E8: Unveiling the Spiritual Side of Gut Health with Rachel

Embark on a journey of discovery with Rachel, my dear friend and first-ever guest, as we share the intimate details of our struggles with gut health. Our heartfelt conversation peels back the layers on the mystery of our microbiomes and their critical influence on our well-being. Rachel's courageous story of wrestling with bloating, unrecognized symptoms, and significant weight gain shines a light on a path you might find eerily familiar. She also brings a unique twist to the tale with her integration of spirituality in the healing process, blending tarot and energy readings into a holistic approach to health.

When it comes to tackling gluten intolerance, Rachel and I lay bare the emotional rollercoaster and physical challenges that come with it. We unveil how empathy from family and the support of informed health specialists can make all the difference. Our personal transformations through dietary adjustments, particularly going gluten-free, are testimonies to the power of mindful eating—and we're here to guide you through making similar life-altering changes. We emphasize that food is not just sustenance but a form of medicine, and the shift to a mindful approach can foster a nurturing environment for your gut.

As we wrap up our chat, we share practical tips and daily routines to bring grounding and balance into your life. Rachel, from Story Spirit Aura, offers her expertise in spiritual services and provides avenues for listeners like you to explore your own paths to digestive freedom. We celebrate Rachel's triumph over gut health challenges, now able to enjoy dining out and running her thriving business, and we encourage you to embrace patience and acknowledge every small victory on your journey to better health. Join us, not just for the stories, but for the inspiration and guidance to reclaim your health, one meal, one mindful moment at a time.

Mentioned in this Episode:
Follow Rachel on IG: @storyspiritaura
Check out Rachel's services here 

Struggling with bloating and tired of strict diets and expensive supplements? Download my free Ultimate Guide to Bloat Busting and discover simple, effective strategies for a healthier, bloat-free life. Learn about mindful eating, hydration habits, gut-friendly foods, and stress management. Get your free copy today at beyondbloated.com/ultimate-guide. Transform your gut health and feel lighter and more energized!

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Email: karleeclose@beyondbloated.com

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Transcript

Karlee: 0:02

Welcome to the Beyond Bloated Podcast. I'm Karlee a certified health coach, helping women under 50 ditch their bloat without having to follow super strict and stressful protocols. As someone who's struggled with all sorts of digestive issues for over five years, I know exactly how you're feeling. I also know that there's a way to feel better, and it doesn't have to involve tons of expensive supplements and insanely restrictive diets. Join me as I share all of my bloat-busting wisdom to help you say goodbye to that bloated belly and regain your confidence. It's time for you to move beyond bloated. Hello everyone. Today is an extra special episode because I have my first ever guest episode, because I have my first ever guest. So this guest it totally makes sense that she is my first guest because she was one of the first friends I ever made when I opened my Instagram account. So I opened my Instagram account, probably like over two years ago now at beyondbloated, and when I first opened the account, I wasn't a health coach or anything yet. I was just really trying to get the word out about gut health, talk about bloating, share gluten-free, dairy-free foods, that I was eating things like that, and I was actually completing a candida cleanse at the time, so I had a candida overgrowth. I was doing the anti-candida diet. That's the diet I was following, so I was posting a lot about that and this girl Rachel is her name she reached out to me and she was like hey, I'm also following the anti-candida diet and it's really great to connect with someone who's doing the same thing as me, so like we can kind of learn from each other and help each other out. That was like one of the first messages I really received on my Instagram account when I opened it and I was like this is awesome, like people are getting my information and it's helpful for them and our relationship really just built from there. So since then, we've been sharing our progress with our gut health, recipes, knowledge, things we've learned along the way and our wellness journeys. I am super grateful for her support and her friendship over the years, so it is a pleasure to have her as my first guest today.

Karlee: 2:14

Rachel is also a fellow business owner. She started her own business, story Spirit Aura. She provides services like tarot, energy readings for individuals and for groups, mediumship readings and Reiki. Spirituality was a big part of her gut health journey, which is what she's going to be talking about today, and she actually did a tarot reading for me the other day. It was my first ever tarot reading and it was awesome.

