Our biggest turning points often arrive as a result of our most challenging trials and tribulations. Whether it is moving city, changing careers, leaving a toxic relationship, or implementing a drastic lifestyle change, these things rarely come about when everything is going just fine.
For health coach Erika Schlick, the direction of her life would be determined by a years-long battle with Lyme disease. The traumatic, yet enlightening experience would turn her onto a new Trail To Health, which became the name of her own website and blog.
The journey to a diagnosis
In 2012, Schlick embarked on her third camping trip to Yosemite. It was an excursion that, little did she know, would change her life forever. After the trip, she came down with a flu that would come and go, which she initially assumed was a result of being “out in the elements.” But she continued to deteriorate, noticing that something was deeply wrong. “I just kept getting sicker, more exhausted, and felt really out of it,” she says.
For years, Schlick visited various doctors in search of an elusive diagnosis. She recalls one day reaching her limit when she “broke down and cried” in a doctor’s office, pleading with him to check anything they had not tested for yet. “I was desperate for answers,” she says.
Schlick was abashed to discover that Lyme disease had been the culprit behind her persistent health issues and emotional suffering throughout all those years. “I felt so many conflicting emotions when I discovered what it was,” she shares. “On one hand, I was relieved knowing there’s a diagnosis. But then on the other hand, I became immensely furious! How could my doctor not test me for this after two long years of begging them?” Nonetheless, Schlick made use of this newfound knowledge as she embarked on an exciting new chapter in life.
Building a business as a health coach
Schlick began her Lyme disease and co-infections treatments in 2014, which eventually brought her out of the darkness she was residing in. After nearly two and a half years of treatment and being 60% recovered, Schlick decided to get stem cell therapy using her own stem cells that miraculously got her into remission early 2017. This experience made it clear for Schlick how vital it is to lead a healthy lifestyle; she now eats cleanly, practices stress management techniques regularly, exercises on a regular basis – all while enjoying life with newfound appreciation for health!
Through her healing journey, she gained access to an abundance of invaluable knowledge that could only be obtained through firsthand experience. Her newfound passion for health led her to pursue it as a lifestyle and career; in 2015, she graduated from the Institute For Integrative Nutrition (IIN) with a Certified Health Coach certification. Furthermore, she began her own coaching practice so others struggling with chronic conditions or striving for optimal wellness would not have to go down the same path she did.
Sharing the trail to health
Schlick’s health coaching services are varied and comprehensive — from individualized health coaching, chronic illness, and stem cell consultation, to meal planning and diet coaching. The core purpose of her services is to encourage people to not be afraid of an “out there” or “unconventional” treatment that could really resonate.
These days, Schlick also invests plenty of time into her blog, where readers can find hundreds of posts on health-related topics — from traveling the world on a restricted diet to gluten-free eateries in cities across the world. She also has her own book, “Wandering Palate,” with 28 days of delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly recipes.
“Though the journey to health may be lengthy and winding,” she encourages us, “there is a beacon of hope at its end. We can all make it there together!”
Find out more about Erika Schlick on The Trail To Health.