Grief & Loss
You’re Not Imagining It — Grief Can Disrupt Hormones, Digestion, and Immunity
Grief Is More Than Emotional
Grief doesn’t just live in your heart, it shows up in your body. For many people, loss or trauma marks the beginning (or worsening) of chronic illness.
My Story
I didn’t come to understand grief only by listening to my clients — I lived it.
In 2020, after the sudden loss of my first husband, my body began to unravel in ways I never thought possible. Panic attacks struck out of nowhere.
My hormones plummeted so severely I could barely function. I developed hypothyroidism with positive thyroid antibodies, my digestion collapsed, my immune system couldn’t keep up, and sleep became impossible.
Here I was — a functional medicine practitioner — blindsided by my own body’s response to grief. Despite years of training and a toolkit that had helped countless clients, none of it seemed to apply to what I was experiencing.
That experience changed everything about how I practice. I discovered that true recovery requires more than optimizing nutrition or interpreting labs. It demands acknowledging how our deepest emotional experiences literally reshape our biology.
Today, I walk beside my clients through this same territory where grief and healing meet, combining clinical expertise with the lived wisdom that comes from having been there myself.
Why Grief Affects the Body
Stress, grief, and loss activate the HPA axis — your body’s stress-response system. This raises cortisol, depletes key nutrients, and drives inflammation.
Over time, this can:
Disrupt hormones and thyroid function
Create digestive issues like IBS, food sensitivities, and leaky gut
Weaken the immune system
Trigger autoimmune activity
Exhaust energy and sleep cycles
And here’s what nobody tells you about grief:
Grief literally changes your body chemistry
Your digestive system bears the brunt of emotional pain
Autoimmune flares and inflammation are common
Sleep becomes both essential and elusive
Recovery has no timeline
How I Support Clients Through Grief
Through my RESTORE Protocol™, I work with clients to heal both body and mind during and after grief:
Thorough intake that includes your stress and trauma history
Grief-informed coaching to process loss with compassion
This is not about “getting over it.” It’s about helping your body carry the weight of grief so healing becomes possible.
FREE RESOURCE
Is Your Body Still Holding Grief?
Download the Grief & Health Assessment and explore how emotional stress could be driving chronic symptoms like fatigue, gut issues, and inflammation, and what you can do to support your healing.
Client Stories of Transformation
Jess is a well rounded mentor and makes time for what's available for you.
– Amy
Jess helped me see how my emotions were connected to my physical symptoms.
– Danielle
I am extremely grateful for the care and support Jess provides.
– Tree
FROM THE BLOG
Understanding Grief in the Body
Essential Nutrients Depleted by Stress, Grief & Loss
5 Things Nobody Tells You About Grief
You May Also Be Experiencing…
Autoimmune Diseases
Chronic Illness
Fatigue, pain, mystery symptoms your doctor can’t explain
Thyroid Imbalances
Fatigue, weight gain, irregular cycles
Gut and Mood
Grief reshapes your health. But you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Let’s create a path forward that supports your whole self, body, mind, and heart.