Jaime Hartman (00:06):
Welcome to the AIP Summit Podcast, your go-to resource for taking control of your autoimmune health, presented by AIP Certified Coaches. Hi, I'm Jaime Hartman.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (00:17):
I'm Marie-Noelle Marquis, and we are here to equip you with the tools knowledge and support that you need to effectively use the autoimmune protocol.
Jaime Hartman (00:25):
And today we are bringing you a conversation with one of our favorite people and fellow AIP Certified Coach, Jamie Nicole. Jamie Nicole, you are a fitness instructor, a life coach, a health equity advocate, and of course you are an AIP Certified Coach and you are our ultimate hype girl. And I know that you are not defined by any single label, so we'll try to talk about all of them in our time together today. But can we start with your work as a health equity advocate? I know that your own journey as a patient and as an AIP Certified Coach is what led you to establish the AIP BIPOC Network. Can you tell our listeners what that is and how you are leading the charge to overcome health inequity in autoimmune care?
Jamie Nicole (01:18):
Absolutely, and it's a pleasure for me to do so because if it had not been for you, Jaime Hartman, there would be no AIP BIPOC Network. So a year after I was certified as an AIP Certified Coach, I signed up to be a part of the AIP Summit, your AIP Summit. And so not only did I get an opportunity to choose a subject that I wanted to speak about, you also had a BIPOC affinity roundtable. And it was during that BIPOC affinity roundtable that got an opportunity to hear the stories of other women of color on their journeys with autoimmune disease and their experiences. And I oftentimes now say that we only see things through the lens of our own experiences. So even as a person of color, even as a black woman, I was impacted by the stories that I heard from other cultures while on that backpack, affinity Roundtable. And so from new, you continued to have workshops and roundtables the following months. And in my mind, I knew that the BIPOC affinity roundtable was something that was specifically geared for the AIP Summit in January, but something kept hounding me to continue that conversation. So long story short, after months and months and months of hesitancy, I reached out to you and asked if anyone else was continuing that particular conversation. I didn't want to lead it.
(02:56):
I was just asking if I could support anyone else in that effort. And it was not that I looked back on it surprisingly without hesitation at all, which I don't know if I was expecting it or not. You were like, no, but if you want to, you can and you can have my platform to do it on. That kind of took me back, but not too much because the reason or part of the reason why I became a BIPOC or got my certification in the first place was because of Angie Alt and Mickey Trescott and the work that they were already doing in that space. And at that time I just wanted to rest because I had gone on my own health journey. But if I saw you guys doing it, reading their blogs and the work that they were doing and the fact that you lent your platform to that particular conversation when you did not have to, I thought it was only necessary since it was on my spirit to do so to continue that conversation.
(03:54):
And ever since then, that June, we had our first BIPOC round table utilizing AIP Certified Coaches through your help. And again, through the help of autoimmune wellness with referrals for different speakers, we were able to continue those conversations and expand way past just AIP, but focusing on health equity and the cultural relevance and things that come into play when you're doing AIP. And it's totally grown from there to where we now have a nonprofit, the AIP BIPOC Network. So it's grown from just those round tables. We've had live events here in Houston focusing on the social determinants of health and removing the barriers that people of color oftentimes experience when it comes to seeking health, but particularly with autoimmune disease. And so because of that growth over the past couple of years and working with the board, we've not only said we're going to focus on AIP as A protocol, but also have come up with another meaning behind the acronyms. So we're also, it's a dual approach to focusing on AIP, but also focusing on awareness as the A, inclusion as the I and prevention as the P. So I'm excited to see what's to come and I am forever indebted to you, Jaime Hartman, for saying Yes without hesitation the first time that I asked you if I could assist, not lead, but here we are today and I am glad that you at that time said yes and also had that round table at the AIP Summit,
Jaime Hartman (05:26):
Famous last words. I don't want to be the one to lead this, but maybe I can help. Exactly. So what can the listeners expect from the AIP, which I love that it stands for multiple things now, but the AIP BIPOC network this year in 2025, what are you working on?
