I am on a journey, as is everyone, and like most people do, at points on this journey I find myself at the edge of a cliff looking into the valley below. Marveling at how far I've come (and through what obstacles), and thinking "after I take the next step, I will never be the same person again." It seems all the more of a big step because I like and really get along with the person I am now, and have worked hard to become that person. It wasn't always so. But here I am, none the less: to live is to go forward, and so, knowing this next leg of the trip will change me in ways I can't even imagine, I continue.
When I was very small, my mom realized that my body reacted badly with the traditional American diet - white bread with peanut butter and jelly, chips and a glass of milk - would make me quite ill (this was around 1980 when the above described was a standard lunch for kiddos)! So she took me to a naturopath who took blood tests and recommended that she completely change my food. From that day forward, I could eat fish and chicken (no red meats or pork), beans and legumes, fruit and vegetables (but no iceberg lettuce), yogurt and butter (but strictly no other dairy), honey (but absolutely no sugar or other sweeteners), and only wholemeal baked goods (absolutely no white flour), fruit juice diluted with water so it wasn't as sweet (no sodas), and no mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard. Except for very special occasions, this was my diet from the age of about 5 until I was maybe 12 or 13 and started to fend for myself. To say it was difficult to follow would be a drastic understatement; I was constantly begging for other kids' lunches "are you gonna eat that?" and at school-mate's birthday parties, mom would bake special, non sugary cake and homemade frozen yogurt.
This shaped me in my early years, as I longed for what was forbidden and felt different and separate from other kids, as well as a little humiliated for begging, sneaking and foraging for scraps. That feeling didn't really start to change until I was in high school, and especially when I got out on my own.
It didn't take long in my adult life to realize that this naturopath had been right about a number of things. When I took myself completely off sugar - I mean right down to reading labels- I became less restless and more composed. When I took myself off dairy, I got fewer colds and my complexion glowed! The most drastic change was when I took myself off wheat ~ my focus on my studies *really* improved and an unexpected side effect occurred: the osteoarthritis that had been bothering me for years completely disappeared. Gone. No more hurt. No more ache. So I did what most people would do and ran to my doctor with these results. He promptly told me that there was no research to prove that not eating wheat would improve (let alone get rid of) the pain of osteoarthritis, and that my miraculous recovery was psychosomatic.
How could it have been all in my mind when I'd had no idea that this would occur?
The more independent study I do into how diet affects the body, the more I find just how capable the body is of healing itself from long term degenerative afflictions. Without drugs. Without medical intervention. Sometimes without surgery. I'm not saying that throwing away meds is right for everyone all the time, for example if there is an emergency life-threatening situation, you definitely want the drugs that can fix it, fast. But I see case after case of people making changes to diets and supplementation and curing CANCER, and reversing type II diabetes, and no longer needing meds for depression and schizophrenia, the list goes on.
Many people would read what I have written above and come back at me with: if this was so miraculous, and so easily done, our doctors would know about it. Well, not necessarily. Mainstream medical school teaches a lot about different conditions, and drugs with which to treat them, but they don't teach the delicacies of nutrition. (Pun totally intended!) This is why doctors know how to prescribe medication, but not food. Also, let's just face it, making drastic changes to the diet can be VERY difficult to follow. Lots of people find that dedication and determination inside of them, but many people don't. It's hard to eat a certain way, for let's say 40 years, and then to give up wheat, dairy and sugar (and if you don't think sugar is a drug - that will cause withdrawals - just try to take yourself completely off of it for one week!)
It's now been more than 10 years that I've been paying attention to how diet can correct many of the ills we suffer, and finally time to prepare for my own practice. Helping people to help themselves has always been a top priority, because everyone has a strength inside of them that they don't even realize. Think about it ~ we all deal with stress and pain and growth and disaster many many times in our lives, as our ancestors have throughout history; we are survivors. We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. My goal is to help people unlock the realization that they can begin to tap into that potential when it is needed and create better, healthier lives for themselves, their children and their legacies.
