Hi, I’m Kelsey Hojara
The “Old” Kelsey
Growing up, I was your typical “healthy kid.” I played a lot of sports, had a lean appearance, but my diet was terrible. Mountain dews, fruit roll ups, frozen pizzas, if it was processed and convenient I was eating it.
As I got into high school, my relationship with myself and body image took a massive hit. I wanted so badly to have the approval of others. I tried my first diet at 14 years old because I wanted to lose weight for a dance (thanks Cosmopolitan). The funny thing here, I DID NOT need to lose weight.
During my junior year in highschool, I went through a year-long period of severe mental health challenges. Thankfully, I found fitness as an outlet. Although it was helpful, it also fueled my terrible relationship with my body and food.
Fast forward to college at IU, I pursued my passion fitness and nutrition. I studied dietetics and got my bachelor of science. During college, I was your typical pizza at 2am, except for the 1-2 times a year of “dieting.” I binge drank every weekend and was far lost from God. I ended up meeting my husband, Sam, our junior year of college. I eventually accepted Jesus in my life and began a LONG healing process.
I completed my dietetic internship in my hometown, South Bend, then moved back to Southern Indiana to be with Sam. I almost immediately started my business, Kelsey Hojara Nutrition & Fitness, Est Sept 2019.
My Gut & Hormonal Healing
July 2019, I made the decision to get off of birth control after learning that the depo shot I had been on for 7 years was causing permanent, irreversible bone damage. Something my doctor neglected to tell me… I also had no libido for the past 3-4 years and despite working out on a regular basis, I had a hard time putting on muscle. Little did I know that getting off birth control and getting my cycle back to normal wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
It took me 8 months to get my first period. During those 8 months, I was having intermittent periods of diarrhea that I chalked up to gluten intolerance. Prior to all of my cycles, I was an emotional wreck. I was anxious, rude to Sam (my boyfriend of 5 years), crying hysterically, and would constantly think “this can’t be normal”, but also thought “maybe I’m overthinking it.”
Come a year and a half later, January 2021, things got a lot worse. I got covid 2019 then shortly after was in a skiing accident that caused a moderate traumatic brain injury. Que brain fog, fatigue, HARD CORE depression (crying every day for a week), anxiety through the roof, trouble focusing, constant bloating, stomach pains with eating, and loss of appetite. To my benefit, I was already familiar with functional medicine testing. I went ahead and got the GI map and DUTCH complete done. We found candida overgrowth, H pylori, parasites, estrogen dominance, extremely low progesterone, and nutrient deficiencies.
The functional medicine testing gave me the root causes
WHEW… I’m NOT crazy. There was a reason. I went through some intense GI and hormonal protocols. I made a lot of changes to my diet. Learned to utilize herbs and natural approaches to health. It was the best decision I could have made. My depression and anxiety quickly diminished. I wasn’t an emotional wreck before every period. I stopped being bloated with every meal. I could concentrate on my business and on having meaningful conversations with loved ones. HALLELUJAH!
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping you heal and feel like yourself again. I was lucky enough to have the knowledge of these tests & approaches before doctors told me I was crazy and there was nothing wrong with me. If you’ve been told that “your labs are fine” “it’s all psychiatric, take this medication to help with the anxiety” “you’re a hypochondriac” just know that your symptoms are real. There is a root cause to why you’re fatigued, bloated, and depressed.Let’s get to the root and help you feel like your healthy and vibrant self again
