My journey - cystic acne, endometriosis, PCOS, hormone imbalances, depression and sheer anxiety are all symptoms that are so common amongst women and can completely disrupt your daily life. I’ve navigated with trial and error, heard advice from experts who knew much and ones that knew little, exercise, diet, meditation, researching on my own and, again, trial and error.  Putting it all together, the hormonal imbalances, are ones that I am now able to handle but it has taken me years to piece it all together and to finally, speak up and own my story. I have had help from women who have gone before, and now I’m hoping to be able to help women new to this.

My name is Lena and I’ve created Nela Wellness to help women dealing with hormonal imbalances.

Everyone’s journey looks so, so different. After years of thinking debilitating painful periods was how life is “supposed” to be for women, being severely anemic multiple times, seeing multiple doctors and never getting an answer other than medication was the only way to treat my symptoms, I was finally diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis. I was 28 and at that point I finally decided to make my health my top priority. It was time to heal myself, starting from within.

The only way I was going to be able to continue to show up for others was by first showing up for myself and understanding that this is part of my story.

It takes daily commitment for me to maintain balance but the journey to this point has been more worth it than I can ever put into words. I’ve found the simple tools that help me stay balanced, some days needing to lean into them a little more than others. Through changing my diet, a daily meditation practice, slowing down and listening to my body I’ve reversed my PCOS symptoms, cleared my cystic acne, feel stronger as a runner than I ever have (and took 10 minutes off my half marathon time) and I don’t have to plan my life around my hormones and my emotions being all over the place, while trying to hide it from family and friends. Now it’s about the healthy relationship I have with food, with the supplements and vitamins that work best for me, and ultimately the relationship with myself. I truly feel more balanced and grounded in myself than I ever have, knowing it’ll always be a process.

My hope is to be able to help as many women as I can to figure out the right path to their optimal health.

Before and after:

I REMEMBER WALKING INTO A DERMATOLOGIST APPT THE WEEK THE first PICTURE WAS TAKEN. THE DERMATOLOGIST WAS SO MAD I WOULDN’T AGREE TO START MEDICATIONS AND SAID “DON’T YOU WANT TO BE PRETTY WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?” AND STORMED OUT. I LEFT THAT APPOINTMENT AND DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OVER MY HEALTH. I KNOW MEDICATIONS ARE NEEDED FOR SOMe but I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH MY OWN DECISION TO HEAL my body from the inside out.