Hi, I’m Leah Cheshire.
I’m a Christian, wife, and mother. Over the years I’ve worked in multiple industries, ranging from social worker to speech-language pathologist to homeschooler and now a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. What do all of these have in common? They’re my journey, my life, and helped me get to where I am today so I can better help you!
Many years ago I sought help for the health of my family and myself. I was overweight as a child and on and off throughout my life. From eighth to ninth grade, I actually had anorexia nervosa, losing a lot of weight and my menstrual cycle for about a year. My emotional eating then swung back to eating too much, craving sugar and high carbs, and I gained weight for the rest of my high school and most of my college years. I’ve been on numerous diets. Various personal and family issues led me to either gain or lose weight over the years. After having babies, I had a difficult time losing the “baby weight” and was even asked by someone the dreaded question, “Are you pregnant?” (when I wasn’t – I was just overweight!).
My deeper health search began with trying to help my child who had sensory issues, ADHD, food sensitivities, and eczema as well as some problems participating, following directions, and getting along with others in preschool and kindergarten. We obtained evaluations from various health professionals. After the diagnosis and much research, we decided to forego mainstream treatment and medication and try alternative treatments. This was over 15 years ago when it was not as trendy as it is now. In fact, we were looked at as “different” and fanatical! But we began with a functional medicine doctor who ran numerous tests and recommended a gluten free, casein free, egg free, and soy-free diet. We also avoided artificial dyes and preservatives. Welcome to my new World! Was I excited about this? In a word, NO! But I didn’t want to be 20 years into the future and wondering “What if we had tried _____? Would it have made a difference?” So my husband and I decided to attempt this alternative path.
There was no Amazon to buy these products from, no regular grocery store carried anything gluten free; the only place we were able to find gluten free flours and other products was at Whole Foods. So once a month we drove about 2 hours round trip to that store to buy what we needed for the following month. Then I began preparing everything from scratch. When my children attended birthday parties or special events, I brought gluten-free cupcakes for them to eat. For their own birthdays we had special cakes or cupcakes for them. It was a lot of work but was it worth it? Yes, it was. The behaviors were dramatically improved. We still had some issues, but they were manageable.
We also began homeschooling because we felt led by God in that direction for various reasons. One reason was that my child would not be as easily distracted by the many other children in a classroom nor would this child be as overwhelmed by some of the sensory issues there. Following the strict diet was also easier at home without accidental consummation of something not on the diet. I was able to tailor the curriculum and figure out my child’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning style (which, of course, were different than mine!).
In the meantime, my other child also had eczema and since it was easier to fix the same foods for the whole family, this child began the diet as well. Amazingly, the eczema cleared, too. Neither one has had eczema return even though they began eating regular foods after about 7 years. Possibly because we did the diet so long, their bodies were able to heal and their sensitivities decreased.
Fast forward to today, Child number 1 graduated from college with honors and is now working as a software engineer and can eat almost anything (still has a shellfish allergy but so do I). Child number 2 has a few food sensitivities but is in college in pre-physical therapy and doing well.
Another part of my story is that I lost three babies before birth, but doctors never figured out why. They ran simple tests and said all was fine. But then I found out I had Hashimoto’s Disease, an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the thyroid gland. It has taken many years to finally figure out what to do about it. I have had joint and muscle pains, hair loss, eczema, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. And for over 15 years I experienced digestive issues like gas, bloating, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. I believed I had gluten sensitivities and hoping it wasn’t Celiac Disease, I finally went to a gastroenterologist who did an endoscope. He found nothing wrong and scoffed when I mentioned problems when I ate oats. He suggested medicine, but I just wanted to find out WHAT was wrong and WHY.
Fast forward 15 years of seeing a dozen different conventional and functional doctors and homeopathic practitioners. Some of them were helpful, but there was still something not right. I continued to experience digestive issues, aches and pains, and extreme fatigue. I finally agreed to bioidentical hormones and a natural thyroid hormone. These helped a little. I kept searching for the cure for the digestive issues, had already been eating a healthy, clean diet that was also gluten free, dairy free, egg, and soy free, and took many supplements. I researched all the time on the internet and read numerous books. I found information on SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and used a direct lab service, and sure enough, that tested positive. I followed a protocol and began to feel a little better. I realized I needed to cut back on sugar which really affected my moods, digestive issues, and weight. Then one of the online websites mentioned if you’ve done all that I had done but still had digestive issues, a parasite might be a possibility. So I used the direct labs again and ran that test. It confirmed I had parasites. Wow! All those years and no one checked that as a possibility. Well, I was so glad to have an answer but then was intimidated about how to treat them. I began following a protocol which helped a little. But after researching and realizing there were multiple ways to treat, I decided to get help from a health coach.
She was very competent and knowledgeable; she confirmed many things I was already doing and helped me figure out a protocol and made new suggestions. After following the protocol about 9 months, my digestive issues cleared and my fatigue decreased immensely. I still follow a healthy, clean diet most of the time in order to feel my best.
So would I want to have this tough journey again if I had to? Well, if life was perfect, then NO. I would love if we all had healthy bodies and minds and did not have to travel this road. But I do know that this journey led me to another adventure … that of being a health and wellness coach.
The point of this longer post is to let you know that sometimes problems can be fixed easily – within a few months with just a few modifications. But some issues need more time so we have to be patient and allow time and the modifications to work. But I’ll be with you each step of the way. I’d love to talk to you and help because I don’t want you to spend as much time and money as I did in trying to figure out what could advance your total health.
Contact me if you’re ready for a positive change and new direction for your overall health and your life! I primarily work with women who are over 40, tired of being tired, having brain fog, weight issues, hormonal and autoimmune problems, and digestive issues like bloating and IBS symptoms. Because I’ve not only worked with clients but also walked in your shoes, I am able to understand and help you use nutrition and lifestyle modifications to decrease your symptoms. Imagine the possibilities of your life if you felt better! So reach out to set up a free 20 minute consult to see how we can work together. — Leah Cheshire, MCD, CCC-SLP, NBC-HWC, National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach