In this edition of “Empowered Women Empower Women”, we want you to learn all about Laura Heflin, a wellness coach, author, and speaker whose journey from battling chronic illness to finding healing has inspired countless women to reclaim their health and well-being. After facing years of physical and emotional challenges, Laura transformed her life through holistic practices, ultimately discovering the power of sharing her story.
In this interview, Laura opens up about how embracing vulnerability has empowered her, how spirituality guides her wellness practice, and the importance of self-care, especially for mothers. Join us as Laura shares her wisdom on balancing family, career, and mental well-being, and the lessons she hopes to pass on to the next generation.
From Silence to Empowerment
TBN: Laura, your journey from hiding your struggles to sharing them openly is incredibly powerful. How did that transformation impact your sense of empowerment, and what advice would you give to others afraid of sharing their own stories?
LH: There was a time in my life in my early twenties when I found myself incredibly sick and depleted both physically and mentally. I couldn’t see a way out and to say I was discouraged would be an understatement. At that point, I had spent countless hours and dollars in doctors’ offices trying to get answers and I had attempted so many ways to find healing that ended up backfiring. At one point, I honestly accepted that my current state of health would be my forever existence. I had been battling an eating disorder, hormonal imbalances, chronic hives and fatigue as well as severe and debilitating depression and anxiety for ten years and no one had yet pointed me to the root.
Thankfully, there is a happy ending to my story and I was eventually led to certain holistic practices and whole foods that helped my adrenals and hormones balance and heal. After just a few months, I got my life back and the gratitude I felt and still feel that God had heard my prayers and led me to what I needed to ultimately heal was so overwhelming that I knew I couldn’t keep my story or my discoveries to myself. Deep down, I knew in my heart I wasn’t alone and someone else out there in the world needed to know my story and needed hope and healing too.
So, slowly but surely with the encouragement from my husband, I came out from hiding and began speaking and blogging about my journey. Then one thing led to another and a few years later, I found myself writing and publishing my first book now five years later, I am working on my fourth book as well as speaking openly on my podcast every Monday about all things health and wellness and hope and healing as well as running my own nutritional coaching company.
Sharing my story not only has increased my gratitude for all God has brought me through but it constantly reinforces my passion to keep bringing awareness to simple, healing practices, recipes, and ways of life that we can all implement to be well. Through all of this, I have concluded my journey is that one of the most selfish things we can do is keep our healing journey and story to ourselves. Because someone somewhere is the version of you that was once stuck in the mud and hurting. So, share boldly and transparently and believe that because you do, you will speak to the heart of someone and inspire them to not give up when everything else in their life is caving in. You never know what ripple effect you can create when you share your story and your truth. So, choose to be bold, get loud, and let the world in. One day, someone will thank you.
TBN: How do you integrate spirituality into your wellness practice?
LH: I believe that God gave us each an intuition and an inner knowing about what our bodies need every single day to thrive. Yet so often, we live in such a noisy world that we can’t hear what our body is saying or telling us. This is where my morning routine comes in where I kick off my shoes and go connect outside barefoot with the earth and with God within one hour of waking. By doing this (and not running to check my email or social media) I can tune into my body and ask the simple question “Hey body, how are you?” and I can ask God to guide me on the choices I need to make that day. So often on our health journeys, we are waiting for the outside world to guide us when really, so many of the answers are already embedded within. We just need to learn to trust ourselves and connect with our creator and tune out the noise.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Guilt-Free Self-Care for Moms
TBN: In your book “Mama, You Still Matter”, you emphasize guilt-free self-care. Why do you think guilt is such a common obstacle for women, especially mothers when it comes to taking care of themselves?
LH: I believe as women we are all born to be nurturers and the desire to care for others, especially our children, is naturally ingrained in us. But so often, as we are caring for those we love, we tune our own bodies out and put our needs last without even realizing it. Then, time passes and one day, we find ourselves in such a state of burnout that we feel we can’t keep going while simultaneously, also finding ourselves resenting those we have spent time caring for. Then, we instantly start what I like to call, “damage control” and we quickly try and put out the fires that surround us, not even knowing where to start. And then, as we are trying to pick up the pieces of our messy lives, guilt creeps in because caring for ourselves in any capacity requires time away from caring for others. Sadly in our world for so long, I have witnessed that this mom burnout is often worn as a badge of honor and attributed to being a “good mom”.
However, in all reality, by not caring for ourselves, those we are trying to care for end up getting a depleted and worn-thin version of who we are. As we strive to give our children and loved ones all of us, we often lose bits and pieces of ourselves over time. But what I discovered after having my second child is that this is not an inevitable part of motherhood and by changing course and caring for ourselves, we can give a fuller, more vibrant version of ourselves to those we love. We must remember that as mothers, we still matter and by putting our oxygen mask on first, we then have a greater capacity to give back.
