Start Here

• Please, please, please be kind and loving to yourself – changing eating and lifestyle habits can be incredibly hard. Offer yourself grace, understanding, love, and forgiveness.
• Let go of shortcomings and mistakes of the past. There is nothing saying you must get AIP or wellness right the first time. Focus on progress, not perfection.
• Keep in mind the AIP will not look the same for everyone. You can tweak it, customize it, fine tune it, or troubleshoot it for your own situation! Learn to listen to your body, and make course corrections as needed.
• Find your “why” and cling to it. There will be hard days on this journey; there will be days when you feel like you are not strong enough for this life; there will be days you want to give up. When those days come, remind yourself of why you started. Write your why down on post it notes and put them up everywhere to remind yourself of what really matters!
• Celebrate every little victory! You are so much more amazing than you give yourself credit for! Each night, write down or think about what you did that day you can be proud of!
• This life of living with autoimmunity is tough stuff. But magic happens when we stop and think, “why is this happening FOR me?!” Magic happens when we think, “okay, I did not choose this, but how can I learn, grow, and become the very best version of myself through this experience?!”
• Gratitude is often the first step to finding JOY while living with autoimmune disease. I challenge you to write down 5 things you are grateful for every morning for two weeks! Notice how your mindset and feelings change. Often a morning gratitude practice leaks into the rest of the day and leads to an increase in positive feelings!
• Last, but not least, let go of the guilt you are carrying around from not being able to do ALL the things. It is okay. Think of the example you are setting for your family and your children. They may have had a front row seat to your declining health, but they also have a front row seat to your comeback story! Your children will learn through your example they can do hard things like Mom! You are modeling for your children in real time what to do when you find yourself faced with a mountain you aren’t sure you can climb. Lace up your hiking boots, and show your kids how it’s done…show them the climb, but also show them that the view from the top of your mountain is incredibly beautiful!

You got this, my friend. I am cheering you on SO loud and sending you SO much love and support!

Buckle up. This is going to take time, hard work, and standing back up again when you fall down. But you ARE strong enough! Dig deep. I believe in you. You CAN find JOY while living with autoimmune disease!

Get ready for your life to change in amazing ways!