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Without understanding what I was really doing, I simply began eating more vegetables, and before I knew it, I was no longer eating meat or dairy. To my amazement and everyone else’s, my eczema and asthma symptoms vanished.
My journey to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle was not a straight line
from A to Z. At the age of 23, after a lifetime suffering from severe eczema
followed by asthma in my early 20s and a constant struggle to lose weight, I
somehow lost my diet mentality and got interested in nourishing my body. Without
understanding what I was really doing, I simply began eating more vegetables,
and before I knew it, I was no longer eating meat or dairy.
To my amazement and everyone else’s, my eczema and asthma symptoms vanished, and
I rapidly dropped two dress sizes. At this point, I just thought that meat and
dairy simply did not agree with me. “Poor me!” I thought.
However, when life got busy, it became easy for me to allow others to prepare my
food, and I found myself back to eating the standard Irish diet (not too
different from the standard American diet). My body seemed to accept it for a
little while, but then—bang! What seemed like overnight, I was back on blue and
brown inhalers, steroid tablets, and ripping my shins apart because I couldn’t
bear not to scratch my itchy skin.
Finding the Whole Food, Plant-Based Lifestyle
This time I took it seriously and decided I needed to find out what was really
going on inside my body. I am so grateful that by chance I stumbled upon The
China Study. For the very first time, I was introduced to the idea that so
called “normal” foods were a major contributor to the chronic disease and
obesity epidemic that we face today. Also, I no longer felt confused about
nutrition and realised that healthy eating is not complicated. It’s actually
very simple.
I once again began my journey towards a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, and
once again, the results came shockingly quick. The extra weight which had crept
back on fell off. My eczema and asthma symptoms significantly improved, allowing
me to discontinue all medications. To this day, I have never experienced eczema
like I used to. Only during times of stress do I notice my wrists getting itchy.
This is a sign that I need to take a step back and get some good quality rest
and rejuvenation.
Food As Medicine
After my enlightening education and my own experience, I was hooked on the
concept of using food as medicine. I continued reading, studying diet and
lifestyle and the way that these factors can help manage illness. I was
incredibly inspired by what I was finding and decided to embark on a career to
use this information to help others.
The next logical step was to complete the eCornell and Center for Nutrition
Studies Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, which was life-changing. I now
understand that my genes predispose me to ailments like asthma, eczema, and
holding extra weight. But more importantly, I understand that this does not mean
I have to live with these conditions.
Eight years later, I eat this way not just because of how it makes me feel but
because I love it! Today, my pantry and fridge are loaded with delicious,
nutritious foods that at one time I never knew existed.
A Better Quality of Life
Looking back I can see there were two pivotal components driving my
health transformation. First of all, I educated myself on what food can
do for (or against!) my body, and secondly, I learned how to prepare
simple, delicious meals. However, I did encounter some pitfalls along the way. I
started by focusing on removing unwanted foods from my usual meals and initially
didn’t know what to replace them with. Because I’m Irish, this left me eating
mostly white potatoes and overcooked, shrivelled up vegetables. This approach
was risky and was partly the reason that I reverted back to old habits.
Fortunately, my insatiable desire for knowledge helped fuel my motivation to
keep going, exploring new foods along the way.
Now I want to help others avoid my mistakes and teach them about the immense
variety of delicious, plant-based foods that are out there. My own personal
experience has helped me craft programs that are supportive and educational as
well as practical. We all know that eating vegetables is good for us but without
truly understanding why—and without understanding the damage caused by many
so-called “normal” foods—change may be difficult. Very often we don’t realise
that we are actually trapped by our food choices. It is only when we have enough
information on how food can help us live a better quality life and how to do it
that we can break free from destructive habits to truly enjoy our food and live
a better life.
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We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.