Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Federico.
Alexa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Starting Girl in Healing and working for myself was not my intention at first.
When I was 12, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune condition, which is one of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. It was a life-changing diagnosis, but I can see now that it led me to where I was meant to be today. This diagnosis caused me to do a 180 in my diet and lifestyle. These changes had a positive impact on my symptoms and have allowed me to live a normal, happy life for the past 12 years despite having Crohn’s disease.
Come 2012, I went to college at Endicott in Beverly, MA for elementary education. At the start of my senior year, I launched my blog, Girl in Healing, which is provides recipes (always gluten free, often paleo friendly) and IBD resources. I loved my education program and still held a desire to be a teacher. However, when I graduated in 2016, I had I took some time off, understanding that teaching was rewarding but taxing and not a great fit for my health. I had faith that something that come along that would fit my health and lifestyle. I pivoted when I came across the Nutritional Therapy Association. I quickly enrolled and became a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 9 months, while also earning an Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) coaching certification and starting to work on my first book.
It’s been 6 months since I graduated from the NTA. I continue to write for my blog and in January I published my book and opened the doors to my virtual nutrition practice, specializing in helping those with IBD and other digestive or autoimmune health conditions in a one-to-one setting.
I am now using my education degree in a unique way by teaching my clients lifestyle changes they can implement to see improvement in their health.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been struggles in my health for sure, but it was these very struggles that reaffirmed my desire to teach other people going through the same pain I experienced to harness the power they hold in their lives and make sustainable changes.
Any time I was going through a flare-up it was motivation to create a career and lifestyle that wouldn’t add a burden to my health. I knew I had learned the most precious of skills, which were to help people change their lives. Knowing what it was like to be in a lot of pain and very sick and also knowing what it was like to feel “normal”, I had to find a way to reach those people.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Girl in Healing – what should we know?
Girl in Healing a gluten free/paleo recipe blog and hub for information for those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) who want to learn how to feel better using real food and lifestyle changes.
Girl in Healing is also where people can take the next step and work with me one-to-one. This step is for people sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. They know that what they are eating and maybe the way they are living their lives could be preventing them from seeing progress in their health, but they don’t know how to implement the right changes.
Every person has a diverse case and I evaluate each client as an individual. Together, we create a plan to move forward that will include dietary and lifestyle changes. We work as a team, and I make sure my clients are on board with the next steps we talk about. It’s important to me that my clients are comfortable asking questions and reaching out for support. I love that having a virtual practice means I can work with people near and far and they can talk to me from the comfort of their couch. It makes it that much easier for people to commit to helping themselves.
Any time someone tells me about progress they have made or how my book has impacted them for the better, I swell up with joy. Little changes lead to big progress and I know that they are on their way to getting better.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My understanding of what it means to have a chronic autoimmune disease is a huge connector for me and my clients. I am living proof of the progress that can be made and the milestones that can be reached despite a daunting “life sentence.”
Contact Info:
- Website: http://girlinhealing.com
- Email: alexa@girlinhealing.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/girlinhealing
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/girlinhealing
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/girlinhealing
Image Credit:
1. First personal photo – Emily Leis
2. Additional photo of me – Raisa Stockbridge
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