If Your Body Is Screaming at You, Maybe Listen? With Kim Strother

We’ve all been there—feeling exhausted, out of balance, or simply off, but pushing through anyway because that’s what we’ve been conditioned to do. Work harder, train harder, do more. But what happens when your body starts waving every red flag in the book, and no one—including you—is listening?

Our guest on Unfinished Business this week, Kim Strother, knows this journey better than most. A personal trainer, yoga instructor, and holistic health coach, Kim has spent over 20 years helping people feel their best. But for much of that time, she was ignoring her own body’s desperate calls for help.

Her story is one of resilience, trial and error, and ultimately, learning to listen. And if there’s one major takeaway from our conversation, it’s this: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness. Your body is your best guide—if you’re willing to pay attention.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

Kim’s journey with Lyme disease is something out of a medical mystery novel—years of symptoms, countless misdiagnoses, and a healthcare system that treated her like a collection of disconnected issues rather than a whole person.

She had the warning signs as early as childhood. Hospitalized at age eight, dealing with chronic fatigue in high school and college, suffering from bloating, migraines, and relentless sinus infections in her twenties—yet no doctor ever looked at the full picture. Instead, she was given iron pills, antibiotics, steroids—treatments that masked symptoms rather than solving the root cause.

Then, in a twist of fate that proves the universe works in strange ways, Kim finally got the answer she had been searching for—not from a doctor, but from a date.

Yes, really.

She was sitting across from someone who casually mentioned that he had lost his 30s to Lyme disease. As he described his symptoms, something clicked. This was her story too. Encouraged by that conversation, Kim pushed her doctor to test for Lyme. The result? Positive. Finally, after years of frustration, she had a diagnosis.

The Hardest Part About Healing? Knowing Where to Start

Here’s the thing about Lyme disease: there’s no one clear roadmap. Treatment depends on how long you’ve had it, what co-infections are in play, and your overall health history. For Kim, the initial approach was more antibiotics—a nine-month course of doxycycline that wreaked havoc on her already fragile system.

The antibiotics led to Candida overgrowth (a type of yeast infection that can affect the gut, skin, and even the brain), creating a vicious cycle of symptoms that left her feeling worse, not better. It wasn’t until she met Dr. Frank Lipman, a functional medicine doctor in NYC, that she started to see real progress. His advice? Stop treating symptoms. Start treating the body as a whole.

The first step? Diet.

Kim had been vegetarian for 16 years, convinced that it was the healthiest way to eat. But Dr. Lipman prescribed an extreme version of the Candida diet—only green vegetables and protein.

Which left Kim with a choice: Stay stuck in the cycle, or start eating meat again for the first time in nearly two decades.

She chose healing.

That first bite wasn’t easy, but within weeks, she started to feel better. The brain fog lifted. The fatigue improved. She learned something that she now teaches her clients every day: what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. The key is to experiment, listen, and adjust.

Discipline vs. Awareness: Why Food Choices Are More Than Just Willpower

Lee made a confession during this episode: she wants to be vegetarian, but then she sees a plate of buffalo wings and all bets are off. (Relatable.)

Kim wasn’t surprised. The truth is, sticking to a diet isn’t just about discipline—it’s about understanding what your body actually needs. If you’re always craving something specific, your body might be telling you something.

Feeling sluggish? You might need more protein or healthy fats. ‍

Brain fog? Too much sugar or inflammation might be the culprit.

‍Constant cravings? There could be a deeper imbalance at play.

Kim doesn’t believe in strict food rules. Instead, she tells her clients to give themselves two weeks—cut something out, see how you feel, and make adjustments. It’s not about punishment; it’s about getting curious.

From Hustle to Burnout to Balance

For most of her life, Kim said yes to everything. Clients, opportunities, projects. The hustle served her—she built an incredible career, trained celebrities, and traveled the world doing what she loved. But eventually, the pace caught up with her.

Burnout doesn’t always hit all at once. Sometimes, it creeps in slowly—until one day, you wake up and realize you’re running on empty.

For Kim, that moment came in January, after back-to-back retreats. She hit a wall. She had a full breakdown. And for the first time, she saw what she had been missing:

✨ Rest. ✨ Space. ✨ The ability to say no.

Her new mantra? If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.

And honestly, same.

The Real Takeaway: Learning to Listen

Kim’s journey—from Lyme disease to burnout to rebuilding her health—taught her the most important lesson of all: your body will tell you what it needs, but it’s up to you to listen.

If you feel great, keep going. If you don’t, change something. If you’re always tired, inflamed, or anxious—don’t just push through. Pay attention.

It took Kim years to figure this out. Our hope is that her story helps you get there a little faster.

So tell us—what’s one way you’ve learned to listen to your body?

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