How One Woman Healed Her Hormones Holistically And Is Helping Others Do The Same

Mother, wife, speaker, educator, holistic nutritionist, and founder of Simplholistic, Ashlee Rowland works to help women to renew their health, balance their hormones, regain energy, and revitalize their fertility. Through online courses, one-on-one coaching, and speaking, she is simplifying women’s health and bringing things back to the basics. 

I had the opportunity to ask her some questions so she could share her wisdom and expertise with our Evie girls. Here’s what she had to say: 

Molly Farinholt: You help women heal their hormones. What made you so passionate about this work?

Ashlee Rowland: Helping women understand their bodies is my passion and such an honor to do daily. After over a decade of struggling with my own health, never receiving true guidance, and arriving at rock bottom, I knew this was God's calling on my life. I work daily to address the root cause of women's health issues so they can live a full and nourished life. I would love to see a generation of women nourishing and nurturing their bodies from a young age so they don't have to work one-on-one with me!

When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with diseases that 70-year-old women are diagnosed with. I was raised on a very standard American diet and lifestyle and knew absolutely nothing about nutrition or wellness. At 18, I had three autoimmune conditions, bursitis, Osgood-Schlatters, and a terrible menstrual cycle. I could count on one hand the number of foods I could eat, and my body was trying hard to alert me that something was wrong. I tried all the fad diets and protocols (some of which brought temporary relief), but ultimately was just spinning my wheels. After four years of infertility, I learned about mineral health and cellular metabolism and got pregnant with my baby boy two months later. I am now pregnant with my second little one and truly well. 

MF: You're now pregnant with number two! Congratulations! As someone who has struggled with infertility, what advice and hope can you offer other women who may be struggling to conceive?

AR: When women come to me dealing with infertility, I immediately remind them that their body is for them. It's not sabotaging, attacking, or otherwise against them. Our bodies are so perfectly designed by the Divine Creator, and when we struggle with infertility, it's a protective mechanism. The body doesn't feel it can safely hold the life of another being in our womb. The number one thing I have women focus on at this time is minerals. This, of course, is assuming they have already taken the crucial steps I lay out in my Bare Naked Hormones course and in my 1:1 protocols. Trust your body and know that when it feels safe and nourished enough to conceive, it will. But it will take a lot of work on your part!

MF: What is your approach to helping women heal? How is your approach different from modern medicine's?

AR: My approach to women's healing is, first and foremost, that they are their own healer. God gives us innate wisdom and food from the Earth to heal our bodies. I am not the healer; I am simply their guide. I have the education and experience necessary to walk women through the healing journey, but they are the ones who make the choices and take the steps I recommend. I focus on the cells, not the symptoms. If we nourish our cells and nourish from deep within, healing will happen. I've never had a client not heal if they take the steps they need to truly nourish their bodies. It's impossible not to heal if your body has what it needs. That's where I am the most different from modern medicine’s approach. They tell us the opposite: "You can't heal." "You need x medication to heal." "This is your diagnosis and your life now.” I believe that those statements couldn't be further from the truth.

MF: We live in a world of processed food, food that is not as rich in vitamins and minerals as it once was, screens everywhere, stress everywhere, and a medical system that over-medicates. How do you manage to live, eat, and move in a way that is so countercultural, and how do you help other women to do the same in a way that is sustainable?

AR: Living counterculture is the key here. We live in a fallen and toxic world – there's no denying that. You have to make the conscious choice to live differently from the rest of the world, your family, and your friends. We were prodded and poked at for our lifestyle choices in the beginning, but now people around us respect the choices we make for our health and family. You have to stick to your guns, understand the whys behind the choices you're making, and be firm with your decisions! I teach women this exact thing and walk them through scenarios like family dinners, parents who may not agree with their lifestyle changes, and how to travel while keeping your health a priority.

MF: Can you speak to the harm of fad diets? How is eating pro-metabolically different?

