Marietta's Story

I am a Health Coach and huge advocate of the Nutritarian Lifestyle.  I have been following Eat to Live since 2011 and have had my share of ups and downs as I learned how to embrace this incredible way of eating while managing a lifelong addiction to sugar.

In 2010 at the age of forty-four I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was then introduced to Eat to Live by a chiropractic neurologist who was helping me reduce some inflammation. I devoured the research and the science behind eating a high nutrient diet and knew this was exactly what I was craving to help me move forward without letting cancer get in my way.  I loved every detail of learning about choosing the foods that would help me heal and spent hours looking over recipes, reading newsletters and getting to know my local health food stores. I even passed the test to become certified in Advanced Nutritarian Studies.

I also read  Super Immunity. It was then that I realized  I could take control and heal my cancer in a way that did not require additional surgery or medications or poisoning my body!

I wish I could say that I adopted this lifestyle and never looked back, but there have definitely been bumps in the road. I did not have a lot of weight to lose, but my digestion was a complete mess after far too many antibiotics and the surgeries from my colon cancer had complications that left me in constant pain. The combination of living in fear and worrying that eating the wrong foods might bring my cancer back was becoming too much for me to handle on my own.

I first met Randi who heads Dr. Fuhrman's FAR program in 2012 when I was eating 90-95 percent Eat to Live and still not feeling great. I was envious of others who hopped on the ETL bandwagon and were completely glowing. They lost weight and found new energy and moved forward without ever looking back. My journey has been more like one step forward and three steps back, and while I am now exactly where I am supposed to be, I admit there have been plenty of times I have felt really discouraged.

The turning point came for me when even ETL foods were beginning to become a trigger. I was struggling with dried fruits and making too many desserts with bananas and dates and raisins. I am super sensitive to sugar and even a little can cause the dopamine receptors in my brain to go crazy.  I began working with Randi to find the right balance of foods I could tolerate and enjoy that would not leave me with the urge to uncontrollably welcome processed sugar back into my life.  She was the perfect combination of offering suggestions and reminding me to listen to the way my body was feeling.

I have made many changes in my eating style over the years, but the biggest take away for me has been to acknowledge when I want something sweet and then find a source other than food to help me feel satisfied.  A giant hug from one of my sons, a shopping trip with my daughter, a long bubble bath or some quiet time reading a good book all sound very cliché, but they really do work to distract the sugar craving until it passes.

Randi was a huge help in reminding me that I already had all the tools I needed to succeed. I learned to trust myself, sit with my uncomfortable emotions and embrace the journey that was ahead of me. Today I see cancer as a gift that taught me how to slow down and find the nourishment I needed to physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually heal my body.

Having someone walk along side of you and hold you accountable while you are learning to undo habits and thought patterns that are not contributing to your good health is such a blessing. I am so grateful to the FAR program for supporting and encouraging me as I shifted my life from living in fear to opening up my heart and finding new healthy ways to grow and evolve.

The best advice I can offer to you if you are considering working with a coach or counselor is that connection and community remind us that we are all in this together. You are not alone on this journey – so many of us have felt the same exact way you feel right now. Creating new habits takes both time and effort but creating them with someone who understands what you are going through is a sure-fire way

Results may vary.