Jamie Nicole (05:47):
Working on a couple of different things. We're actually going to be doing Rock the Block again, and if you don't know what rock the block is, it's reaching our communities and kids. It is a onsite health fair that we had here in Houston. Again, we had all types of people out the Lupus Foundation, Arthritis Foundation, Crohn's and Colitis, but we also had local organizations here, whether it be related to food, whether it be related to fitness, come together to provide resources and share information and really tell stories because I feel as though a lot of people aren't aware of autoimmune disease and what it is, they have the symptoms, but until they hear the stories and they can kind of connect the dots, they don't go and actually get a diagnosis. So we're doing that. We're looking to extend it from a one day to a two day.
(06:35):
Hopefully we're able to do that this year to where we can bring in a panel the day before of other experts so that we can talk and see how we can better work together and collaborate to help the community and remove those barriers of the social determinants of health. We're also going to be cooking, kicking off something in the online platform called Rooted in Wellness, where we're sharing culturally relevant recipes and also having a live kicking session once a month. And then originally, Jamie, I'm not sure if you remember on some of the first round tables, we talked about Safe and Brave Spaces
(07:10):
When we kicked that off or when I first started down this journey becoming a health coach, a certified AIP health coach, it was four years ago. It was election season and there was a lot going on and we talked a lot about brave spaces and safe spaces and so that's been in the community, but for a number of different reasons, a lot of irons in the fire that we wanted to make sure that we shored up, that we didn't kick it off, but we're going to be kicking that off this year as well, one space at a time, because I think now more than ever, just like back in 2020 when I saw Angie Alt and Mickey out there protesting and putting in the work, not just with their words but with their actions, that's much needed right now too. So I'm excited to kick that off this year as well.
Jaime Hartman (07:54):
Yeah, that's wonderful. You use the term "social determinants of health," and I know not all of our listeners necessarily know what that means. Would you mind just giving a real brief primer on what that term means?
Jamie Nicole (08:09):
Of course. So the social determinants of health are those now they're calling them the non-medical factors that oftentimes impede people from receiving the best care or those things that we stay in AIP are so important like movement. Sometimes we take for granted that not everyone has green space where they can just go outside and walk or not everyone has the ability to have a grocery store that carries produce, edible produce in their neighborhood. They may not have access to transportation to get to their doctor. So all those things that we as people who have autoimmune disease need and depend on to function outside of medication, outside of just managing our disease, there's other things that we need that we taught as AIP coaches to optimize our health in spite of having autoimmune disease. And so again, that was part of what led into us doing the round tables or me thinking that we needed to continue the round tables and actually expanding is because I saw the privilege that I had even as a black woman, it's is not that I have total privilege, but I have some that allowed me to have access to those things, but not everyone does.
(09:21):
So we really focused on removing those barriers. A couple of the things that we did, and that was an extension from Rock the Block was have a survey. And so I just got through going through a lot of the data from the past couple of years and saw the needs of the community in regards to resources. I saw how many people didn't have access to clinics or primary care health. I saw the need for mental health services, those things that we talk about with autoimmune disease as far as mindset, as far as stress is concerned, there was a big gap in a certain age group that we saw that that was impacted and we were able to drill down and have the data for specific zip codes in Houston. So again, we look forward to being able to narrow down and specify services and information for those particular areas so we can really make an impact and not just put on an event just to put on an event, but we can actually take data from that event and really make an impact in those particular areas.
Jaime Hartman (10:24):
Now I imagine in our audience there'll be people hearing this who want to avail themselves of the services that you offer and also people who may want to help support what you're doing in both those cases, where can they go to find more information about the network?
Jamie Nicole (10:39):
Awesome. Thank you so much for allowing me to share again and allow me to have your platform. They can go to AIPBIPOC.org to find information about us. At the top of the page, there is a button that will also link you to our online community. And when you go there, you'll also see information. It needs to be updated for this year's route the block and it will be the next month, but they can see the purpose behind route the block and some of the pictures from our first year and learn much more information about what we do as a whole. And they can always reach out to us on any social media platform at AIP BIPOC.