Burning the candle at both ends will never be the answer. We must love and care for ourselves as we spend time loving and caring for others. But the key is to let the guilt go and to remember that motherhood is a part of who you are but it is not all of who you are and your physical and mental needs still remain the same as they did before you were called “mommy”. So, love others by first loving YOU and watch how your life and the lives you touch transform.
TBN: How do you incorporate mental wellness into your everyday life, and what advice would you give to women struggling with anxiety or depression?
LH: Put boundaries between yourself and social media. The highlight reel is not reality and if you truly want to grow into your full potential and hear God’s voice, you have to shut out the noise and stop living vicariously through others. Now, as a business owner wife, and mother, I have a couple of social media accounts. The difference is, that I no longer spend time scrolling as I did years prior. I post on schedule and then I jump off and I only allow myself to watch reels and Instagram stories as I brush my teeth.
On Friday afternoons, I have a ritual of taking a magnesium flake bath and lighting a soy candle. Then, once I am in my tub, the first thing I do is hit “delete app” on my social platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger (I have made a personal choice to not have Tiktok) and I don’t download them again till Monday morning after my morning routine and breakfast. This allows me to clear the space in my brain, quiet the noise, and do a little dopamine detox. It also allows me to be more present in my body and with my family and also develop more creative ideas for my business.
By Monday morning, I‘m ready to hop back on and dive into work! Another thing I do for my mental health is protect my sleep. I wear an Oura sleep cycle ring every night to help monitor the quantity and quality of my sleep. I am for a minimum of seven and a half hours of sleep, meaning I need to be in bed at least thirty minutes before my 10 PM bedtime. Also, I spray magnesium oil on the bottom of my feet, put on my blue light-blocking glasses, and read a few pages of my Kindle before drifting off. This calming, evening routine allows me to disconnect from the day and sleep deeper which allows my body to rest, repair, detox, and hormonally reset! Years ago, I used to consider sleep a luxury and nowadays, it is a non-negotiable and a necessity and it makes all the difference in the world when it comes to my physical and mental health!
Sustainable Nutrition: Ditching Diet Culture
TBN: Why do you believe that diets often fail, and how do your principles promote a healthier, more sustainable approach to nutrition?
LH: We live in an extremist culture where one size fits all and entire food groups are being removed or hyper-focused on. We have taken our ancestors’ simple way of living and eating, which is complicated and confusing. “Just eat real food” is one of the principles I live by and teach along with the motto “Don’t start something today you can’t do the rest of your life”! Why? Because the moment we aim for perfection in any category is the moment we set ourselves up to fail.
I follow an 80/20 mentality when it comes to food. 80% of the time I eat real, whole foods that are organic, dairy, gluten, and refined sugar-free, and then 20% of the time I indulge and give myself room to just loosen up on any restrictions and just breathe.
Balance is key and psychologically, the moment you restrict is the moment you begin to obsess and crave. Tune into your body, eat real foods your body can recognize, and leave a little wiggle room to indulge in moderation. It really is that simple! Our bodies want whole foods that they can easily recognize, use, and then lose. It doesn’t want chemical-laden foods that have all the calories without the nutritional value.
Our bodies also thrive off of balance and when we remove carbohydrates, for example, our body rebels. We may make abrupt changes and get short-term results but in the end, we burn out both physically and mentally. Eating and living intuitively and learning to listen and respond to our body and its cues of both satiety and hunger is an art that I believe can be learned by anyone. Unlike fad diets that are hard to implement long term, the beauty of a lifestyle is the results and the skills gained can last you a lifetime and the journey fulfills you and brings you joy along the way.
TBN: You focus on both physical and mental health in your work. How do you believe nutrition impacts not just physical well-being, but mental and emotional health as well?
LH: Inflammation is the root of chronic diseases and cancers along with common ailments such as eczema, water retention, bloating, and irritability. The food we eat is divided into two categories: medicinal or poisonous. There is no in-between. Therefore, we can’t ignore the quality of the gasoline going into our tanks or the food going into our bodies. Unfortunately, though, we currently live in a country where obesity and chronic disease are on the rise yet we are hesitant to make changes as other countries have to better our nation. Regardless though, we as individuals can choose to take a stand and make better choices for ourselves and our family that will help douse these flames of inflammation and protect us against commonly reported health issues such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalances and depression (the list goes on and on).
I think it is important to note that inflammation does not just present itself in the body as joint pain or itchy skin as one may think. Inflammation that is triggered from an inflammatory diet is systemic and can affect our entire body from our brain to our toes. So the same achy joints you feel in your ankle can be caused by the same inflammation that is keeping you in an irritable and depressed state.
Our body is intelligent and it is always trying to get our attention when something is off-kilter. It has the amazing capacity to optimize and to heal and when we fuel it with whole foods that are nurtured by Mother Earth and powered by the sun, it can heal and thrive. Our cells can regenerate and our mental and physical ailments can cease to exist. Our energy and vitality can flourish and we naturally can learn which foods our body prefers. In addition to that, when we eat whole foods intuitively, we naturally stop overeating and yo-yo dieting becomes a thing of the past. Eating from nature as our ancestors did, floods our body with the nutrients it’s been starving for, and therefore, it no longer signals us to crave and eat in excess. Consequently, our weight levels out, our hormones balance, our aches and pains begin to disappear and our body begins to thrive!
