gain, poor diet, and unhealthy habits, leading me into a dark period with an eating disorder. Determined to change, I educated myself on healthy eating and started exercising, which made a significant impact on my well-being.

Living in Ottawa without my immediate family posed emotional challenges and addictive behaviors. Amidst this, I began experiencing troubling digestive and reproductive symptoms. After multiple rounds of antibiotics prescribed for what was initially diagnosed as BV, I suspected candida as the culprit, but my concerns were dismissed. Taking matters into my own hands, I pursued a candida protocol with probiotics, which surprisingly alleviated my symptoms within a week. However, prolonged antibiotic use had already caused irreversible damage to my intestinal health, resulting in dysbiosis and leaky gut.

I developed severe gastrointestinal issues including chronic headaches, gluten and dairy sensitivities, and mucus and bloody bowel movements. Despite consulting doctors who initially misdiagnosed my condition as hemorrhoids, a later colonoscopy and endoscopy revealed a rare dual diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. I didn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it, I refused to believe it, and still don’t fully believe it. I trust my thoughts are partly responsible for my healing.

The onset of COVID-19 further complicated my health journey, disrupting my education and finances. Determined to avoid solely relying on conventional medicine, I pursued holistic approaches. Guided by studies at CSNN (Canadian School of Natural Nutrition), I adopted an elimination diet and spoke with a naturopath who prescribed me with a high-potency probiotic, which helped manage my symptoms to some extent. However, it wasn't until I discovered the specific-carbohydrate diet that my condition significantly improved.

Maintaining this diet throughout my pregnancy provided stability, but symptoms resurfaced postpartum, prompting another consultation with a new gastroenterologist. Despite skepticism towards medication, I reluctantly tried mesalamine, only to experience adverse reactions. Refusing to abandon my search for the root cause, I returned to trial and error, eventually finding relief through a keto/candida diet and focus on rebuilding the intestinal lining.

Three days into my keto/candida, I felt hungover, nauseous, dizzy, lethargic, sick to my stomach. Some people call this the keto flu or Herxheimer reaction, I believe it to be candida die-off – here is why; when candida albicans die off, they release approx. 79 different toxins, like ethanol (alcohol) and acetaldehyde, which are known to be the cause of alcoholic-induced hangovers, just like how I felt. A week after starting my base diet and candida/keto protocol. I was completely symptom-free and had perfect bowel movements. I stayed on my base diet for another eight weeks to ensure it worked. The base diet that works for me includes cooked cruciferous vegetables, coconut, eggs, and salt.

Since then, I've been able to enjoy all food in moderation without experiencing extreme symptoms. Some foods still cause bloating, but those are foods I shouldn't be eating anyway! When I get busy or go on vacation, I tend to eat foods that aren't the best for me, and sometimes my symptoms will mildly act up. In those instances, I revert to my base diet for a couple of days, and everything returns to normal. As of now, I've had my bloodwork done, and all my inflammation markers and white blood cell counts are within the normal range—for the first time in about a decade.

Who I am:

• I'm a proud mother.

• As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I firmly believe that the body never malfunctions without a reason; there's always an underlying cause.

• I strongly advocate that our thoughts hold immense power.

• I am driven by a deep desire to create a positive impact in the world.