Jaime Hartman (11:15):
Great. And I'll make sure to put that link in the show notes. All right. Marie-Noelle has a question for you now.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (11:22):
Yeah, thank you so much, Jamie. It's great to meet you. And again, thanks for sharing all that. It's so inspiring. As co-host Jaime said at the beginning, you're also a fitness instructor and autoimmune health coach and life coach, and you work with clients both one-on-one in groups and also at in-person retreats. What can you tell our listeners about your services and particularly about those retreats?
Jamie Nicole (11:50):
Awesome, thank you so much. Yeah, I have a lot of hats. Before I became a certified coach period, outside of becoming a certified AIP coach, I was a fitness instructor. And for me that wasn't intentional. I was never a fitness girl per se. I'm the girl who took tennis because I didn't want to take gym in high school. But when I was going to the gym, I found such joy in it at the time, I was going through a lot of health issues that I thought were normal. They were common but not normal, and the gym was the only place or one of the only places where I found peace and happiness. I say that it saved me before I knew I needed to be saved. And so long story short, after going to the gym for a long period of time, gradually building up my endurance and my skills over time, I became certified in 2016 with my first fitness certification and have gotten several other fitness certifications since then.
(12:54):
Also the same year that I got certified as an an AIP coach, if you remember, if you're listening, that was 2020 when we were in quarantine. And so I needed things to do because everything was shut down. And so at that time I got certified in a format to help those with limited mobility and chronic illness and those who are older in age or have problems standing doing workouts. And so that's the fitness certification that I use most now and that I enjoy the most because I'm able to adapt that for anyone anywhere on their journey, including myself. Because as you know, if you're listening autoimmune disease, you have ebbs and flows and sometimes you can and sometimes you can't. So it's always good to have those things in your bucket to pull out when you need them. When you can't do a full 5K run or half marathon or go all out, sometimes you just need to sit in a chair and move your leg from side to side.
(13:50):
And so that's one of my favorite ones to do right now. And so after that, that was in between me getting diagnosed with my first autoimmune disease, which I have not mentioned. I got diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2015. I got certified with my first fitness format in 2016, got certified as a health coach in 2017. So throughout that time, again, I've become certified in many different formats, but I've also been doing health coaching. It wasn't until after a little bit before the certification that I really focused on those with autoimmune disease because I know how important it is to have that guidance. Had I had that guidance before, had I had that knowledge before, it wouldn't have taken me so long to get to a point where I was functioning regularly over extended periods of times because there was a bunch of ebbs and flows in between that impeded me from being able to live life and function in a way that I could take care of myself and still work, if that makes any sense.
(15:01):
And so it wasn't until after I took the AIP certification and got the right information, that's another point I want to make. There's a lot of information out there on the internet that can have you going in circles. And so when I was able to get structured information that made sense that was palatable, that I understood that made the world of difference, and so I'm so happy to be able to extend that to my clients, the importance of not only having an autoimmune disease, but being educated on how to treat it the right way is so important. I just didn't want to be a coach who had minimal training and had autoimmune disease, but didn't have the right tools to provide to my clients. So yeah, I offer started offering one-on-one but soon moved to group because I also know as a single mom who was taking care of her kids on her own with expensive medical bills that you might not always be able to have one-on-one health coaching. So being able to have group health coaching also is very important to be able to reach more people who need your services.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (16:08):
Yeah, that's a great point. I love that. And I was also diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2015, and I'm really impressed when you say you got your fitness certification. A year later, a year later, after my diagnosis, I was still wiped out with no energy.
