How I got to where I am
Hi, I’m Hamish. I’ve not always been a ‘health fanatic,’ as some people might call me. I used to love takeaways, crisps, and copious amounts of alcohol. Oh, I almost forgot about the multiple packets of Jaffa cakes per day! I love to be outdoors: Climbing mountains, skiing, surfing, diving – you name it. However, after developing my chronic health problems, my life dramatically changed. I could no longer participate in all the sports and exercise that brought joy and happiness into my life.
Like many others, the root of all my health issues began in my gut. Just like Hippocrates – AKA the ‘father of modern medicine’ – said, “All Disease Begins in the Gut!” What started as some βharmless,β- or so I thought – diarrhoea after eating certain foods and drinking alcohol at the weekends developed into various unexplained symptoms affecting my entire body: extreme bloating, anxiety, depression, debilitating IBS (often having diarrhoea up to 10 times per day), a year-long, 24/7 headache, crippling fatigue, acid reflux (GERD), brain fog, chronic injuries, etc. Eventually, after years of suffering these symptoms, they manifested into an autoimmune disease.
After seeing countless doctors and specialists, I realised I would need to take control of my health, as none of them could explain why this was happening to a “young, fit, 20-something-year-old man”. Endless hours of research ignited a passion for everything health-related, and I couldn’t believe all the scientific research showing how gut health affects the entire body. Once I began focusing on my gut, I noticed many unexplained symptoms started improving. My year-long headache disappeared, my anxiety and depression improved dramatically, and my fatigue became more manageable. With these improvements, I slowly reintroduced exercise into my life, which allowed me to feel like myself again!
This newfound passion eventually led me to health coaching. After reading about how health coaching focuses on all the pillars of health: mindset, movement, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and not just focusing solely on one aspect, I knew this was the career for me. I enrolled in the health coaching course with the College of Naturopathic Medicine, London, and loved every second.
It’s not all genetics like we’ve been led to believe. Genetics have a part to play, but environmental factors, such as antibiotic use, sleep, nutrition, and movement, are the most significant predictors of health. Genetics load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger!
I can speak from personal experience about how debilitating health problems can be and just how much of a major impact healthy lifestyle changes can have. I have successfully come off all the pills I took for years to control my chronic diarrhoea and have avoided any immunosuppressant medication for my autoimmune disease. Itβs through my own health improvements that I fell in love with health coaching. It allows me to put all the health problems I have experienced over the years to good use by using them to help people like you!
Allow me to be to you what I wish I had when I embarked on my health journey β someone to give you guidance, unconditional support and accountability.
You have the power to change your health – begin your journey today!