When science couldn’t explain what love, stress, and safety did for my body

Sometimes the body heals in ways we can’t explain.

I have been struggling with psoriasis. I’ve spent years learning what most people would call a “perfectly healthy” lifestyle — clean eating, regular exercise, early sleep, mindfulness. I followed every rule I teach as a functional nutritionist.

Yet something curious kept happening.

Whenever I came back to Korea — despite the long flights, stress, jet lag, and being a full caregiver at the hospital— psoriasis symptoms calmed down.

And whenever I returned to the States, they flared up again.

It never made sense to me. Until I began to see what was happening beneath the surface — not in my diet, but in my nervous system.

Home Sweet Home

The Bus Accident That Changed Everything

Three years ago, my mom was in a bus accident that left her with a severe brain injury and kidney failure. She had to go on dialysis, and her condition was critical.

When the doctors said she needed 24-hour care, I got on a plane and became her full-time caregiver in Korea.

She had to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes at night, which meant I barely slept. I barely ate. I was constantly alert — afraid she might fall or disappear.

Once, she actually did. She got lost in the hospital while I was gone for just a few minutes to get her diaper. I found her only after running up and down all nine floors of the building, shaking with fear and exhaustion.

Life Inside the Hospital Walls

It was during COVID, and we were basically trapped inside. Getting in and out was strictly regulated as her full-time caregiver. I lived on steamed sweet potatoes and chicken, the simplest food I could prepare between dialysis sessions and diaper changes.

Sometimes, when my mom was hooked up to the dialysis machine, I’d close my eyes for a few minutes to meditate — that was the only self-care I could manage.

And then my dad got sick and was hospitalized, too. At that point, I had nothing left to give — not physically, not mentally, not spiritually.

But somehow…

my skin calmed down.

The Second Year: Another Crisis

A year later, I got another call. My sister said the doctors told us to prepare for a funeral.

I got on the next flight to Korea — and once again, she made it. Her hospital stay stretched to two years, and again I became her full-time caregiver on her deathbed.

I wasn’t exercising. I wasn’t tracking macros or avoiding “trigger” foods. All I did was to be the best daughter at her last time, hold her hand, and pray she’d wake up stronger.

And again, psoriasis symptoms eased.

I enjoy wearing shorts and skirts in Korea.

This Year: A Miracle and a Mystery

This year, my mom finally came home. Doctors called it a miracle.

She’s not where she was before the accident, but we get to do simple, beautiful things again — like taking the bus together for the first time since the crash.

We took a family photo, visited the National Palace, where my mom wanted to go so badly, close enough for her to travel. We eat meals together, we laugh, and we talk to each other. We said “ I love you” every time. I tried to see my parents almost every day as much as I could.

This time, I let go completely, maybe out of joy or maybe being tired of a strict diet to manage inflammation.

I ate things I normally wouldn’t even look at — ice cream, Mandoo (Korean Dimsum that has flour wrapper), dairy, etc. The best thing is that I didn’t fear or guilt over them. I truly ENJOY every single bite like I am living life.

Even my husband couldn’t believe it. He said, “I can’t believe how freely you’re eating here. It has to be something about being home that makes your body calm down.”

And he’s right — whenever I come back from Korea, the symptoms get worse again.

What If It’s Not the Food?

No fear of foods, this is real life!

I’ve spent years studying the science of nutrition and the biology of inflammation. I know all about detox pathways, mineral balance, hormones, and gut health. But some things defy data.

I’m not writing this to find a scientific explanation. There are things that I can’t explain and science can’t explain — and I now believe in the power of invisible things.

Maybe it’s the safety of being home. Maybe it’s the love that lives in familiar air. Maybe it’s the nervous system finally feeling held, even in the midst of chaos. Is it self-caused stress that I have been strict with my diet?

Whatever it is, it reminds me that healing isn’t always logical — but it’s always possible.

To health & happiness,

Healing Heajung 💛Functional Nutritionist & Founder, Naked Gut Nutrition (NTP, RWP, HTMA-P, CFMHC)

#healing #mindbodyconnection #psoriasis #functionalmedicine #trauma #chronicillness #inflammation #nervoussystem #wellness #holistichealth