Karlee: 2:40

The spirit guides told her that I need to speak up more and communicate my worth in my messaging and I really resonated with that, because I'm actually pretty shy online, especially when it comes to like my business and stuff like that. I find it difficult to like show my face on my Instagram stories and just really say what I want to say because you don't want to trigger anyone or you don't want to like say the wrong thing, and then someone's like, hey, because you don't want to trigger anyone or you don't want to like say the wrong thing, and then someone's like, hey, that's not right or that didn't happen to me. So, like, I find it's harder for me to like really say what I'm really trying to say, and she reminded me of that. She really prodded me to be my genuine self online and told me that being myself and getting the message out that I want is going to attract the right people. So that's what I'm working on.

Karlee: 3:26

I'm trying to just do my thing and not worry about the haters or what other people are going to think. So thank you so much for taking my tarot, virginity, rachel, and now taking my podcast guest interview virginity, I'm so happy to have you here, so, without further ado, rachel valdrez, everyone hi, thank you so much for having me of course, I'm so excited for our conversation today and, if it's all right with you, I think we'll just jump right into it.

Karlee: 3:59

Perfect, okay. So could you please start by just sharing with us your journey with your gut health, some of the challenges you've faced with your gut issues, and just let us know how that went for you.

Rachel: 4:14

Yeah. So it's interesting because I've always had gut issues and I never even knew it, like in high school, like I had like crazy cravings and like I had no idea why. It wasn't until way later, like I learned it was like my microbiome right After I had a baby. Like I lost all that weight and I still had like massive bloat and I had no idea why, like I was petite, but like I still had like a bloated belly and that whole time, like I thought that it was um, like it was after half, it was like it was after, it was it had to do with having a baby, you know.

Rachel: 5:07

And so I kind of just, I really just tried to accept it as in like everyone's different, you know, like everyone's body like handles it differently, right. But I deep down, like I knew there was something more and like no matter how much like I worked out, like no matter how much like I worked out, like no matter how healthy I ate, like I could not get that, that I couldn't get a flat tummy, like I don't know, like I couldn't, so that I mean, you know, basically my whole life like I had no clue about gut health or anything about that. It wasn't until, I want to say, 2021, where I. That's when my issues like really started flaring up. Like I, you know, I was eating the same, I was exercising the same and like I started all of a sudden gaining like tons of weight. Weight like in a short amount of time, like I think I gained like 40 pounds within a two-month period and I was like whoa, like something's wrong.

Rachel: 6:16

You know, like it was like that I knew something was wrong and, um, like, like my skin like was flaring up, like that's when I started developing like food sensitivities and noticing like, oh my god, like this gluten is like making my skin break out or like I'm getting like these rashes, like it it really triggered my eczema the gluten and the dairy. So it was like all these things coming together. And finally, like I decided to work with a health coach and she was the one who taught me about gut health. She started like helping me on that journey, like she sparked something, and I was like, holy crap, like I had no idea this was even a thing you know.

Karlee: 7:03

Yeah, and I feel like your story is very similar to many, including my own. Like I had very early warning signs of gut issues that I had no idea were related to the gut. Like I was experiencing chronic UTIs and chronic throat infections in high school you were experiencing cravings and you were like this isn't related to gut health, because we didn't know what gut health was back then, since we had no idea, like you know, we just kind of kept living our lives and eventually it builds up to a point where, like the food sensitivities kick in and, like you said, you gained a bunch of weight in a short period of time and it's like then it becomes more obvious that it's gut related.

Rachel: 7:45

But it takes time to get to that and since we're not really educated on gut health at an early age, like or ever really, unless you go seeking it out yourself like we don't know the warning signs and then it comes to a point where it's so bad and then we just desperately need help yeah, and I I feel like there's like a lot of like stigma too, like it's almost like you have to prove yourself like holy, like something's wrong, like you know, like to like I don't know if you ever experienced it with like family or like, but like or you doctors, you know like no, like it's something more, like you know oh yeah, definitely.