Finding Balance Between Family, Career, and Wellness
TBN: As a wife and mother, how do you find balance between family life, your career, and your personal wellness journey, Laura?
LH: The short answer is, I’m an old-school planner and each morning I map out my entire day with my paper planner and pen. I plan out my day hour by hour to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. Aside from feeding my family, getting the kids to and from school, and making sure everyone has clean clothes and homework is done, I also have to factor in my work and podcasting schedule along with quality time with my husband and kids. I also include four non-negotiables on my to-do list: eating well, moving in a way my body wants to move, sleeping enough, and recharging mentally.
Years ago when I was living in chaos and flying by the seat of my pants (and at a time in my life when I was battling depression the most) I was anything by schedule but this five-minute daily practice of putting my pen to paper and scheduling out my day not only allows me to better care for myself and everyone else but it also calms my nervous system and keeps me from feeling overwhelmed.
Every week, I work with clients who have the best intentions in mind but struggle to accomplish all they need to do. The moment they implement this strategy they always report back that it was a game changer and they found themselves gaining way more traction in multiple areas of life including their business, relationships, and their health. Now I think I should add that I not only map out my day each morning but each Friday I map out the next seven days on a paper calendar that goes on my fridge. I not only meal plan but I also jot down important events I need to keep on my radar as well such as the kid’s activities, appointments, and date night.
The motto I like to remind myself of is “If you fail to plan you plan to fail” and this motto is what keeps me motivated each day and week to schedule, schedule, schedule to ensure that I stay as balanced and sane as possible.
TBN: What lessons from your own struggles do you aim to pass on to your children about health, wellness, and the importance of self-care?
LH: I think if I could pass on anything it would be to teach them the vital importance of tuning in every day to their body and listening to what it says. I want to teach them to tune out the noise and what’s trending and feed, move, and care for their body in a way that makes them feel their best. I hope to also empower them to advocate for their body in the medical community if something feels off and to never allow themselves to be gaslit. In regards to their life in general, I hope to empower them to follow the dreams God places in their hearts not seek the validation or approval of others, and always live true to who they are.
Shifting from Struggle to Gratitude
TBN: In your book “A Glass Half Full”, you talk about the importance of perspective. How did shifting your mindset from focusing on struggles to gratitude change your life, and how can others begin to do the same?
LH: Our perspective is everything and we have a choice each day to view our glass and our circumstances in a negative or positive light. During my years battling chronic depression, the only way I could get out of bed some days was to dig and find even the smallest things to be grateful for. I learned that just simply saying “thank you God” for the clothes on my back, my husband, and the sunrise or the color of my new coffee mug seemed to be just enough to push me forward to the next day. Just that little bit of gratitude reminded me that despite my hardships, there was still some good in my life and that kept me going.
I also learned throughout those difficult years that in many ways, my depression proved to be a gift because it taught me to prevail when the current was strong against me. Looking back now, I know that as hard as that period of my life was, I wouldn’t have been able to see the beauty in the little things that I can now easily point out today if I hadn’t walked that rocky road. What life has taught me is that we can’t experience the highs in life if we don’t experience some low points from time to time and that resiliency isn’t developed in a gentle current.
So, hold tight during the storm, learn to dance, and embrace the rain. Thank God for the breath in your lungs and for each and every little thing that brings you joy. The more you whisper “Thank you God” the more strength and grit you will develop over time. Then, when the sun finally shines again, you will be stronger than you’ve ever been and you will view your life with rose-colored glasses.
TBN: What is one piece of advice you would give to women who feel overwhelmed in their wellness journey?
LH: Start small and don’t feel the need to change everything all at once. Habit stacking is the practice of focusing on one habit at a time per week and then adding another the following week but never trying to implement more than one new habit at a time. So easily in our culture, we get overwhelmed by all of the food and exercise noise and all of the do’s and don’ts that we find ourselves drowning in despair and overwhelmed wanting to give up. But when we learn to tune into our own bodies, we can allow them to guide us to the areas we need to address the most and in which order.
So, maybe you will discover for example, that you need to first address sleep and so you focus on your evening routine this week, and then next week, you work on increasing your water. You keep tuning in each week and stacking new habits one by one and before you know it, a few months have gone by and you’ve stacked ten new habits! Slow and steady really do win the race but remember, this is your race and journey and no one else’s. So, don’t allow the outside world to bombard you and overwhelm you any longer. Tune in, make some gentle lifestyle tweaks when guided, and be determined to enjoy the process. One day you will look back and say “I did that!” and be so proud.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Click here to check all the interviews from our “Empowered Women Empower Women” series.
