I was diagnosed with childhood cancer at the age of seven. My mother, who knew little about the medical profession and even less about health or nutrition, began to experiment with "functional medicine" before that was even a term. At the hospital, I was part of a chemotherapy clinical trial. At home, I was given everything from bee pollen shakes to chlorophyll to vitamin C and any other natural supplements my mother could find. She made most of our food from scratch and cooked meals with lots of vegetables.
In hindsight, I don't know if she really knew what any of those natural things were specifically good for. But she believed if she tried enough of them then at least one would surely make a difference and help. And it did! Much to the doctor's amazement, I had the least amount of side effects of any of the study participants, on top of going into remission (and staying there for the next 30+ years and counting!). He didn't give credit to my mother's natural intervention, but we knew it was the only possible reason. And so I learned food is as important in the healing process as any medicine.
But I didn't stick with my childhood diet. It had served it's purpose and now I was old enough to make my own independent choices. As life began expanding into adulthood, the busy-ness of it all caused me to lose focus of my needs and my health. By 2010, I was rock bottom emotionally and physically. I had no idea how to pull myself out. But then I remembered, how food had helped heal me before.
In hindsight, I don't know if she really knew what any of those natural things were specifically good for. But she believed if she tried enough of them then at least one would surely make a difference and help. And it did! Much to the doctor's amazement, I had the least amount of side effects of any of the study participants, on top of going into remission (and staying there for the next 30+ years and counting!). He didn't give credit to my mother's natural intervention, but we knew it was the only possible reason. And so I learned food is as important in the healing process as any medicine.
But I didn't stick with my childhood diet. It had served it's purpose and now I was old enough to make my own independent choices. As life began expanding into adulthood, the busy-ness of it all caused me to lose focus of my needs and my health. By 2010, I was rock bottom emotionally and physically. I had no idea how to pull myself out. But then I remembered, how food had helped heal me before.
"The body will always try to heal itself, if given half a chance"
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At first, the tweeks I made were so small they aren't even worth mentioning. My goal was just to do something every day that I could be proud of. By the end of 2013, I was in THE BEST physical and mental health I had ever known. I was eating a clean plant-based diet 90% of the time and never felt deprived or restricted. While my goal never changed, the scope of it transformed from just food choices into all aspects of life.
In early 2014, I found out that I was pregnant. That may not sound like an accomplishment to some. But for me, this was major. I had been told as a teenager that due to the treatment I had received as a child, I would never be able to have children without medical intervention. So how was this possible now so late in life, without even trying? "The body will always try to heal itself if given half a chance" is the reply my midwife gave. |
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Armed with this renewed knowledge that food and lifestyle are powerful restorative forces, I was determined to help others experience what I had. I went back to school to become a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and have never looked back! Having the real life experiences and struggles of making healthy changes combined with the schooling that explained why what I did worked (or didn't) has taken my passion to a new level. Every person I work with brings all the exhilaration of my experience right back to me. There really is nothing like it.
Are you ready to feel proud about telling your story? The obstacles you overcame. The dreams you achieved. How you were able to inspire others. Click below to be one step closer to that day! It would be my honor to help you find the way.
Are you ready to feel proud about telling your story? The obstacles you overcame. The dreams you achieved. How you were able to inspire others. Click below to be one step closer to that day! It would be my honor to help you find the way.