Welcome to Intentional Healthy Families!
I'm Tara Garrison, a wife, mom, Physical Therapist, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and homeschooler who is passionate about helping moms and families reclaim their health!
I have spent the past 15 years on my own health journey including anxiety, adrenal fatigue (now more accurately termed HPA axis dysfunction), postpartum depression, severe allergies and asthma, hormonal imbalances, and thyroid dysfunction.
For too long, I was told that my labwork and tests were "normal" when I knew what I was feeling and experiencing was far from normal.
Debilitating fatigue, constant sickness, paralyzing anxiety, wildly fluctuating hormones, and insomnia were my constant companions in the first few years after the birth of my son.
Do you know something is wrong but keep getting told your lab results are "normal"? Listen to your body and find a practitioner who will listen to you!
Do you know something is wrong but keep getting told your lab results are "normal"?
The catalyst for change for me was one day when I was curled up in pain on the couch from yet another round of excruciating menstrual cramps. I decided I was done feeling like this and losing precious time with my family and would do whatever I could to feel better.
I realized I was going to have to figure this out on my own as conventional medicine offered either medication to mask the symptoms or exploratory surgery to diagnose endometriosis. I said "no thank you" to both of these and started my own research. During my search, I came across information on how removing gluten from my diet could help endometriosis pain and decided I was all in.
My first step was reading the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. It was shocking and eye opening and was ultimately the initial step on my journey back to health. After purging my kitchen of gluten, I started reading everything I could get my hands on about the link between food and health.
I decided I was done feeling like this and losing precious time with my family and would do whatever I could to feel better.
This passion for reading and learning about the relationship between food and health and my own journey back to health is ultimately what led me to return to school to be certified as a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. My prior education (undergraduate degree in biology, a Master's and Doctorate in Physical Therapy) prepared me well for this journey, as I am able to read and understand medical literature and integrate it with my ever increasing knowledge of health and nutrition.
My 20+ years of patient care experience as a physical therapist provide me with a unique combination of experience, knowledge, and problem solving skills to put the pieces of your health puzzle together. It is my desire as a practitioner to help you understand that there are solutions for your symptoms!
It is my desire as a practitioner to help you understand that there are solutions for your symptoms!
Now, I am no longer so fatigued that I cannot get out of the bed in the morning even after sleeping for 9 hours. I do not get sick frequently but when I do, my immune system is now strong enough to fight with the help of supplementation, hydration, and rest.
I no longer require medication or inhalers for asthma and only need over the counter allergy medicines when the pollen count is extremely high (ragweed is my nemesis!). This is a dramatic change from weekly allergy shots, daily Singulair and Allegra, rescue inhalers, and a twice yearly sinus infection.
While my anxiety still rears its ugly head, I no longer have constant, invasive, terrifying thoughts streaming through my mind.
OFTENTIMES WE DON'T REALIZE HOW BAD WE FELT UNTIL WE DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT ANYMORE
Stomach cramps, pain, daily sinus headaches, and weekly migraines are no longer a part of my normal life. Honestly, for most of my life, I didn't know that these symptoms weren't normal because they had always been normal for me.
Do I still have physical symptoms sometimes? Of course, but now I have the knowledge to figure out what caused it and how to avoid it in the future. It is empowering to feel in control of your body and your symptoms, instead of your symptoms controlling your life!
Oftentimes we don't realize how bad we felt until we don't feel like that anymore. I have seen this to be true personally and in both my physical therapy and nutrition practices.
You are not alone, your symptoms aren't in your head, and there are answers!
If any of this sounds familiar to you, know that you are not alone, your symptoms aren't in your head, and there are answers!! It is easy to feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or exhausted when implementing lifestyle changes.
It is my hope for Intentional Healthy Families to be a place of education and encouragement to empower you and your family on your own journey to optimal, vibrant health! I would love for you to join my Facebook group and follow me over on Instagram too!
If you are interested in working with me, click here for more information on my packages. I would love to help you reclaim your health!
*Reminder: While I am a healthcare professional, I am not your healthcare professional unless you are a client of mine and have completed paperwork. Therefore, all materials on this website are for informational purposes only and are not to be construed as medical advice of any kind. Please see my disclaimer for more information.*