Jamie Nicole (16:21):
So it goes into this story, I was the same way, but again, type A personality. So I kept pushing through even though sometimes I was injuring myself. But after I got a diagnosis, again, because I wasn't a certified coach at that time, this was maybe like 2015, 2016, I went right back into my same routine because I didn't understand that circle that they show when we're in training about the gut health and the stress and the movement and all of that. And how I didn't understand that then. It wasn't until I took the certification that I did. So one of the things that happened was I was feeling good and then I wasn't. All of a sudden
(17:05):
I thought that I had just cut out gluten, cut out some grains, and that was it. But then I ended up, I mentioned earlier, I wasn't able to function. I ended up having to step down. I had made my way to supervisor where I was working and I had to step down back to being an agent because I just didn't know what was going on and hadn't figured it out yet. And I was dealing with the fatigue like you mentioned. And so four years later after that first diagnosis, I also got diagnosed with narcolepsy type two. But again, at least having the first certification gave me enough tools to still be able to advocate for myself. And so I didn't give up and just think that that was the way that it was going be for the rest of my life. I really was like, there's something else going on.
(17:52):
My labs were coming back, normal range. I love my doctor. My doctor, luckily the first time I saw her was able to diagnose me with the Hashimoto's and she helped me get diagnosed with my other issues as well. But she looked past the labs, she looked past the normal diagnosis and saw that I was struggling when I came in. And even when she recommended that I get a sleep study, I didn't believe that what it was, that's what it was, and that's really what it was. And so not only was it the narcolepsy, it was the fact that with autoimmune disease you need to have good rest. And I wasn't getting that. And so until I got those other pieces fixed, I was going to continue to have issues with both. So I didn't want to mislead you to Marie.
(18:36):
I still continued to have joint issues, but it was a catch 22. I didn't know at the time the fitness almost became addictive because of the narcolepsy. It was the only time that I felt like myself. And so you also asked me about the retreat, and it's called the Joyful Active AIP retreat. It really did save me before I knew I needed to be saved. It was almost like a drug per se. And so even though I kept doing it and I had to have knee surgery, even though I kept doing it and it impacted my shoulders, when you're going through the chaos of autoimmune disease and diagnosis, you try to hold on to anything that gives you peace and gives you joy. And even if it was for one hour and sometimes I would struggle just getting there, I would be exhausted when I got there. I remember one time before I was diagnosed and medicated with the narcolepsy, I went to the ATM right in front of the gym and fell asleep because of the exhaustion.
(19:32):
I was that tired. But as soon as I hit that stage, as soon as I got in front of people, as soon as the adrenaline started pumping in that hour, I felt good in spite of how I felt before and after in that hour I felt like myself. And I think that's part of what we strive for when we have autoimmune disease. I wish I could have for a moment, a moment to feel like my former self before I had this diagnosis, before I had this disease. And so that's why I enjoy it so much and pour my heart into that.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (20:02):
So how do you apply all this to the retreats? Tell me more what type of services people can expect on the retreat and all that? Because I want to go!
Jamie Nicole (20:10):
Of course. So I partnered with Jan Steele. She is in the south of France and she has a bead and breakfast, and she's also a certified AIP coach and a chef. And so I'm one of the retreats that she has out there. And so again, it's the joyful active AIP retreat teaching people about the joys of movement, but not just movement, safe movement because as we learn as AIP coaches, that movement can be a trigger tube, whether it's too little or too much. And I have had both myself, I have set at this desk trying to get things done 12 hours straight because the day before was a flare and have gotten up and not walk because I didn't move. And I've also been in situations where I've moved too much with autoimmune disease thinking I can do what I did the week before and I absolutely could not.
(20:58):
So teaching people how to listen to their body and implement movement that is proper for them, that is safe for them for any moment in time in their journey that they're on with autoimmune disease. And sometimes that can change from day to day, week to week and month to month, but also included in that, which I love is my favorite part. You get a whole week of AIP compliant meals cooked by Jan who allows you to be a sous chef in the kitchen. So you can learn AIP or if you have been on AIP awhile sometimes I've oftentimes heard that people are bored with the same meals, they don't know what to cook. So you're able to learn that as well. But also most importantly, which I think is just as important as all of those things, is a sense of community.
(21:48):
So many times, and I'm even going through this right now, people see the good looking Jamie on the pictures on social media, but they don't really know because we don't really post, especially for coaches and we have autoimmune disease, all the ebbs, we just post the flows. So being around others who understand your journey, when sometimes you may not even understand your journey or even if you do, your family doesn't understand your journey, the people that you work with don't understand your journey at that retreat. There are going to be other people like you who are passionate about finding out tools or getting tools to help them on your journey, but understand that it's a tough journey and there's not always going to be peaches and cream. And finding that support in community while you're out there I think is one of the most important things of the actual retreat.