Karlee: 8:30

I had my fair share of doctor appointments telling me everything's normal, your bloating is normal. People sometimes have diarrhea after they eat. That's like um, is it, though? Yeah yeah, yeah, and I feel like, also as women, it's even harder for us, like we have to advocate even further because we get told oh it's hormonal, you're just hormonal or you know you have anxiety. It's like I have anxiety because of this conversation. Yeah, that's causing anxiety yeah, uh, oh.

Rachel: 9:10

So I guess, um, just like adding on to symptoms, I guess, like anxiety, and like it was like chronic anxiety when my heart was so bad, like like, did you ever have like brain fog or anything like that yeah, I did um eating gluten.

Karlee: 9:30

It caused me brain fog yes, yes, yeah it's.

Rachel: 9:35

It's crazy how it affects you in that way too. Like you wouldn't ever think it, but it does.

Karlee: 9:41

You know, and I didn't know what was happening because, like it wasn't something I experienced all the time. And then I actually went gluten free and then I accidentally ate gluten for a few days. I didn't know I was eating it and I thought I was dying, because I was at work and I literally couldn't think straight. Like my brain just would not work. Like tasks that I do daily, I could not do them, and I was like, oh my God, what's happening? Like why is my brain not working? Like I was in full blown panic mode and then it was a huge relief to find out that I had actually eaten gluten for a few days, cause I was like, oh, I'm not dying, I just ate something that my body despises and it's telling me to stop yep, yep, yep.

Rachel: 10:27

That's exactly how it is. Whenever I would get triggered like um, or like I would accidentally eat it uh, this was at the you know the beginning of my gut health journey. Like if I, if I were to accidentally eat it because you know it's a learning process, right? Like learning how to eat gluten-free and dairy-free like I would be in bed for like days, like I couldn't even like function, like or work.

Karlee: 10:56

It was so bad yeah, it's crazy how it impacts everyone so differently, like it's not just gut issues as in like diarrhea and pain, like there's so many other symptoms that you can experience from eating a food that does not agree with you.

Rachel: 11:16

So something else that I learned about gluten is that it can be different every time, like the effects can be different every time, so you might not different every time. You might not get chronic brain fog if you have a little bit of gluten, but you might get something else. It's sneaky.

Karlee: 11:37

Yeah, that would happen to me as well. When I first became gluten intolerant, I was experiencing like gut pain and diarrhea, and then I cut it out for so long, and then, when I accidentally ate it, that next time I got the brain fog and I actually ended up with a UTI like totally different symptoms, but both related to gluten. So what was the like particular moment or experience that made you realize okay, I need to do something about this now?

Rachel: 12:13

I want to say, probably like the weight gain and like the brain fog, like that's really what like made, because that's when I knew something was wrong and I was like holy crap, I need help, like I need someone who can actually help me because, like I went, to the doctor.

Rachel: 12:31

They couldn't help me, like they had no idea what was going on and I was like, okay, I need to find like a health coach because, like I know, this is nutrition, like I know it has to do with, like, what I'm eating or something right before that you kind of thought things were not right, but it wasn't super clear until yeah, you, it's like you didn't.

Karlee: 12:53

You don't know like yeah, and I feel like that's also because it's so common now, like it's happening to so many people. So like, for example, if I was talking to you about this when this was happening to both of us, I'd be like yo, this happens to me after I eat, and you're like me too, and I'm like, oh, it's normal, like you know it. Just it's so common now and happening to so many people that we've normalized it and it's not normal, but we've tricked ourselves into thinking that it is the gut healing journey.

Rachel: 13:29

We're just on a different path. You know it's like we're on a different path, or it? You know, those who truly know get it and have been through it like and I'm grateful for the people who don't know what it's like but are empathetic about it. I guess you know.

Karlee: 13:48

Yeah, no, that totally makes sense. I always say, like, even when I'm looking for help like, for example, I just started seeing a massage therapist and she specializes in helping people with bloating, even though she's a massage therapist- Wow.

