Shanna McCarron

I was diagnosed with Psoriasis 11 years ago. It was a frustrating process, the rash appeared out of nowhere and spread up and down my body. The vanity in me was mortified. Around this same time I began to lose my energy, could not sleep, recovering after a workout took longer, and I suddenly had chronic joint pain. My hair started to fall out, I did not feel strong and I lost all confidence in myself. All of this was happening while I was raising kids and working full time. I have spent my life promoting heath and fitness. I am a personal trainer by trade and suddenly, I felt like what I had practiced all my life was a lie. Why was my body betraying me?  I exercised daily, never smoked and did not drink alcohol and tried to watch what I ate.  I learned that Psoriais is an autoimmune condition, triggered by an overactive immune system, environmemtal factors and a family history. The immune system speeds up which causes inflammation and a large volume of skin cells to grow. Instead of shedding, the cells pile up on the surface forming plaques. My doctors told me there was no cure and wanted to put me on medication. This was scary to me as the drugs available at the time had horrible side effects and were very expensive. I was frustrated with the lack of information and began to research as much as I could about autoimmunity. The lightbulb moment for me, was reading how proper nutrition could help the body heal. The realization that my work life along with consistant hi -intensity workouts, probably lead to chronic stress and inflammation which left me nutrient deficient and exhausted was mind blowing.  I figuered I had created this situation, I could fix it! I sought help from a Functional medicine doctor and a  nutritionist. I ate a whole foods- nutrient dense diet, worked hard at sleep hygiene and mindfulness and within another 8 months my Psoriasis was about 60% better. I was still having joint and muscle pain. Digging a little deeper my functional doc suggested AIP, I ate strict AIP for almost a year under the supervision of my doc.  Currently, having healed my digestion, stabilized my blood sugar and reduced the inflammation in my body, I have been able to add a variety of foods back into my diet and I am feeling strong. My Psoriasis is in remission. I have more energy and my joint pain is gone.  This exeprience has given me, is to really be in tune with my body. I have learned to listen to my body and it give it what it needs. I was so empowered by my AIP experince that I decided to become a Nutritional Therapy Practiciner in 2019. In 2021 I became an AIP Health Coach. These have been great tools for me as a Personal Trainer. Today, I use my personal training and nutrition background along with my autoimmune experience  to help other women heal and become empowered in their bodies. I work with clients privately or in a group setting. I have also learned to honor each persons experience, individually. What worked for me might not be for you but with patience we can figure out what will work. Medicine was not for me although I am comforted that its there if I need it in the future.  The beauty of AIP is that it can support the indivdual no matter what direction they choose to follow. I love helping women find their own power to heal themselves nutrition and lifestyle changes. The journey is different for everyone, change is hard. But the end result and what you learn going through the process can be life changing. It was for me.  We need to remember that we  are the experts of our own bodies. Everyday, all day we are bombarded with images and text that tell us there is something wrong with how we look or how we behave. Its time to ignore all that outside influence and nurture and celebrate our own bio- individuality so that we can thrive.