Meet Holly Fowler of Colitiscope Nutrition

Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Fowler.

Hi Holly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Ulcerative Colitis when I was 19 years old, the summer after my freshman year of college. It was a traumatic and sudden onset, where I lost nearly 20 pounds and almost all of my muscle mass. Within 2 weeks, I went from being an active and energetic teenager to a bedridden chronic illness patient. It was a lot to handle, to say the least.

I asked my doctor if I needed to make any changes to my diet or lifestyle and he told me that I could eat and do anything I want as long as I took my medication. Talk about a hall pass for a college student! For the next 5 years, I continued being a typical college student and ate, drank, and did everything I would’ve done pre-diagnosis.

I also was hospitalized every 6 months like clockwork, including a hospitalization during a semester abroad in Spain as well. No Bueno! My mom made a rule that she would not be paying any more hospital bills in foreign currency, a rule I never thought we would have to put in place. But alas…

It took me 5 years to feel sick and tired of, well, feeling sick and tired. At that point, I was experiencing extreme chronic fatigue, brain fog, and ongoing stomach issues. So I began researching everything I could to find another way to feel better. I started experimenting with nutrition and found that modifying my diet had a MAJOR impact on my energy and stomach issues. It was like a cloud had lifted and could enjoy my life again without pushing through fatigue.

I was even able to train for and run a marathon!

People started noticing the changes in my life and began asking how I did it. How am I able to manage Ulcerative Colitis? What do I eat? How am I able to exercise with UC? Eventually, I created a blog as a home for the answers to all the questions. That’s when Colitiscope Nutrition was born.

For a few years, I strictly blogged and posted on social media about my experience and really built an amazing community of fellow chronic illness warriors.

Then I realized I wanted to do more to help those who are also facing Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I wanted to be the resource, support, and encouragement I so desperately needed when I was first diagnosed. So I got certified as a health coach and personal trainer, as a more tangible way to work with IBD warriors.

I began building my business in 2020, at a time when the world was in lockdown and I was in the depths of the worst UC flare of my life. Even though I was sick myself, I still felt the need to take this hobby full-time and support the community I love so much.

Building a business with an autoimmune disease, I knew in the very beginning that my entrepreneur journey was going to look different than others because it had to. I knew it had to be different. I couldn’t afford to buy into the hustle culture of working 80 hours a week and using burnout as a badge of honor. I had to establish a work-life balance straight out of the gate, and I am pretty proud of myself for sticking to that.

In 2021, I officially went full-time with my health coaching business for Crohn’s and Colitis and am happier and healthier than I have ever been.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all! Haha. The greatest obstacle is syncing my desire to constantly build more and do more (I’m an Aries sun and moon!) with my need to insert rest into my schedule for the sake of my health.

I’ve had a few colitis flares pop up when my stress gets too high. Now I know that I need to prioritize stress management and mental health, in addition to my nutrition.

As you know, we’re big fans of Colitiscope Nutrition. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I run a health coaching company, specializing in Crohn’s, Colitis, and general stomach issues. I help Crohn’s and Colitis warriors have more energy, less stress, and confidence in their food choices.

I take a holistic approach when working with my clients by focusing on all aspects of their health, not just nutrition. Stress management, sleep, exercise, energy/fatigue, and mindset are all areas of focus for each of my clients to feel their best.

I currently offer 1:1 virtual health coaching and provide one free health consultation to all prospective clients interested in learning more about my services.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Perseverance is what comes to mind. I knew going into this process of building a business that it wasn’t going to be a quick journey. When a chronic illness is involved–especially one triggered by stress–I have to be careful about balancing my workload with rest.

Since starting my business, I have had a couple of small flares of symptoms and, most recently, COVID in February of this year. Each time a small flare hit, I had to work from bed and only focus on the top 1-2 things that had to get done each day. I had about a 2-3 hour window when I had the energy to work and then my energy was zapped.

When I had COVID, I was down for the count and couldn’t work at all. That was humbling.

Perseverance is key when these moments hit. I’ve made this agreement with myself that I will continue to get back up every time Ulcerative Colitis knocks me down. I could wallow or throw a pity party, but knowing I’ve made this deal with myself helps me to push forward and build my business on my own terms.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@colitiscopenutrition.com
• Website: www.colitiscopenutrition.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/hollsfowler
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/colitiscopenutrition
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HollyCampbellFowler/videos