Montreal Gazette

Love your body and trust your instincts

- JUNE THOMPSON Shaping Up jthompson@ montrealga­zette. com twitter. com/ junieone

It’s the time of the year to look back and reflect, no?

I wanted to focus on the biggest lessons learned over the past year and found it encapsulat­ed in the name of a book I think should be on everyone’s holiday list this year: Gratitude and Trust. The new book by Paul Williams and Tracey Jackson, subtitled Six Affirmatio­ns That Will Change Your Life, is perfect in every way — but more about that in January.

Gratitude and trust have been part of the journey for many people I crossed paths with this year. Most recently is Liis Windischma­nn, a 43- year- old Toronto model who despite facing a few health challenges, has an upbeat and positive message.

“I think women who model should be referred to as just that, a model, and not prefaced with petite or plus size or whatever, and we should showcase all sizes, ages and ethnicitie­s — that is the change I am working hard to make, it should be about diversity and body acceptance.”

Windischma­nn first tried out modelling when she was 16 years old and 5 foot 10. “I was a skinny teenager at the time,” Windischma­nn recalled in a chat from Los Angeles. “They weighed me and told me I had to get some weight off, and that I should come in for a weekly weigh- in until I reached a more appropriat­e size.”

That wasn’t going to happen: “I knew right there it was crazy, and I wanted to be true to myself, I never went back.”

Fast forward four years: While attending university, she was spotted by a talent scout in a mall. “The scout told me I would be perfect for plus size modelling, something that wasn’t as well known at that time as it is now.”

She decided to give it a shot. “I was a happy and healthy Size 14.”

Her career took off, and life was good. Windischma­nn travelled all over and modelled for clients both in Canada and abroad, did a lot of magazine work and became a spokespers­on of sorts for body acceptance.

That is until 2011 when her health took a dive.

“I was starting to feel very tired and run down,” she explained. It took several months before she got a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that leads to hypothyroi­dism. But it didn’t end there. With one illness under control, a second, more rare condition developed.

“I was beginning to slur my speech, and literally fall off my heels — not good if you are on television,” she said with a laugh.

At first, doctors couldn’t determine the exact cause, so Windischma­nn began investigat­ing on her own.

Last year, with help from a doctor in the U. S., she discovered she had gluten ataxia, a little known condition triggered by a sensitivit­y to gluten that affects balance, motor control and muscle tone. “I was terrified I would be brain damaged forever,” she said.

Windischma­nn has spent the last several months in a physiother­apy program in Los Angeles that specialize­s in neuroplast­icity.

“I’ve had to completely change everything in my life,” she said. “I had to cut out gluten entirely, and basically follow a Paleo type diet.”

Ironically, as a result of her new diet, she has dropped close to 50 pounds.

“I could care less about the weight,” she said. “I just want to be healthy and strong again.”

And she’s getting there. She spends several hours a day in physiother­apy, sometimes crawling across the floor.

“I was so afraid I would end up in a wheelchair, that I’ll do whatever is necessary to get my balance and coordinati­on back. I celebrate the small victories, like walking 200 metres.”

Her message is now all about health, and the importance of being proactive and taking charge of ourselves.

“There are always warning signs,” she explained. “Listen to your body, eat well, exercise, focus on all the things you can do, whatever your size — 4, 14, 24 — it doesn’t matter. What matters is being alive and healthy, and if something isn’t right, find out what it is.”

Windischma­nn is also keen to spread the word about thyroid health and the importance of testing. “Hashimoto’s disease is one of the most misdiagnos­ed illnesses out there; we have to change that.”

Also on her list: raising awareness about gluten- related issues.

“There may be people out there with all kinds of symptoms who don’t realize if they just made little changes to their diet, it could change everything,” she said. “Do your homework.”

So, why gratitude and trust? Because we have to be grateful for the bodies we do have, and trust in ourselves to do what’s right for us.

Liis is working on her website — check it out in a week or two at www. liisonlife. com

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P H O T O ?? Liis Windischma­nn, who suffers from two autoimmune disorders, is fighting to regain her health.
C O U RT E S Y O F L I I S WI N D I S C H MA N N P H O T O Liis Windischma­nn, who suffers from two autoimmune disorders, is fighting to regain her health.
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