People change their diet (simply what they eat) and begin to incorporate healthy whole foods for different reasons. Unfortunately, most do so after a life-changing medical issue or scare of some kind. This was the case for me.
My story started in 2008 when I had a stroke. I was doing everything my doctors had told me, keeping up with checkups, and taking birth control pills. I had been in college and was trying to get my career started before having a family (as most young women my age). After the stroke and partial paralysis (I must use a wheelchair and can’t use my right arm), I wasn’t getting any answers or hope from the medical world, so I embarked on a journey to learn more about the area most doctors are taught little to nothing about, nutrition.
For better or worse, it was my secret weapon, and a powerful one, too. I learned that many other women who were taking birth control pills (according to my doctors, very safe drugs) suffered strokes as well. I was shocked! I studied nutrition on my own, then became a Certified Health Coach at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City, so my husband and I got rid of most sugar, wheat, processed foods, etc. from our diets, we even became Vegetarians, and we were seeing results.
Something that made the difference was stumbling upon a nutritional protein drink. After trying about 10 different brands that tasted like trees or fresh cut grass, we came across a chocolate drink that we actually liked in my household, a lot. It tasted so good and had so many nutritional ingredients that the others just did not! It isn’t just a protein drink, it is so much more! My husband and I LOVE it!! I often share that he says he’s a “shake-aholic” and I’m just fine with that!!!
But our health got a major boost and our nutrition surged to a whole new level when a friend encouraged me to try adding concentrated produce powder in a capsule. We have a lot more energy, which is good because my husband is in grad school and his schedule seems to change every week, we crave and eat even more produce, my moods are much more stable, and (not to be too graphic) I am a lot more regular then I had been! Now I take a triple daily dose, I am healing gradually and able to exercise my muscles more at our local YMCA, and we can’t wait until my body completely repairs!
It solidified the fact that revamping the diet for maximum health entails not only eliminating certain foods, but also including abundant amounts of others! I am so thankful that capsules of simple whole foods flood my body with awesome nutrition and more plants than I ever could eat! After many doctors said I wouldn’t continue to recover, I do, thanks to the power of food!
While many people are inspired by my tenacity and perseverance, I try to impress upon individuals to imagine what possibilities would have been if I didn’t have to overcome such adversity every day of my life! Stories like mine, showcasing the power of food can be very impactful, but if there weren’t illnesses to fight through and the goal was maximum health and wellness instead of recovery, the possibilities would be truly limitless!
I encourage everyone, regardless of where you are in your health journey, to take a step further to become even healthier today! Just small, simple changes to lifestyle can make a huge impact over time. These little modifications to nutrition are easy to comprehend and become effortlessly assimilated into daily life, thus being sustainable, lifelong habits instead of fads or trial experiences. A diet is simply a culmination of everything one eats, not a challenge meant to last for a limited amount of time. Every journey begins with a single step, and the road to excellent health and wellness is no different, so start, right now!
