About

I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, devoted Kundalini Meditator and Yogi and a free-spirited, against-the-grain lover of living the good life through new experiences, art and travels. By day I teach at the intermediate level where I try to bring my zest for fresh ideas, environmentalism and living a creative life into the classroom. I am passionate about living a holistic lifestyle (A.K.A. the way our grandparents and ancestors lived for thousands of years before industrialization and the epidemic of auto-immune diseases). 

Several years ago I encountered health problems that became progressively worse as I continued to ignore them. Mild teenage acne turned into adult cystic acne compacted with hormonal imbalances, fibrocystic breast, hypoglycemia and irritable bowel syndrome. There seemed to be no other explanation for why I would have so many seemingly unrelated health problems other than my body was a lemon.

Thus began my lifelong passion for holistic living, natural nutrition and spiritual connection. As I did research I became increasingly aware about the undeniable connection between what we feed ourselves (food and thoughts) and how we feel. For years, I knew these truths but I struggled to apply these principles to my own life. I wasn’t taking care of myself on all levels and soon my mental health suffered as well.

As a teenager, I had battled with depression and anxiety. As an adult I had convinced myself that ‘I had dealt with that’ because I generally defined myself as a happy person. I was in total denial about the fact that my controlling, perfectionist behaviour and racing, anxious thoughts meant I was still living almost every moment of my life in a flight-or-fight mode.

Then one day I had an excruciating IBS spasm/attack at work. The powerlessness of that moment was traumatizing. I lived in constant terror of another IBS attack compounded by all the other issues that I had resolved to ‘stuff down and keep tough’. Within days I felt like my sanity had been ripped away from me. I had anxiety attacks daily, suffered terrifying insomnia in spite of exhaustion and couldn’t make it through a day without taking ‘crying breaks’. I developed strange phobias that I never had before: everything from diseases to germs to cars. Life in general terrified me. 

It isn't easy to come out of the 'mental health' closet. Yet I feel compelled to share what I have learned on my healing journey in spite of my feelings of vulnerability about being labelled as a self-professed basket case. If we are to ever truly heal our mind (and consequently our bodies) we must find the courage to speak up. We need to seek out real answers about what's going on in our minds instead of stopping at anti-depressants and tranquilizers and never taking the next step to face our fears and find out what brought us to the crossroads in the first place. (Please note I am not in anyway implying medication is cowardly or unnecessary. But since recent research has only shown a 10% increase in mood among depressed people compared to a placebo this is hardly an answer to mental health.)   

It was Dr. Katherine Willow of Carp Ridge Eco-Wellness Centre in Ontario, a renowned fourth generation Naturopath, who within minutes gave me back the pieces of the puzzle—even if it still remained unassembled. I was estrogen dominant, had a low functioning thyroid and had severe adrenal exhaustion. I had been told before my adrenals were weak, but had no idea how much they regulated. Mood, thought processes, the general ability to handle stress as well as hormone regulation are all significantly affected by adrenal function. This explained the fibrocystic breast, the difficulty getting pregnant and the adult acne. Even the hypoglycemia and IBS goes hand in hand with adrenal fatigue! All of this was undetected by conventional blood tests, but appeared on saliva and urine samples that Dr. Willow advised. As she unraveled more we discovered these health issues stemmed from a spiritual crisis that I was denying. A life purpose I wanted but couldn’t fathom: if not a career, then a sideline in natural health. And here I take the first step.

While I initially saw these issues as a curse, I now see every ‘ill’ I encounter as a blessing to bring my body and spirit back to balance after years of chronic neglect–even abuse. My health issues have been my greatest teachers. They have empowered me to heal what was deemed by most doctors as ‘unexplainable’ and 'incurable'.  I am still on the road to recovery, but today I feel stronger and healthier than ever before.

As I emerge from my ‘dark night of the soul’ I wish for nothing more than to be able to share with others that they can heal through the seemingly simple, but invaluable practices of nutrition, meditation, REST!!!, exercise and most importantly honoring that little voice inside you (your passion) that is calling you. This I know is the most promising path to restoring your mental, spiritual and physical health so that you can live the life that you were called for.

In Health and Wholeness,

Lorayne