For the majority of my life, I have struggled with an eating disorder, food obsessions, food addictions, restricting calories, starving, binge eating, trend-dieting, obsessive exercise, health problems, obesity, fatigue, acne, eczema, severe allergies, gallstones, gout, depression, guilt, and anxiety attacks. I started off my twenties not eating as a way to control my weight. I was very slim and difficult to be around. I can remember my mother saying "lean is mean.” I think she was onto something. I thought it felt wonderful to control what I consumed or what I didn't consume each day. This made me feel in control of something when I was going through changes in life as a young adult.
Then I met a wonderful man and we married. He was very aware of my obsession with food. He was very understanding and helped me to learn the importance of eating. I began to gain weight. I was a normal weight and eating by the time we married. Then I began the famous high-protein, low-carbohydrate plan. I stuck to this way of eating for a few years, but it was a struggle because I loved carbs and was restricting them. I became 60 pounds heavier and was diagnosed with acid reflux and treated for anxiety. I experienced terrible burning upper back and chest pain all night long. I was given medication for this pain and for the anxiety attacks for two years. The medication never gave me any relief. I changed doctors and was told I needed my gallbladder removed. Gallstones are a common side effect from eating a high-protein, high-fat diet that is low in carbohydrates. My body was taxed from all the fat I was consuming and formed gallstones as a result. Here I was: dieting, obese, suffering in pain and needed surgery. I was very depressed and divorced my husband. I think I wanted to run away from everything, including myself.
A year later, still fat and gaining, I had to have my appendix removed. Not an easy process for an unhealthy girl who was also smoking. I thought it was helping with my weight loss. It’s ridiculous, but most people think it increases their metabolism. It doesn’t increase it enough to make up for the lack of exercise. I was too busy smoking and trying to catch my breath to workout. At this point my weight had climbed an additional 35 pounds. I was up 95 pounds!
I then was diagnosed with high cholesterol. I was told it was heredity because my mother had it too. I went home and started investigating on the internet. I read books and found I could reverse high cholesterol with a vegan diet. I was shocked to learn what I had been contributing to by buying and eating animal products. The torture and sinful practice of animal agriculture had me off all animal products the next day.
It was amazing! The pounds were falling off me. I thought I was being rewarded by God for not contributing to the sin of animal farming. I had quit smoking and joined the gym. I became obsessed with exercise and struggled to shed the last 20 or so pounds. I was torturing myself in the gym every day. I became obsessed with nutrition and studied everything I could find to increase the nutrients in my diet. I came across Dr. Furhman’s book Eat to Live and lost 19 pounds by eating a low-fat, vegan diet. This plan allowed for nuts, but limited whole grains to one cup a day. This left me feeling unsatisfied and cold. I gained this weight back quickly once I started eating processed vegan foods again.
When I was working as a food coach helping clients to lose weight, my best friend died of a heart attack at forty-years-old. I then realized there is much more to health than being slim. I found Dr. Esselstyn and learned all about our endothelial cells. His plan would protect me and my clients from heart disease and all diseases. I jumped on board. I even took it a few steps further than what he was suggesting at the time. I eliminated all forms of sugar, coffee and food additives. I quit my gym due to lack of time. The weight fell off and I could eat all the starches I adored. Sometimes I pinch myself to see if this is a dream? I’m not in the gym, I’m not counting calories and I eat until I’m full. Soon enough my obsession with food subsided. My food addictions and constant cravings were eliminated. When I knew I could eat potatoes, rice, pasta, fresh corn tortillas, bread and fruit every day for the rest of my life, it caused me to consume less. I knew then I could look forward to eating my next meal with great satisfaction, in good health and never go to bed hungry for the rest of my sweet life! Dr. McDougall is also a big influence on my coaching style. He has helped to simplify this plan and show us how disease can be reversed with an oil-free, plant-based diet rich in starches. I am certified in Plant Based Nutrition with eCornell and The T. Colin Campbell Foundation. Dr. Campbell's lectures and coursework gave me all the tools and confidence to educate others. I hope my journey inspires you.
