A COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT STORY
Earlier this year The Self Love Lab joined forces with gut health brand JERMS for an incredible workshop combining the powerful benefits of sound healing with gut health education. Today we hear from one of our community members as she kindly shares how this session helped her health journey.
KATHERINE’S STORY
Katherine has been diagnosed with illnesses of varying severity since her late teens. A close friend of mine, I have seen first-hand how she navigated intense periods of uncertainty, particularly when trialing new medications. During these occasions, she would often complain about the various side effects of these drugs, and how the repercussions seeped into all aspects of her daily life. She would suffer intense stomach cramps, irritable bowel syndrome and other serious digestive plights.
“Doctors always had the same mentality when it came to treating me - prescribe first, ask questions later”
Earlier this year we both attended the Get to Know your Gut workshop with Louise McNab, founder of the gut health supplement brand JERMS, in collaboration with The Self Love Lab.
Louise began the session by introducing us to how our guts work and how they are affected by everyday stressors, the food choices we make and our individual approaches to movement etc. Our guts are extremely sensitive to BPAs, toxins and the over-processed products that enter our bodies everyday. Louise founded JERMS after dealing with her own gut issues which affected her whole body, from digestion, to her skin and her mental health.
We often overlook the many ways in which the gut and brain are linked by hormonal messengers and bodily signals. A healthy gut, with nourished bacteria can equate a healthier brain. For a long time, Katherine had looked for a way to ease her gut issues, without the side effects that come from medication, and of course without disrupting the other medication she had to take.
“I was never told how much our brain health is connected to our digestive health, but when I heard it made total sense to me. I know that when I’m regular and my body is functioning well I just feel happier”
Louise explained the concept of JERMs Daily Gut supplement. It uses natural, ethically sourced ingredients like ginger and lactobacillus acidophilus LA1, that are known to support digestion. It comes in powder form and is easily added to cold drinks, raw treats, breakfasts etc.
“In the class we ended up sharing our personal stories about confusing nutritional advice and navigating the world of health. Louise mentioned FODMAP and elimination diets and explained how they work so well, she also spoke about how a varied diet can diversify good gut bacteria. Hearing everyone speak in this safe space, I knew that I wanted to just be more intuitive with how I ate and try more foods rather than restricting them”
We then took part in a Sound Bath hosted by practitioner and founder of The Self Love Lab, Zehra. This was a time to reflect, and also to seek inner calm. Sound Bathing, along with many other benefits, supports healthy digestion by relaxing the body and reducing the toll of external stressors.
“I think it was during the sound bath that I solidified how I was going to look after my gut from then on. I just thought about it, I have spent so much time worrying that that was probably adding stress and not helping my digestion. I knew I would purchase one of Louise’s supplement and commit to taking it once a day. I would also try to have a more varied diet. I was loving the relaxing vibes of the whole session and the sound bath was like a cherry on top! I was like, let me also try to induce more meditation and calming things into my day because its really helping my stress levels”.
Since the class, Katherine’s digestive issues have noticeably subsided. She is less afraid of irritation and tries new food because she wants to and because she knows variety is good for her gut. A new devotee to JERMs Good Gut, she takes it once a day in the morning. She also brings self-love into her life through meditating throughout the day when she has a spare 5 minutes. She hopes to return to a sound bath soon.
We hope Katherines story inspires you in some way, our monthly events provide a safe outlet for discovering and tapping into your health and wellbeing journey.
MEET LOUISE
After an incredible workshop + testimony we had to chat with Louise, founder of JERMS. From learning about her own gut health journey to understanding about product conception, we uncover the incredible journey behind the brand. Click below to read all!
Camille is a writer and curator based in London. She specialises in wellness, art and creativity as a means of self-love and expression.
She has worked with a number of wellness brands and art galleries, creating written and social content and helping develop and run events, exhibitions and educational outreach schemes. She is passionate about the power of incorporating self love rituals into your routine to support wellbeing, balance your daily rhythm and find time to let your artistic spirit bloom.
Article written by Camille Leadbeater
Communications Lead @ The Self Love Lab
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