Our Stories
Addie Heartkin, CHN, RWP, CLC
My passion for helping people regain their health was ignited from my own experiences. I understand what it is like to feel seriously unwell, and I can relate to the massive amount of discomfort, effort, and surrender that it takes to climb out from beneath years of unhealthy habits in order to truly heal.
Qualifications
- Certified Life Coach (CLC)
- Diploma of Holistic Health
- Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CHN)
- Restorative Wellness Practitioner Level 2 (RWP)
- Certification in Functional Blood Chemistry
- Associates of Occupational Studies in Mind-Body Transformational Psychology
My Story
I spent about 8 years of my life overcoming a very advanced and debilitating expression of ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disorder categorized as "inflammatory bowel disease"; however, my entire body, mind, and emotional state were severely impacted. I was bedridden for the majority of three years while becoming extremely familiar with the inside of an ambulance, the ER, and ICU. I lost my independence entirely, my ability to walk, bathe, or even (at times) the ability to feed myself.
I could tell you how I became so emaciated that I weighed just 80 pounds, or I could tell you how all my joints and tendons were painfully inflamed, or that I went to the bathroom over 30 times per day, and every time was excruciatingly painful due to the ulcers lining my insides... I could tell you that I was so nutritionally deficient and had lost so much blood that I experienced hallucinations, had a resting heart rate of 165 beats per minute, and could hardly catch my breath while lying in bed. But unless you have been a prisoner to a debilitating disease, no words can describe that experience enough for you to truly understand what that feels like. However, if you have ever felt as if your body has betrayed you or is holding you back from your dreams, and if you are familiar with the struggle every day, waking up and realizing you are still in pain or still exhausted or still feel a sense of despair because you are slowly losing hope, then you understand. I have experienced it too, and I understand what you are going through, no matter what level or stage your disease is at.
It was a very long fight for my life, and I was frequently given an "expiration date" by my doctors. The many doctors I saw during this time were full of fear and out of hope. It was not until later that I understood why: Western medical doctors are not trained to really understand how to heal from chronic disease. They are trained on how to mask it, put a Band-Aid on it, and "manage" the symptoms. Modern medicine is wonderful for acute situations and emergencies -- heart surgery, setting a broken bone, stitching up a wound -- but understands very little about how the body heals (as a whole, connected system) from chronic disease.
My Life-Changing Decision
In 2007, after yet another horrific month in the hospital, I decided to find another way to get well, or literally die trying. The Western medical approach was only making me sicker and less hopeful, and I knew I had to get out of that system if I was ever going to feel like myself again. I began researching online and searching for any evidence of someone overcoming ulcerative colitis naturally. At the time, the natural health industry was only just starting to blow up. There was not much published on this topic, and I only found two books whose authors had Crohn's (a different type of inflammatory bowel disease) and had overcome it through changes to diet and lifestyle. However, after trying their methods for a long time and even consulting with the authors themselves, I only slightly improved. I felt so discouraged, but I continued my quest.
Over the next 5 years, I learned a tremendous amount about the body, diet, and the mind-body connection. I implemented what I learned into my life, piece by piece... it took me years of trial and error, and I made many costly and painful mistakes along the way; mistakes I made so you don't have to.
My Being Well Life
My disease never caused me to return to another hospital or Western medical doctor since 2007. Likewise, I've been off all medication, including over-the-counter drugs, for the same amount of time. Best of all, I've been symptom-free since 2013, even though it took me another 4 years to fully regain my strength and vitality after my symptoms had resolved.
I have since gone on many adventures, married my high school sweetheart (yep, that's Jeremiah), and learned to ride a motorcycle, which I rode until I got pregnant with my first son. I've given birth twice at home with no medical intervention, and lived the life of my dreams! This is not to brag, but to illustrate what is possible for you! None of this would have been possible had I not had the courage to follow my gut to a better solution.
At Your Service!
I've continued my life-long learning and chosen to dedicate my life to serving those who are in some way where I used to be. If your bucket is dry, I want to guide you to that well of hope, joy, and vitality that exists inside you, clear away the brambles, and help you fill your bucket so you can once again thrive! I want to help you uncover that active, vibrant being inside you, living beneath the heavy mask of disease. Have hope! Your body has been waiting for you to remove that which no longer serves you, to take one giant and courageous step toward a new, more conscious life. It is asking you to give it the simple things it needs to be nourished. Your body is designed to heal -- it is waiting to heal. You only need to understand how to step out of its way ;-)
I'm here to be your teacher, your guide, and your champion so that you can lead a freer, more fulfilling life. I will believe in you, even if you cannot yet believe in yourself because I know how crucial it is that you heal, and I know it is possible! We will help you.
I can't wait for you to experience Being Well again, and I'm grateful and honored to be considered as a part of your journey! Much love. Be Well.
Jeremiah Heartkin, CHN
I was first drawn to helping others through my own mental health struggles. But being by Addie's side throughout her own healing journey and watching her completely fall apart and then climb her way out of it, really opened my eyes and deepened my understanding of what the body is capable of. I have both witnessed and experienced disease in many shapes and forms. I have seen diseases of the mind affecting the physical body, and diseases of the body affecting the mind. I am continually intrigued by this connection.
