MysticMag chats with Cassandra Perry, founder of Trust Your Gut Nutrition, who embarked on her holistic health journey after being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at twelve. Faced with debilitating symptoms and surgeries, Cassandra took control of her well-being through self-guided dietary experiments and research on alternative holistic approaches. Over two decades, she honed her holistic understanding and developed a passion for helping others navigate health challenges. Cassandra’s expertise extends to Crohn’s & Colitis awareness, evidenced by her ongoing campaign, Guts Get Graphic, initiated in 2015. With a profound commitment to research, problem-solving, and education, she invites others to join her in creating a better life by trusting their gut.
Cassandra, your personal journey with Ulcerative Colitis and your experiences with traditional medical treatments and surgeries must have been incredibly challenging. What inspired you to explore holistic nutrition and alternative remedies as a means to improve your health and well-being?
I was diagnosed with Colitis at the young age of twelve so unfortunately, I didn’t have the self awareness and understanding of how to best take care of myself- let alone a chronic illness. Traditional western medicine didn’t seem to have the answers either. I took endless amounts of drugs and the best conclusion was to take out my entire Colon. And to my surprise now, nobody was talking to me about my diet, holistic practices, or alternative options. After the fourth surgery at the age of 21, I decided I couldn’t live like this anymore and it was time to explore. I then began testing my diet and tried every alternative medicine I could learn about. I finally understood that my chronic illness will never be cured, it is a holistic experience that only I can manage.
Holistic nutrition is a comprehensive approach to well-being that looks at the interconnectedness of various aspects of life. Could you share how you integrate this approach into your practice and help individuals understand the importance of addressing multiple facets of their health?
Ah, yes, love this question! Gene expression is very interesting – it is essentially the impact of environmental factors on the mutation or change of your DNA/cells. This is often how illness is born. These factors can be anything from the pollution of your water/air/food to emotional stressors in your life. Looking at this type of science shows us that the holistic (whole) self is important to take care of.
Once I truly got in touch with all parts of myself – not only physically- but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I learned that all parts need consistent love and care to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The human experience is a delicate balance of many working pieces and those pieces are incredibly intelligent and intertwined.
Yes, I am a Nutritionist, but I feel it is also my job to educate my clients and help them find the right balance of all their parts to aid their holistic healing and help them maintain a healthy lifestyle all around. Although I am not a professional in all holistic practices, I’ve experienced so many and I enjoy passing on the education I’ve learned as well as referrals to my most trusted practitioners and personal community.
Trust Your Gut Nutrition offers sliding scale sessions, 1-month, and 3-month programs to work with clients. Could you provide some insights into how these programs are structured and how they empower individuals to take control of their health and nutrition?
As I like to explain to my clients, it takes 90 days to truly form new habits and 90 days to see results. This is true to medication, herbal supplements, diet, exercise, and any new routine. Therefore, the 3 month program is designed to really integrate these health enhancements into your life. This includes meal plans, necessary herbal supplements and/or exercises, referrals to other holistic practitioners if interested, weekly support check-ins, and a steady record for what works/doesn’t work, and the changes that are happening within the mind, body, energy, all of it!
The one month program is a little less rigorous and based more on experimenting and educating so that clients can take what they learn and carry it into their lives however they need to move forward. This includes meal plans and recipes, support, motivation and education to continue improvement.
The individual sliding scale sessions are dealers’ choice- we can work on whatever is currently coming up and what the client needs to move forward with more confidence in their ability to change their wellness.
I offer these sliding scale sessions as I believe that self-care should be accessible information to everyone. Suffering from illness and symptoms is enough, and unfortunately taking proper care of yourself is expensive. I want to teach people that they can live better and be financially savvy about it.
Your 20-year journey to greater health and life is truly remarkable. Can you describe some key moments or realizations during this time that significantly influenced your approach to holistic nutrition and personal growth?
I think every time I tried something that had an impact on my well being and lifestyle it changed my perspective on how these holistic resources can be used, integrated and ultimately change your life. Self care is often treated as a one and done situation where people think they can be fixed from one visit but self-care is a lifestyle. It is consistent maintenance, it is awareness, it is prevention.
I believe that personal growth comes from trying new things because each time you do, you learn more about yourself – your connection to self, how your body operates, your wants, needs, etc. We are all so different, so trying different resources is necessary to find what is best for your individualistic needs.
One of my first experiences with this was when I saw a kinesiologist and she taught me the science of how she was measuring the cellular imbalances in my body. With these cellular signals she was getting, she also acknowledged the traumas I had both emotionally and physically faced and how they impacted those cells which made it a more spiritual connection for me.
That was the first time anyone had ever told me that although my Colon was technically removed, it is still energetically there and my body recognizes it as so. That was over a decade ago and I still carry that with me today.
Those types of “aha” moments are what I wish to provide for my clients – something that will change their perspective for years to come.
The “Guts Get Graphic” campaign and your mission to educate others about Crohn’s and Colitis are admirable efforts to raise awareness and provide support. How have these initiatives informed and enriched your work as a holistic nutritionist, and what impact do you hope to make in the lives of those dealing with digestive conditions?
If there’s anything I can gift anyone with a digestive condition it is experience and understanding. I put that empathy into my work first and foremost because I know what it feels like to be uncomfortable with my health, my body, my symptoms, etc. My mission to support this community began with that empathy- sharing my journey in hopes that others would find ally-ship and encouragement. Later on, I decided to put more legitimate education behind my experiences to really make a difference in my community with awareness, support, education and opportunity.
My hope is that I can help people like me learn how to better manage their lives so they are not constantly suffering and to help others with less severe cases prevent further illness. I am here to help facilitate the opportunity for a more fulfilling life but the hard work and dedication comes from clients that really want and need those changes.
If you would like to find out more about Trust Your Gut Nutrition, visit https://www.trustyourgutnutrition.org/
