Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney James.
Courtney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was young, I often felt ill, having constant stomach issues and pain as well as a weak immune system that made me prone to getting sick very easily. When I started modeling and traveling, it became even more imperative to take my health into my own hands and make sure that my body and mind felt their best. I was admitted to the hospital with chronic appendicitis at about 14 years old, my poor body pumped full of any antibiotic imaginable, in an effort to save me from septicemia or blood poisoning.
A few years later I was admitted again, this time with glandular fever (or ‘mono’, which had also been misdiagnosed), and I realized this was my next huge wake-up call and it was the time to ensure my body was strong enough to withstand this world, as a highly sensitive individual. I started to delve into all things nutrition, wellness, and spirituality, realizing true health means having all of these things in alignment. I first started blogging, writing for Free People on wellness, gained a certification as a health coach at IIN, became a certified intuitive healer and then more recently released my first book ‘Models Do Eat’. The healing journey continues and I love sharing my journey, findings and passion with the intention to help people be healthier and happier whenever and wherever I can!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely, no smooth road and that has been a large part of what has fueled my passion to dig deeper into all things healing. Being ill and not knowing for so much of my life why really affected me not only physically but mentally and emotionally. Ive had multiple hospital admissions, near-death experiences due to being misdiagnosed and inexplicable gut issues during my childhood and more recently I even had an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone class of antibiotic that felt like a toxic bomb went off in my body. This one has quite possibly been the hardest bump in the road to deal with, as I went from finally overcoming so many health issues through thorough dedication to feeling poisoned! This drug affected a lot of things but most notably my ability to walk (my tendons, and nerves were the hardest hit). Through each of these struggles, I have realized how important having faith is and they have forced me to reconnect and deeply listen to myself and my bodies’ needs. There is no feeling that beats a good triumph – overcoming a struggle and realizing how strong and powerful we are!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Loving Life Raw – what should we know?
My website Loving Life Raw was created for blogging purposes, which I did for a few years. I love writing about wellness and this then spurred on the idea to create the recipe and nutrition book “Models Do Eat’. It’s a recipe book created by models turned nutrition experts to provide delicious, nutrient dense and easy-to-make meals and it caters to many different diets and taste buds. I am a certified health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and a certified intuitive healer (completed at The Den Meditation Centre in Los Angeles). I combine both my knowledge of nutrition and intuition to help others come up with a plan of healing that involves their physical, mental and spiritual health. I love combining all of these imperative aspects as often times practitioners will only assist in one specific area of expertise rather than looking at the individual as a multifaceted being.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents were really the ones that had me curious about health from a really young age (they were always passionate about longevity and living a healthy life) so I thank them for introducing me to this ferocity. My healing teacher Kathryn Schiff taught me healing and energy tools that deeply grounded me in my body and allowed me to trust in my intuition as well as give me tools to help deal with my sensitivity in my day to day life. Jill de Jong is my friend and fellow model/health coach who spearheads the book project ‘Models Do Eat’. She has been a massive cheerleader and teammate!
Contact Info:
- Website: lovingliferaw.com
- Phone: 9172163409
- Email: courtney@lovingliferaw.com
- Instagram: courtneyjamescj
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovingliferawcj
Image Credit:
Martin Rusch, Cody Rasmussen, RJ Shaunessey
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