Qualifications
- Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CLC)
- Private Chef
My Story
Ever since I can remember, I have been intrigued by human nature. In fact, for a large part of my teenage years, I wanted to become a psychologist. And although I’ve become a certified holistic nutritionist instead, my approach to healing relies heavily on the mind-body connection because I understand that mindset can make or break a healing process and that emotions impact our physiology just as much as anything else. Not only have I independently studied psychology and the connection between mind, body, and emotions, but I have experienced this through my own struggle with depression and anxiety for most of my life.
If you are struggling with a physical disease, it likely has aspects rooted in your mind and emotional body. It is also likely that it causes you to feel terrible on many more levels beyond the physical. I understand how much energy it can take to get up every day when you're feeling low, and I want to help you uncover the keys to overcoming these obstacles on every level!
I had some challenging experiences in my childhood and many drastic and shocking changes that had taught me it was easier to surrender to change than fight against it. I would outwardly morph myself into whatever mold others created for me, but I’d be lost in a sea of self-doubt and deprecation inwardly. This led to a shaky inner foundation lacking in self-love, inner knowing, and security. Instead of fostering and nurturing these qualities within myself, I tried to nurture them outwardly for others. Instead of healing myself, I wanted to make sure no one else ever felt the way I did. In an odd kind of way, and at a very young age, this was the first inclination that I wanted to serve people who needed to heal. I discovered that helping other people feel good filled that hollow void inside myself, even for a short while.
But, for most of my life, I couldn’t remember what it was like to exist without depression and anxiety. I had a constant feeling that I needed to be doing more, caring more, and being more than I was. I felt that I wasn't enough no matter what I did, and I was completely overwhelmed by it. It felt like I was drowning, and the surface was always just out of reach. I’d try so hard to get there – I’d really fight for it – but I couldn’t manage to rise above it. Even though I had married the love of my life, had two beautiful children, and lived a life full of adventure, I couldn’t seem to hold onto the happiness of those experiences for very long, and that made me feel even worse about myself. Some days I’d be closer to that surface, and other days I’d be deep, deep down in the darkest depths of it.
For years, I was a pillar of strength on the outside because I had to be for Addie while she was going through her own healing process (read her story). But once I knew she was well and thriving, my depression and anxiety went into full swing, almost as if someone had popped the cork that had been holding me together for all those years. I was finally safe to fully feel all of it. And it wasn’t until I realized that never having to live another day sounded right for me that I recognized I had fallen too deeply into this depression cycle I’d been battling with my whole life. I also recognized at that moment that I needed to fix it for good.
The Shift
Once I acknowledged and admitted that I needed help, I started to give myself all the things I was so used to giving to others. I realized how I had been depriving myself of many of the things I was deprived of when I was young. I not only renewed my focus on nutritional and lifestyle practices to support my healing, but I also addressed the mental and emotional aspects. In less than a week, I was feeling like a different person. Within a month, for the first time, I felt freed from the weight of the world that I'd been trapped beneath for most of my life!
It takes conscious effort and discipline to make changes at the level necessary to create real and lasting healing, but it is possible. You will change no matter what, and it might as well be a change for the better!
My Being Well Life
Now that I am free from depression and anxiety, I have a strong level of certainty in who I am and what I am capable of. I love myself and can see that life is full of magic. I can enjoy the gifts life has given to me instead of viewing them from a distance. Everything has changed, and the momentum in my life propels me forward, skimming across the waves, instead of being dragged beneath the surface. And guess what else happened? Years of chronic back pain disappeared completely!
Although I described the pivotal moment in which I decided to overcome my depression once and for all, it took me years of small changes to get to where I am today. Years of trial and error, and just like in Addie's journey, I made many painful and costly mistakes along the way.
I am grateful because I have learned so much through my own experiences, and I can now give you all my shortcuts, all the nuggets of wisdom I have gained, and when combined with nutrition and lifestyle practices, you too can become a whole person again!
At Your Service!
I understand the impossible amount of stress our minds and bodies can sustain and still survive without failing. I have also seen the incredible power of belief, the wondrous teachings of nature, and the magic fabric of life that always seems to say: “this time too shall pass.” All these moments have culminated for me into a winding path of service to others. Through my thirty years of struggle, unease, adventure, love, loss, and fear, I’ve seen and learned more than I could ever say here. I’ve created structure, tools, and balance to help myself overcome all of my ailments, whether mental, emotional, or physical. As a student of life, I’ve come to see the beautiful imperfection it holds, and how implementing a slight change could alter the course of life forever.
I am so excited to be here with you, wherever this finds you, on your winding path in life, and I feel honored to be invited to encourage and empower you each step of the way. You may be right in the middle of a major struggle, or you may be fearful of where you’ve found yourself as of late, but that never means you need to wander your path alone. I know that if we can strike a balance, embody gratitude, and find an understanding of your unique needs, the possibilities of achieving ultimate health and happiness for you are close at hand.
Let’s jump right in and get you feeling better than you have felt in years!