Karlee: 14:10

She herself has experienced tons of different gut issues and the way that she was talking to me immediately I was like this lady gets it. She knows about the microbiome, she knows about what to eat to feed your good gut bacteria. Like we were talking about making our own probiotic yogurt. Yeah, like I've seen specialists that haven't experienced what I've experienced and they didn't get it the same as she has, and it's just simply the experience of going through it Like you just have a such a better understanding of what's happening and like you said empathy and yeah it's, it's crazy.

Rachel: 14:51

The difference and like, unfortunately, like I've had experiences where like people don't get it and like there's kind of like shame, you know. Or like oh, you're a food Nazi.

Karlee: 15:09

Like you're one of those, like no, like I know, or you get the people who are like you can eat gluten. You can. It's not gonna kill you. It's like it might literally might you want to blame them, but at the same time, it's like there's no education on it yeah so how would they know, unless they've experienced it and they've lived it, or they know someone close to them who's experienced it?

Karlee: 15:33

like it is hard, it's you want to blame them because it's like come on, I'm obviously not making this up, but we also need to educate, because you're not going to know things that you don't know like. You need to learn it somehow yeah, yeah okay. Well, what were some of the first steps you took to start improving your your gut health and improving your symptoms?

Rachel: 15:57

so I started with um, like, just like learning um as much as I could. I thought I healthy before. I was healthy for where I was at. I guess you know everything. Everyone has their own idea. I guess I want to say idea of like what's healthy for them and that works for them. You know, I didn't know there were things that weren't good for me that I was consuming, right, I really felt like I had no knowledge of nutrition at all, like, so I really just wanted to delve into like nutrition and like food.

Rachel: 16:34

Um, I think that the first book I read is called um, the gut makeover, and I really followed that to a t and it basically is like eating how many vegetables was it per week? Different types of vegetables and fruit per week. I want to say 20. I want to say 20, but take that, I might need to double check on that. I ate like 20 different fruits and vegetables a week to really boost the microbiome, like reworking my proportions on like meat, and I did that for like two years like straight, like straight eating clean, like everything, like from scratch, and I lost like 20 pounds. It actually really helped.

Karlee: 17:26

So that's some dedication on your part to stick to that for two whole years yeah, I was committed.

Rachel: 17:32

I was committed.

Karlee: 17:34

Um, yeah, it was, it was a journey for sure yeah, and did you find you noticed improvements quickly, or did it take like the full two years for you to notice improvements?

Rachel: 17:48

So obvious. So in the beginning, you know, I was still learning. So I would accidentally like, I think at the beginning I gradually, you know I was learning. You know what I couldn't handle, like, oh, this salad dressing actually has sugar in it. Like I couldn't handle like, oh, this salad dressing actually has sugar in it. Like I didn't do gluten, sugar, dairy, and did I do? I didn't even do eggs for like two years straight. And in the beginning, you know, I was still learning, like how to like read labels or like what was in my food. So like I would try, I would do like a dressing and I I would like break out um and I, and then I would find out, oh, something's in there. You know, that was like a bit of learning the hard way?

Karlee: 18:37

yeah. Do you still need to eat that way now? Or have you expanded your college?

Rachel: 18:43

yeah, I guess, oh yeah, so I recently, like I've been gradually like incorporating foods back, like I'm eating eggs again, like I can enjoy myself, like I can go out to eat. Now you know, and you know, if you go out to eat they use seed oils and it won't trigger me as bad. So like I can enjoy myself now you know, and as like I really just look at it, as you know, okay, you're eating like this most of the week.

Karlee: 19:12

You know you want to still be able to go out to eat or something you know, yeah, of course, and like sometimes, like your gut was in such a state at the beginning that you were struggling to tolerate pretty much anything. So it sounds like you just got rid of all of the really inflammatory trigger foods for a while.

Rachel: 19:34

Yeah.

Karlee: 19:35

And worked on improving your gut health, so were you taking like supplements and things like that at that time?

Rachel: 19:45

So I did. I tried a little bit, but really my main like I really just focused on food, like the probiotics and like food like vegetables, roots and vegetables and getting those in daily. I tried the probiotics for a little bit but I found most of an effect would like just diet in general. Like I felt like so much clearer.