Jaime Hartman (22:40):
That's fantastic. And when is the next retreat?
Jamie Nicole (22:45):
Not June next. So I'm just going to also be having a retreat at the first week in September. So the early bird special is going to end July 1st. And so the overall cost for it is 1800 Euros, but with the $300 off or 300 euros off, it's going to be $1,500 or 1500 euros. Keep saying dollars until July 1st. And the same discount applies whether you're in Euros or US dollars. And so the discount for us is going to be 1625, but it'll go up after July 1st. So having the Joyful Active AIP retreat, I am excited for it. The weather should be good at that time. For Jan, as she mentioned, that was the question I had, Jan, is it going to be hot? Because we can't be out there hiking or walking in the woods when it's too warm. So I'm excited about having it during that time and after this long year I've had of the surgeries and of things just going on in the world, it'll be a much needed break.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (23:44):
Those retreats take place in France?
Jamie Nicole (23:45):
Yes, ma'am. They take place in the south of France and it's so peaceful out there because again, I was mentioning when I go to the gym, you don't think about anything else. There's no TVs. I mean there is a TV in one room, but you don't have any in your room and you're really outside in nature or connecting with others, just relaxing and learning and enjoying nature, which is Jamie Hartman always has those round tables on the importance of nature. And it really is. It's one of my escapes here. I just joined a new hiking group to get in nature more here. But yes, it's in the south of France and if anyone wants to learn more information about that, it's on my [email protected]. And so we have all of the things that are included, included massages, massages, sauna treatments, as I mentioned, all the meals are included and they are wonderful meals.
(24:37):
Three courses in France, they eat very well, but it's all AIP compliant, which is one of the things that we worry about when we go on vacation. I don't want to go into a flare or they may not have your foods, and that's just one less thing that you have to worry about so that you don't have to have a vacation from your vacation when you get back home because you know that when you're there, it's going to be a stress-free environment where you're getting the nutrition you need to optimize your AIP journey.
Jaime Hartman (25:02):
So you've alluded to this a little bit in some of these other questions, but we'd like to talk a little bit more about your origin story as an AIP Certified Coach. And I know that like many of us, you came to it because AIP helped you, that you have a bit of a healing story having to do with AIP to whatever degree you're comfortable sharing. We'd love for you to share with the audience how AIP has helped you and how that led to you seeking out the AIP Certified Coach training.
Jamie Nicole (25:31):
Well, it was actually a little bit different for me. The timeline was a little bit different because again, as I mentioned, Jaime, you have all this information on the worldwide web, and so I had studied about Hashimoto's specifically a little bit and had taken a couple of things out, but as you know, sometimes with autoimmune disease you may have one but not know you have another. So it did a pretty decent job, and I did feel better, but I was still having issues as I mentioned, especially after the narcolepsy. So it's 2015, I get diagnosed and then I get diagnosed four years later with the narcolepsy. And so that added on a completely different layer to the point where even when I was diagnosed the medications and I didn't like taking medication, but at that point I was desperate because I know we talk about autoimmune fatigue.
(26:31):
The narcolepsy fatigue is on a totally different level, completely different level. And it wasn't the autoimmune disease that caused me not to be able to do my corporate job. It was actually the narcolepsy. That's how bad it was. And so with the medication, we talk about social determinants of health. They don't always do clinical trials on people who look like me. So I was having problems with the medication and it was making it worse. It got to the point where on one of the medications, my heart rates would spike to 1 43 while I was sitting down, and this was right after I got certified in AIP. And so in 2021, a couple of months after the certification, I believe I got certified in the fall of 2020, I was like, look, I went to the cardiologist. I got all these labs done, but I was like, I have to do something else.
