I am a firm believer that abuse leads to a lowered immune system, and that survivors are more prone to health challenges. A studyfound heightened inflammation in adults who had been victims of childhood trauma, and it’s this kind of inflammation that’s the baseline for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It was because of my trauma and living in squalid conditions that I had contracted intestinal worms and developed a number of food allergies. You wouldn’t know it by looking at me, but I was a certified group fitness instructor. Newly licensed at 17, I was quiet, pale, anemic, and sported a bloated “pot belly.” I would suffer for many years in my fitness career while […]