Karlee: 20:12

I didn't have like the anxiety or the depression anymore and yeah, I love that because food really is our most powerful weapon against like these symptoms of our gut, and not even just gut related symptoms, like you said. You were having skin issues and anxiety and depression or things like that, and just eating whole foods was like the big game changer for you and that's incredible.

Rachel: 20:43

Yeah, it really was. It's it's like medicine, like, and it is kind of like you are what you eat, you know Mm-hmm.

Karlee: 20:53

Totally so. Then where does spirituality come into this?

Rachel: 20:59

Because obviously that is a big part of who you are. That's what your business is all about. So I'm sure it was also a part of your gut health journey. Yes, absolutely. Like with the work that I do, like I want to have the cleanest vessel right so that, like I can channel clearly for my clients At the beginning of my gut health journey, you know like there's a lot to do with gut health and like safety when your gut is triggered like that, if there's all you know your body doesn't like feel safe, like your nervous system doesn't feel safe. I really had to like work on that and like slow down and I was already being doing mindful practices like I'm I'm really glad that I have that background in like yoga and like you know, having tools in place for that. But like that was like another wake-up call like okay, you need to feel safe. Like you know, like go on your walk, calm your mind definitely a huge part of the gut healing process.

Karlee: 22:13

Like, everyone focuses on the food, which is important, of course, but we also need to focus on, like, how we're eating. Like are you shoveling your food into your mouth as you're watching tv? Or you're in the middle of like work and you're stressed out because at that point, it doesn't matter what you're eating, you're not gonna digest it because your body is stressed I feel like a lot of people who have gut issues, like if there's stress, like has to do with it you know, I mean our gut issues stress us out, so it kind of goes hand in hand.

Karlee: 22:51

But that's why, like mindfulness practices and yoga things like that are like they need to be a part of the gut health improving journey, because just focusing on food alone isn't going to do it. What are are your favorite spiritual practices that you found were most helpful for your gut health?

Rachel: 24:33

I want to say walking for sure, like, just like walking, being in nature is that's a meditation in itself. You know, you don't even have to try or like, your mind just automatically quiets and you're, you feel peaceful and when you walk, do you cold turkey it or do you like, bring electronics with you? I don't really bring electronics. Well, I I bring my phone um just to keep time, but um, I don't really like listen to music or anything, because I kind of just like when my mind quiets. What about you?

Karlee: 25:14

I think it depends. I do like to listen to podcasts when I walk, but then there are some days when I know like I've been inside, I've been on technology all day and I just need a minute and I'll go on a walk without any like technology, and I do find those ones are a lot more relaxing. Um, not to say listening to a podcast on a walk is a bad idea, but I'm just more focused on, like, what I'm listening to, opposed to what's around me. So they are are two different types of walks, I guess.

Rachel: 25:49

Oh yeah, absolutely yeah, it depends what you're in the mood for.

Karlee: 25:53

Yeah, sometimes I'm just trying to be super productive and I'm like I need to get information in, I need to walk. Yeah, yeah, a multitask moment.

Rachel: 26:02

Yeah, I want to say like I have those days, but for the most part. Like, yeah, I do have those days where I'll like to listen to a podcast, but I usually just like to quiet my mind for the most part?

Karlee: 26:15

Yeah, I think that's a good tip. What are your daily habits or practices, both health related or spiritual, that help you stay grounded, stay balanced and keep your gut in check? Your top, maybe your top three things that you do or you try to do on a daily basis.

Rachel: 26:33

Oh, okay, let me think about that. I can think of like two. So I wake up and the first thing I do is I meditate before, like getting on any electronics or like before even opening social media, like I always try to be in my own energy, you know like, so I'm not just consuming posts and like get into scrolling or anything, you know. So I wake up and I keep my phone on do not disturb, and I just do my meditation and meal prepping like really helps too, so that you don't eat just whatever's there, even if it's like every two to three days. Whatever meal prepping is good enough for you, like if that's like cutting vegetables, I know you like to you. You like to make things fast, right, like I do. Yeah, I like to just prep things and then have them available to like toss together when I need them yeah, I think that's definitely a tip most people will resonate with.