(27:22):
The medications are killing me. So it was the great freeze in Houston, Texas. Everything shut down and I was determined to do AIP. So I started AIP in the middle of the freeze that shut down Houston. I meal prepped. I made sure that I focused on what we were taught, but most importantly, the point I want to point out, what I did differently that I didn't do before was the focus on nutrient density. That for me was the game changer. Jaime, I was in here with my blender with my liver. I had never made liver fat before. Were chicken hearts. I had ordered from a farm. I was making dishes in stir fries, Jaime. And again, the change was dramatic for me. I mentioned earlier that I had become addicted almost to the fitness. I was eating clean before I was drinking the smoothies before my calories in was less than my calories out before I had gotten to where in spite of the damage I was doing to my joints because of the autoimmune disease, I was teaching five or six classes a week and still running.
(28:31):
The weight was not coming off because that wasn't really what the issue was. I had a lot of inflammation. And so until I took the time to implement those practices that I learned as an AIP coach fully and did the full elimination. When I say Jaime, you've seen the pictures. I wasn't losing weight before, but it started to drop like hotcakes and I wasn't doing it to lose weight. I was literally doing it because I was trying to save my life because it was going to hell in a hand basket regardless of all the things that I was doing before. And so when I couldn't lose weight at all doing all of those things before I lost 70 pounds that year, easy. Not counting calories, not overly exercising. It was AIP. And I'm not just saying that to say that listeners, it was AIP and focusing on nutrient density. That was a game changer for me. Also, I implemented life, other lifestyle changes. And also during that time too, I mentioned earlier quarantine, I was able to get more sleep.
(29:38):
I understood the importance of sleep from the training. And then because the whole world shut down, I was actually able to get it. So I believe that was a game changer for me as well. I implemented also intermittent fasting because it helped me control my sleep cycle a little bit better. I wasn't digesting food early in the morning. And so I would get up in the morning, do a workout that would give me the endorphins I would eat at noon and didn't know I needed a little nap. It's like an old lady who goes out with her friends walking in the morning, comes back, takes a shower, eats her nutrient dense meal and takes a nap, and I'm able to function for the rest of the day. So I didn't need that medication that was causing me to be sick anymore. And that really, when I say that AIP was a game changer for me, that's not just something that I said because I'm a coach, I'm a living testimony to that and I'm forever grateful for that.
Jaime Hartman (30:31):
And I just want to reinforce it. Again, I think this is so important for our audience to hear. It was AIP with a specific focus on nutrient density. So many people learn about AIP like you have said on the internet. They just find it and they're like, oh, it's an elimination diet. They're already kind of a picky eater. And then they cut out all these other things. And so they're eating this really narrow list of foods and they wonder why they aren't feeling any better.
Jamie Nicole (30:55):
And if you see my page, I did the reintroductions. I love to eat and it's weird now because I was able to do that and become more in tune with my body, I finally understood what my body felt like at a foundation. It's not like I don't, I still have the autoimmune disease, but this is how it feels to feel good. So whenever I do something that's out of the ordinary, I can quickly tell and make adjustments. If I overexercise, I can quickly adjust and make adjustments or recognize it and make adjustments. Same thing with my food. If I have a problem with a certain meal or didn't know something was in there or whatever, I can quickly tell and then make sure that I'm being more cognizant of what I'm eating and putting it into my body. But the nutrient density is one thing that never left.
(31:43):
And I know so many people, like you mentioned, are scared of those reintroductions in that narrow way of eating. I hear that all the time, and I wish they wouldn't stress themselves that much over it because like I said, I like to eat and I eat more probably now than I did before when I was drinking those green smoothies and still gaining weight. It didn't matter if I ate the green smoothie or a donut. And again, it was not calorie counting at all. It was focusing on nutrient density. So yeah, that is the game changer in knowing that information and having the right information that I learned from AIP Certified Coach was so important.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (32:18):
Yeah, I just want to jump in to just reiterate what you both are saying. I think I wish what you find online on the internet was much more that nutrient density. It is so, so key. And I see it and I say it to my clients as a practitioner, and also we get emails from customers with my business with Urban AIP, and there is that calorie mentality, the calorie counting of like, well, I just want to restrict this. And helping people shift that mentality of it's like that doesn't matter. What matters is you want to target that inflammation and sleeping and giving your body time to heal and nourishing it so it has a tool to heal. Those are such the key elements and I love that you pointed that out. I think it can't be said enough. Absolutely. You get all three of us repeating it.
