I was raised to implicitly trust the Western medical model of healthcare from the time I was little. I struggled with asthma and allergies from the time I was a very little girl. My mom was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was about 12 years old. With every illness and diagnosis came a new prescription – for both her and I. By the time I was a teenager, I had ruined the skin on my hands with steroid ointments, creams, and lotions. The skin thinned so severely that pretty much anything caused an allergic reaction!

My mother was put on so many medications it was hard to distinguish between actual symptoms of her condition(s) and the side effects from those medications. With each symptom, another medication was given, and a whole host of new symptoms/side effects would emerge.

After graduating from college, I went into healthcare. I transcribed medical dictation for various medical specialties but mainly family practice for over 20 years. During that time I was noticing the same cycle – symptoms, medications, symptoms/side effects, and the cycle just spun! Patients were getting sicker and sicker with each appointment.

I had a gut feeling that there had to be a better way.

It wasn’t until I vaccinated my 5th child as an infant that I noticed the toxic reactions from the vaccines were more than “just a fever and localized tenderness.” The reaction I saw in her was marked. Prior to vaccination she was very animated and interactive, made eye contact, and babbled. After vaccination she wouldn’t make eye contact. She would “look through” me instead of at me. She didn’t make the same babbling sounds she had. She was either fussy or very quiet. Over the course of a couple of months, her body was thankfully able to detox most of which was causing her regression and the light returned to her. This was when I began really studying health, disease, germ theory, and traditional healing.

I was determined to do things differently and make a real difference. I got certified as a Master Herbalist through The School of Natural Healing and then began my clinical practice.

I turned my health around, as well as my mother’s, with some basic lifestyle changes. As my mom made some small but significant changes, she had less and less need for medication and we got her weaned from the 15+ she was on, down to only half-doses of 2 (both of which have severe withdrawal symptoms and have to be weaned with great care). I no longer suffer from asthma. My allergies are so much better! I can actually go into a home with cats and dogs and I CAN BREATHE!

I incorporate herbal medicines that I make to manage common illnesses and minor symptoms of cough, cold, tummy troubles, etc. I teach others to do the same.

I am a lifelong learner! I began diving deep into the realm of genetics and epigenetics. THIS IS WHERE SCIENCE AND TRADITIONAL HEALING ARE ABLE TO DANCE BEAUTIFULLY WITH ONE ANOTHER! Understanding one’s genetic weaknesses and how to support the body’s efforts at functioning optimally, is the beginning of restoring and maintaining health.

I use genetic testing, ordering and analyzing labs from a functional medicine lens, and utilizing herbs and supplements to optimize my client’s health.

I have written an eBook titled, “The Hidden Path to Healing: Unmasking Modern Medicine and Reconnecting to Truth, I made an online course titled, The Balanced Body Training Series, and I have published a children’s book titled, “Gracie’s Healing Garden.” All of these were created with the intent to change the face of HEALTHcare to be truly HEALTH FOCUSED – Not the SICKcare system that we are currently offered by Western Mainstream Medicine.

My hope and prayer is that one herb at a time, one client at a time, that I will spark this movement to completely take over and shift the paradigm back toward trusting our bodies and the creation that was originally designed for our health and healing.

Cheers To Your Health!

XO-Carmen