The Road to Wellness: Diary of a Culinary Nutritionist

Our culinary nutrition expert Stefanie is focusing more on specific health concerns and how they can be addressed through dietary changes. How did she learn so much and get “there” herself. Here’s her story…

Stefanie contributed to a recently released book The Source, Unleash your Energy, Power up Your Health and Feel 10 Years Younger by Dr. Woodson Merrell and Kathy Merrell. She created its 21 day meal plan and its 70 recipes for better tasting, healthier eating. Rather than this book marking a beginning for Stefanie, in many ways it marked the fruition of her own personal and professional journey — one, that is quite extraordinary.

From Stefanie:
Some insight into my personal journey … I arrived at my profession as a culinary nutritionist because of my own personal experience with multi-health concerns. As a child I had asthma, many environmental and food allergies and several bouts with bronchitis and pneumonia. I was instructed (and did as told; what did I know at the age of 8?) by a bevy of doctors to take these and those meds. Until, at the ripe old age of 17, my body finally broke down because of the many inhalers, steroids, courses of antibiotics, and what have yous.

Around the same time, I started working as a chef at a local health food store for a summer job. In my moments of down time, I perused the bookshelves, and one day came upon Food and Healing by Annemarie Colbin. This book made so much sense – you could heal your body through food!?– that I began playing with my diet to see if that could impact my health. I also went to see a medical doctor who practiced environmental medicine — now called integrative medicine as it marries Western and Eastern schools of thought.

The environmental and food allergies (as well as stress) were triggers for my asthma and all of the medications I was taking caused Candida. Under my new doctor’s guidance, developing understanding of the role food plays in health — not to mention, most importantly, my willingness – I was able to leave all medications behind within three months. For the first time I could remember, I felt great!!!

In the years to follow, I learned to balance what conventional medicine had to offer with dietary support and other positive lifestyle choices. All that with additional health conditions to manage as well, including a kidney disease. But with medication and a proper diet (and other lifestyle choices), I have done amazingly well.

In my practice I see many people who have been on similar journeys — ongoing medical concerns with no real answer for wellness. They come to me with the hope and belief that changing their food lifestyle can help. For 10 years now, I have worked with people who have cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, autoimmune disease (including celiac sprue), food allergies … and those who just want to get healthier. Each is a learning experience for both of us, and I’m thankful to be a part of their wellness journey.

Now, it’s springtime — time for growth and another personal transition for me as well. I recently had my second boy and am slowly jumping back into work — not only adjusting to a new life with two children, but after a difficult pregnancy also getting my health back on track.

So, let’s make this Spring a tribute to the Road to Wellness. My part will be to write each snoety post about a specific health concern and how it can be addressed through dietary changes (with some lifestyle tips as well).

If you have any suggestions, please share them with other snoety users in the comment box below … or feel free to email me at Stefanie@snoety.com or directly to Stefanie@stefaniesacks.com.

Stefanie

You can BUY THE BOOK that Stefanie contributed to — The Source, Unleash your Energy, Power up Your Health and Feel 10 Years Younger by CLICKING HERE which will take you to the right spot at AMAZON.