Jamie Nicole (33:15):
And I guess to kind of move forward and also provide a little bit of guidance on that as well, because again, I never want to give the perception that this journey is over with as soon as you complete AIP. So I mentioned earlier I have a handful of things going on with my health. So I got, again, every four years there seems to be something. So I got diagnosed with the Hashimoto's 2015, the narcolepsy type two in, what was it, 2019. And again, if it had not been for the education that I got from Autoimmune Aellness, from Jaime's round tables, from AIP Certified Coach, I would not have recognized that in 2013 when I was going through a lot that I had this rash on my face. Marie and Jaime, I've had rashes before, but this one lasted quite some time. It was a rash on my face and it wasn't unlike anything that I had ever experienced, but I recognized what it could be.
(34:18):
I wasn't sure what it was, but I recognized what it could be. I could not wash my face, I could not put makeup on my face. All I can do was either put coconut oil or olive oil. I could not go out and in the sun and run. I mentioned earlier that I like to run. When I went out into the sun, it burned my face. So that was one clue. And people didn't know because of this wonderful thing we have now because of quarantine with the filters. So people didn't know I was actually going through those things. So when I did a round table, my face was blown up. One day we had to do a round table where I was going to be on video and no one knew, but I was going through it and just taking notes and journaling my symptoms because I knew it was something, I eventually went away.
(34:59):
But a couple of months later, I had always had issues with one shoulder, started having issues symmetrically in the other shoulder, and it had gotten so bad that it was hard to function. It was hard to even teach senior fit. So again, because of the knowledge that I had gained, I went straight to the doctor who had also diagnosed me with the Hashimoto's and the narcolepsy and told her, advocated for myself and told her these were the tests that I need because of X, Y, Z, because these things run in my family because I already have autoimmune disease and because of the type of doctor that she is, it was no hesitation. So in 2023, 4 years after 2019, those tests come back at the time positive for mixed connective tissue disorder and negative for rheumatoid arthritis and everything else. And so she refers me to a rheumatologist and they do the test again and it comes back and they do a little bit more in depth of a test.
(35:57):
And it comes back that I was positive for rheumatoid arthritis and negative for mixed connective tissue disorder, but it still wasn't confirmed until actually I had a shoulder surgery. My shoulders had gotten so bad that I could not lift my arms. I could not hold a phone when I was laying back on a bed. It felt as I was trying to hold myself up and was just in that position for hours. It was fatigued when I was just laying there. And so some complications after surgery, I had to end up getting a steroid taper, and that's when they confirmed the diagnosis. So again, even when you know all of the information, even when you do everything, and I think this is one of the questions that you have for me, but it is one of the things that I talk about with my clients. Having grace with yourself in this process is so important.
(36:49):
Making sure that you're focusing on your mental health in the process is so important because even me as a coach who knows the information, who has clients, it could be disheartening to have those setbacks when you think you're doing everything right and you can be. But for me, and how I guess kind of mentor myself is I know for a fact that if I had done nothing, if I had not advocated for myself, if I had not taken the step to become an AIP coach and educate myself, I would be in far worse of a position, not having that information, not having that knowledge that if I had said, this is the way my life is going to be, it's going to be horrible. I'm not going to do anything because it won't matter. Yes, you can have all of the information. Yes, you can do everything perfect and things can still happen, but now I have the tools to come out of that flare more quickly. Now I have the tools to prevent me from going into flares as often, or if I do, they're not as long, they're not as intense, and I can only imagine what a horrible life I would have if, again, I know I keep saying this, but I want to reiterate it. The wonderful things that you're doing with this podcast, the wonderful things you all did with the certification and the AIP Summit and educating people, and I'm not going to get emotional, Jaime. For me, it's a personal testimony that I will forever be grateful for.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (38:21):
Finally, we like to ask all of our fellow AIP Certified Coaches who come on the podcast to share what we call their signature coaching advice. So one point that you tend to advocate for with your clients,
Jamie Nicole (38:36):
Well, the first one I mentioned already is having grace with yourself. That's one of the most important things because this journey is hard, and we can oftentimes be hard on ourselves. I always say, whether it be my client or anyone I meet in this space, those I meet with autoimmune disease are some of the people with the most type A personalities I've ever seen. They're hardworking, which oftentimes mean that they're hard on themselves. They don't take rest as seriously as they should. I know I didn't. Sleep oftentimes comes on the back burner, and when we put our minds to something like, I'm going to do AIP eliminations and it doesn't work out, or I'm going to go on this journey and it doesn't work out, we can oftentimes be hard on ourselves or it doesn't go the way we think it should go, or we do it, we are feeling well and we have a flare.
