Becoming Her: Why Your Body is Part of the Journey

From Gut Struggles to Healing: Why Ignoring the Signs Nearly Cost Me Everything

When I was younger, I knew something wasn’t right with my gut.

I was always bloated, most of the time I had stomach cramps, and I constantly worried about where the nearest bathroom was. Deep down, I knew what I was eating was hurting me… but I did nothing different.

As a teenager, I was diagnosed with IBS. Back in the 90s, though, no one really understood it. The advice I got was: take an antispasmodic, don’t eat nuts, and peel your grapes. That was it. No real help. No one connecting the dots. No one explaining what was happening inside my body.

Fast forward to age 21: I woke up one morning with double vision. Soon after, I was diagnosed with a very scary autoimmune condition called myasthenia gravis. This diagnosis led to multiple medications, some of which caused me to gain over 50 pounds.

I remember so clearly walking through the mall, stopping at shop windows, staring at the beautiful dresses and outfits. And in my head, I already knew: I’d look horrible in them.

“If only I had a body like her…” I thought. If only I looked like my friend, then I’d be beautiful in those clothes.

That moment stayed with me. Because there’s a duality here, one we don’t talk about enough.

The Duality of Self-Love and Growth

On one hand, yes, we are told to love ourselves exactly as we are. And I believe that. We are wonderfully beautifully made, just as we are.

But at the same time, we can also hold the truth that when we eat better, move our bodies, think better, and care for ourselves with intention, we start to fall in love with a new version of us - the higher version. The one who prioritizes the body she’s been given to live in on this earth.

It’s not about hating who you are now. It’s about honoring her while also choosing to grow into who you’re becoming. That’s the duality: self-love and self-evolution.

Mind, body, and spirit are inseparable. Yes, we are spirit. Yes, we have a powerful mind. But for now, both must live inside this body. And when we nurture that body... not from punishment or hustle, but from flow and curiosity, we start unlocking a higher version of ourselves... again and again (it never stops)

Why Waiting is Dangerous

This is to empower you. Because the truth is, you don’t need to wait to live like her, the higher version of you. She already exists inside you.

When you choose to step into her, you’ll see that growth isn’t about striving or hustling. It’s about flowing toward the woman you are already becoming.

We all have that choice: stay where we are, or lean into the curiosity of who we could be.

Not out of fear.

Not out of push.

But out of a deep knowing that we were made to evolve.

If I had known then what I know now… if I had made the changes my gut was asking me to make… I truly believe I wouldn’t have developed this autoimmune condition.

Waiting cost me years of my life, my health, my energy, and my confidence. And that’s why I’m so passionate about helping women today. Because the signs are there. Your body is always talking to you. And if you wait... if you push the symptoms aside, if you hope it will “fix itself”… the cost can be so much greater down the line.

The Hope on the Other Side

But here’s the upside.

This experience gave me wisdom, deep understanding, a knowing, and most of all, hope. I’ve been in full remission for over 12 years. I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off for more than a decade - not with obsession or punishment, but by learning how to truly support my body.

That’s why I can stand here today and say with confidence:

Healing is possible.

Thriving is possible.

And you don’t have to wait until things get worse... you can start now.

I believe in INFINITE POSSIBILITIES...

...and the best is yet to come

With love and grace,

Karin xx

Founder of Anavah Living

Holistic Hormone & Life Coach