Karlee: 27:46

Nobody wants to be in the kitchen for five hours a day.

Rachel: 27:50

Especially if you work. And yeah, so I just I like to make time for that, to just prep some stuff ready to eat.

Karlee: 28:00

Yeah, I would agree. I would agree with that. I also try in the morning. Actually I've started now I don't keep my phone in the bedroom anymore. I used to charge it on my nightstand and I was trying to like stop looking at it in the morning, but because it was right there, I'm like grabbing it even though I'm like stop. So I stopped charging my phone beside my bed. So now I charge my phone in the kitchen overnight. So when I'm sleeping it's not in the room, when I wake up it's not near me. So I literally cannot grab it until I'm like up and, like you know, I do my little morning routine and then I grab my phone.

Rachel: 28:40

Okay, yeah, well, also, there's like EMF too, so I don't know if you're into that.

Karlee: 28:48

Yep, that's a whole other can of worms. Oh yeah, so many things, okay, well, we're almost out of time here. So let's just say people listening are interested in spirituality. They want to incorporate it into their gut healing journey, but they're brand new to it. What's like a tip or something they can start doing now to ease themselves into it?

Rachel: 29:16

I want to say mindfulness. Start your mindfulness journey, like tuning into your breath or just like noticing how you feel and acknowledging it, without like stuffing anything down Just because, like the day and age we live in is so fast, it can stress us out. So just having like a practice to like slow down and ground and tune into yourself, I would definitely suggest that.

Karlee: 29:45

I love that yourself. I would definitely suggest that. I love that. I think that's great advice in this busy world that we live in, when we're trying to just go, go, go, do, do. Do we need to take a minute?

Karlee: 29:55

and just acknowledge also, like appreciate how far you've come, because if you're even just listening to this, you're trying to better yourself, right? So like it's easy to get caught up in what do I need to do next? What do I need to do next? Like I'm not there yet, but take a moment and acknowledge like you have already done so much. You're already trying to improve yourself. Like appreciate that, acknowledge you're doing great and it's just gonna get better from here.

Rachel: 30:23

Absolutely you have to do it in baby steps too. You really got to take it step by step.

Karlee: 30:28

So yeah, we all want like that quick fix. We want it done now, but it takes time and it's going to take time. No matter how much you try to do all at once, it's going to take the amount of time it's going to take. Like you can't speed run it, so you're just along for the ride. Like you can't speed run it, so you're just along for the ride. Yeah, perfect. Well, thank you for being here and before we go, could you just tell us a little bit more about your business, the services you offer and where we can find you?

Rachel: 30:58

yeah, so I go by story spirit aura. I do tarot, mediumship, intuitive readings, and I also do energy clearings and chakra balancing as well. I offer them in person and online, so I can do these services no matter where you're located in the world, and you can find me at Story Spirit Aura.

Karlee: 31:25

Perfect. I encourage everyone please go follow Rachel, check out her services. She's an incredible person and she's great at what she does. I had my first tarot and it was awesome and very accurate. By the way, thank you so much for being here, rachel, and thank you for sharing your journey with us. I know it's a sensitive topic to share all of your dirty laundry, so I really appreciate you being here and letting everyone else know like they're not alone. Other people have experienced this and they've made it out on the other side, so you are an inspiration and I'm so happy I met you.

Rachel: 32:01

Oh, thank you so much. You're an inspiration too.

Karlee: 32:04

Thanks so much. I'll talk to you later. Bye, I really hope you guys enjoyed my conversation with Rachel today. She really has been through it with her gut health and the fact that she is now able to go out to restaurants, eat out, have her own thriving business, is really inspiring and a reminder that your gut issues do not have to be forever. There is a way out and, yes, it takes hard work and time, but it's very possible. Thanks for tuning in to my first ever interview episode. There'll be more on the way. I'll talk to you next week. Thank you for listening to the Beyond Bloated podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review, and don't forget to share this podcast with your fellow gut goddesses. If you'd like to chat about today's episode, send me a DM on Instagram at beyondbloated. Until next time, bye.