AR: Fad diets are a problem because they’re usually quick-result oriented, and that's not true health. True health takes time and dedication. You can't just cut out an entire food group and call it good. Many women have to heal their gut and their thyroid, and most of these diets either completely leave that step out or actually push diet changes that are anti-gut and anti-thyroid. While most do give immediate results, it will come back and bite you in the butt pretty quickly. You can't “quick-fix” your lifestyle. 

The pro-metabolic way of living isn't new; it's just newly resurfaced. And it's easily misunderstood. Most think you can just down ice cream, orange juice, and beef all day long without changing anything else. That is not what this is about. The pro-metabolic way of living is a lifestyle and diet that supports your metabolism. That's a bold and massive lifestyle change that includes diet, stress, cells, thyroid, hormones, and living a non-toxic lifestyle as a whole.

MF: You talk a lot about minerals. This is something that has not really been in the "health spotlight" until now. Why is mineral balance so important?

AR: Mineral balance was the changing point of my health. I had tried everything else at that point. Here's a little look at what I was doing when my health was still deteriorating: 100% organic diet, seasonal eating, sun in my eyes, organic clothing and textiles as a whole, filtered water, supplements, cut out gluten/dairy/soy/corn/sugar/oils, lymphatic drainage, chiropractic, etc. You get the point. 

I was "doing everything right," yet I was being diagnosed with new diseases like PCOS and had cysts on my ovaries rupturing and landing me in the ER. It wasn't until I focused on eating and living for mineral density that my life changed, and I became pregnant and truly nourished. Every single cell in our bodies depends on minerals. Every process and hormonal change depends on minerals. We live in a stressed-out toxic world that depletes our minerals. On top of that, most of us aren't remineralizing our bodies. We have to start if we want to be well.

MF: Can you give us some practical tips on how to balance your minerals?

AR: First, focus on what's free. Go to the lake, river, ocean, or whatever body of water is around you and soak. Eat food that's grown where you are by farmers who care about your health. Eat more than just ground beef; eat the organs. Nose-to-tail eating is essential. Add Epsom salt and baking soda to your baths. Drink herbal teas and bone broth instead of mineral-less water. Stop doing the things that deplete your body of minerals. Run a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis so you can see your exact mineral status.

MF: What are some red flags that a woman's hormones are imbalanced?

AR: If you have an irregular or painful period, your hormones are imbalanced. If you have acne, muscle cramps, hair loss, thinning nails, premature graying hair, disturbed sleep, or digestive problems, your hormones are imbalanced. These are all common – but not normal – symptoms that women deal with.

MF: What are some signs of health and healing?

AR: It's really cool when we heal because we can feel it before we can see it sometimes. You'll feel your basal body temperature rise, especially if your thyroid was underperforming previously; you won't be cold all the time anymore. Your skin won't crack in the colder months anymore. You'll notice you're able to eat more foods without digestive disturbance. Your poops will become regular and well-shaped. You will begin having incredibly restful sleep. You'll also experience a healthy libido. Your skin will begin to clear up, and your hair will go crazy with baby hairs from new growth!

MF: What are three things a woman can start doing today to begin her healing journey?

AR: First, focus on those free mineralizing tips above. Second, reconnect with nature: grounding, sun in your eyes, shopping at farmers' markets. And third, my course, Bare Naked Hormones. I can't leave that out. It's changed the lives of thousands of women. It's quite incredible.

MF: Can you share a favorite health tip, something you're loving right now?

AR: My favorite health tip is to get sun in your eyes while you're grounding outside. The medicine is all found in nature, and we don't have to have fancy red light panels and other devices (although helpful!) to heal. You can get it all for free; it just takes more effort. 

MF: How can someone start working with you?

AR: I'd love to work with you, and you can find out more about that on my website. There, you can find my course, my ebook, and information about 1:1 work with me and my team. 

Closing Thoughts

Unfortunately, our culture is largely uninterested in real women’s health (a.k.a. hormone balance and fertility). Fortunately, women like Ashlee Rowland are helping turn the tide and are heightening awareness of what true health looks like. Hopefully, you feel inspired to begin – or continue on – your healing journey so that you can achieve your full, glowing feminine potential. 

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