I’d like to begin by answering a few questions you may have: Am I a doctor, a scientist, a nutritionist—or even a veterinarian? No. Am I a celebrity or VIP? Well . . . no. Am I a triathlete, bungee jumper, or marathon runner? Umm . . . no. Well then, who am I? Outside of my family, who loves me for being me—and maybe my dogs who might miss a meal if I’m not around—I’m really just a curious, health-conscious person by nature, who took some time out of my life to read a lot of books and papers to educate myself about health, food, and nutrition, while experimenting in the kitchen. This was important to me because I wanted to raise healthy children and for many years I’d also been managing what doctors refer to as “auto-immune” conditions.
For decades, I had mysterious knee pain with swelling, along with widespread body and joint pain. Eventually, I had wacky hormone levels, sleepless nights, tummy troubles, and other delightful symptoms. Tests confirmed past viral/bacterial infections and nutritional deficiencies, and, finally, a doctor of rheumatology suggested I had lupus. Lupus, like other “mystery” illnesses, is usually diagnosed on symptoms and a positive blood marker that indicates an autoimmune attack in the body somewhere. While I’m not sure I agree with this specific label, it was clear my body needed help. Prior years of my own research had already led me to conclude that a healthy body is far too smart to suddenly begin attacking itself; therefore I’ve come to believe the vast majority of these types of diseases manifest from previous or current infections brought on by common (and some not-so-common) pathogens and toxins. Depending upon the type of pathogen, where it migrates to, a person’s individual weaknesses (genetic and deficiencies), and the germ’s ability to hide, transform, and adapt for its survival (hence, “super bugs”) determines the illness. With these thoughts, I chose to decline a form of oral chemotherapy and painkillers, which was mainstream medicine’s treatment offered to me. Instead I embarked upon more research and a determination to vastly step up what I already thought was a fairly healthy lifestyle, all in an attempt to change and control my symptoms without the help of Western medicine’s drugs. While I don’t know that I will ever completely clear my body of resistant pathogens, my vigilance to correct my body’s weaknesses and heighten my immune system has remarkably reduced my symptoms and kept me from even so much as contracting a cold or flu in over a decade.
I have always had rather lofty goals for myself, and to this day I aspire to: be healthy, feel vivacious, look good, give and receive lots of love, and reach a state of happiness and contentment that allows me to believe that in the end I won’t have a sea of regrets. So, who am I? I’m just me, a simple gal who was raised (mostly barefoot) on California soil and sunshine.
