⌛ Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Hello! My name is Christine Mestdagh, and I’m a happy, healthy, energetic, and thriving individual. But life wasn’t always this way. Foreshadowing…

Where It All Began

My journey into the health industry began in childhood when I struggled with debilitating stomach pain, indigestion, and chronic and severe constipation. I was diagnosed with gastroparesis, which meant that my stomach muscles were paralyzed and I couldn’t digest food properly. There was no explanation for why I had it or how it would progress. Some patients would need feeding tubes over time. I was told that it was incurable, so I’d have to manage symptoms with daily laxatives, antacids/acid blockers, and enemas… not to mention the extremely restrictive “low fiber, low residue” diet (in other words, “don’t consume vegetables and live on white bread”) as I couldn’t digest much without feeling like there were knives and glass shards in my stomach. I was expected to be on this plan for the rest of my life to keep my symptoms at bay.

I was also told that because I had one condition, I was likely to have more. That turned out to be true over the years, as I was prescribed medications for irregular and painful menstrual cycles, acne, asthma, eczema, attention difficulties… you name it. My prescriptions kept piling up, as did their side effects, leading me to more pills. I was constantly sick, in and out of doctor's offices, and cycling on and off antibiotics and steroids each month. It felt like I was always seeing a new specialist for a new symptom. I had no energy, I couldn't sleep, and I frequently had anxious breakdowns. I was irritable and easily upset. I was chronically fatigued, dealing with insulin resistance (pre-diabetic), and experiencing strange symptoms over the years like brain fog, pins and needles, underactive thyroid, vitiligo, interstitial cystitis, chronic mono, moon face, food sensitivities, vertigo, anxiety, and rosacea… just to name a few. Safe to say, I felt pretty helpless and without answers.

Wanting to dive deeper, I pursued pre-med in college (and graduated with honors!), thinking medicine was my calling. However, after working in the medical field, I started noticing a disconnect in the patients that were struggling to find lasting relief, just like me. It felt like something was missing.

And then… I found it.

The Turning Point

I first learned about integrative health in 2019 by a friend, and, though initially skeptical, I was intrigued by the “root cause approach” and later decided to dive in. After all, I felt like I had nowhere left to turn and I desperately needed help. I started working with a practitioner and ran my first set of root-cause lab tests, and truly could not believe my results: I had real answers for the first time in my life. I discovered I had candida overgrowth, gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, heavy metal toxicity (specifically mercury and aluminum), mold poisoning, estrogen dominance, off-the-charts cortisol levels, a sluggish liver—a mishmash of terms I had never even heard of before—and was severely deficient in many minerals and vitamins, which hadn’t been caught in standard blood tests. And more… but this story is already long enough…

These imbalances were truly the root of all the symptoms I’d been experiencing. And, remember when I was told that “because I had one condition, I was likely to have more”? I now realized that was the case because I had a slew of underlying roots disrupting my body and causing symptoms everywhere. What I once saw as unrelated issues were actually connected signs of deeper dysfunction.

That gut imbalance wasn’t just causing digestive issues… it also contributed to my issues with anxiety (since 90% of serotonin is made in the gut¹), an underactive thyroid (because thyroid hormone conversion is influenced by the gut²), a weakened immune system (since around 80% of the immune system is housed in the gut³), and so much more.

I realized that the body isn’t just a collection of isolated systems… it’s an intricately connected network. One imbalance can set off a cascade, affecting everything from your mood and metabolism to your energy and immunity. I had spent decades managing symptoms—trying new diets and rotating pills—but nothing brought lasting change until I addressed the root. And once I started to resolve the underlying deficiencies and toxicities, my body began to heal.

From Pain to Purpose

Because of a root cause approach, I was able to restore my health solely through intentional lifestyle changes and targeted supplementation. And today, I’m a happy, healthy, energetic, and thriving individual.

But the most amazing part of my story is that, now, I get to help my clients look deeper, connect the dots, and bring their bodies back into balance. What has felt like 20+ years of isolated pain has become my shared purpose today. Thank you, God.

I hope that by sharing my story, you’re able to see that it hasn’t been an easy road for me… but that’s exactly why I’m so passionate about making the journey easier for my clients. I understand the struggles. I understand the frustration. And I truly want to help.

I'm so glad you're here. Feel free to schedule a consultation and let’s work together whenever you’re ready.

Sincerely,
Christine

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Please note: some parts of my story have been condensed for clarity.

References

1. Cleveland Clinic. Serotonin. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin.

2. Knezevic J, Starchl C, Tmava Berisha A, Amrein K. Thyroid-Gut-Axis: How Does the Microbiota Influence Thyroid Function? Nutrients. 2020 Jun 12;12(6):1769. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7353203/.

3. Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):886. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33803407/.