(39:28):
So making sure that you have grace for yourself and this process is so important. And the second thing would be for those times that you can't have grace for yourself or for those times that it's hard. Having community is so important. I know, Jaime, you have your own online community where people can share and get information. And I also know too, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes you may not have the family support. You may not have the community support because they don't understand. They can have sympathy, but they can't have empathy because they're not going through it themselves. And so not everybody has that community. But when you're down, sometimes you just need someone not to fix it, but just to listen and understand, to know that you're not the only one that's going through it. Because no matter where you are in that journey, you're going to have those days, sometimes those weeks, sometimes those months where you don't have the strength to do it on your own. So having that community support to lift you up in those times when you can't is going to be an absolute game changer and a key for your toolbox to wellness going forward on your journey with autoimmune disease.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (40:44):
I love that toolbox to wellness.
Jaime Hartman (40:47):
Oh yeah, me too. And I really appreciate how you're tying together that we should have grace for ourselves, but recognizing that sometimes we have to outsource that. And so having the community there that can give you that grace when you just can't muster it is really important.
Jamie Nicole (41:05):
Absolutely, absolutely. And it can happen. Again, just to reiterate, it was happening to me right now, and it was a situation where I needed to share sometimes again, and I talked to a couple of other people in this space. I had conversations recently, and so I know coaches also listen to your podcast. And so a note for them, because sometimes again, we feel as though we we're supposed to be the light for everyone else. And so we can't necessarily share what we're going through because we are supposed to have all the answers for the people that come to us looking for answers. And so we hide the fact that we're actually going through things that we need some grace and that we oftentimes push through when we maybe need to sit down and rest and give ourselves grace. So if there is a coach listening to this, who is actually going through that right now, free yourself. Because the stress of trying to hold on to a perception that only you may have, others may have it for you or of you, but that doesn't make a difference. It's only going to cause more stress, cause more flares cause more trauma in the longterm. So even you as a coach learning to give yourself grace in spite of others thinking that you have all the answers, it's going to be an awesome example, not only for you, but for your clients.
Jaime Hartman (42:37):
Thank you so much, Jamie, for being here and for everything that you do. As we wrap up, please remind the audience where they can learn more about you and your various activities.
Jamie Nicole (42:48):
Of course, you can find me online on the internet at naturalhealing.coach, not dot com, dot coach. And then I'm also on every social media platform at Heal Coach. It's H-E-A-L-C-O-A-C-H,
Jaime Hartman (43:05):
And I'll be sure to put some links in the show notes for that as well. Once again, for our audience, we want to remind you that AIP is a protocol with multiple branches and that there are multiple ways to approach it, and AIP Certified Coaches are here to guide you through that process. This podcast is intended to bring you resources so that while you can do AIP on your own, you don't have to do it alone.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (43:29):
We'll be back with another episode in two weeks. So make sure you subscribe to the AIP Summit Podcast and your favorite podcast player if you haven't already.
Jaime Hartman (43:37):
And if you'd like to leave us a rating and a review, it will help others find this podcast where we are committed to helping you use the power of the autoimmune protocol to elevate your wellness journey to new heights.
(43:54):
The AIP Summit Podcast is a Gutsy By Nature production. Content presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
