My journey into the health education field began in 1975, when at age 17 my robust health began to gradually decline. A heavy eater of meat and junk food, my physical and mental energies deteriorated over a period of six months, then I experienced incessant diarrhea. After a few weeks of medical treatment, I showed little improvement, so a colon examination was done. The diagnosis was ulcerative colitis, and I spent my 18th birthday in a hospital, taking prednisone and azulfadine drug treatments. The symptoms subsided, temporarily, but the drugs further ruined my health and had a devastating effect on my mental abilities.
Within a few months, feeling sickly and very weak, I experienced a recurrence of the diarrhea and additional symptoms, including cramping and bleeding, and this led to further physical deterioration. What ensued were eight tortuous years of colitis flare-ups and off-and-on drug therapy. At age 26, after eight years of ulcerative colitis while attending engineering school followed by working in the environmental engineering field, I was reduced to a weak, sickly shadow of my former self. I was having gastric eruptions every time I ate and up to 10 painful bowel movements a day with mucous and blood. My gut always hurt, my nervous system became shattered and I experienced hellish nightmares as I was toxic, debilitated by the medicines, severely demineralized and over-stressed by my diet and medicines. I was no longer able to work or leave my house.
Although my life had become a dying hell, I never gave in to the medical doctors’ advice to accept my illness and just be patient until their impossible “miracle drug cure” came along; I desperately wanted my health back and doubted that the doctors knew what they were doing.
In 1984, I had the great fortune to find a nutritionist and Doctor of Natural Hygiene, Dr. Laurence Galant in Staten Island. He introduced me to the concepts of self-healing and eating a fruit-based diet and he gave me Natural Hygiene literature to study. At first I thought the idea of eating mostly fruit while having nonstop diarrhea was crazy. Yet, I studied Natural Hygiene literature and slowly cleaned up my diet. I was attached to eating chicken and other favorite cooked foods, however, and was still having colitis flare-ups and relying on medicines.
In the fall of 1984 I had a colonoscopy exam which confirmed that I had advanced ulcerations throughout my sick colon. Surmising that I had been chronically sick and was not getting better and would eventually face cancer, the gastroenterologist recommended that I either try his experimental drug, which knocks out the immune system, or have my colon surgically removed. Upon hearing this, a heavy decisive thought entered my mind: “I have had it with this medical madness—I’ll be dead soon if I don’t find the answer myself!” I recognized that my life was a gradual descent into hell and I had to climb out now because it was almost too late.
Over the next few days I started thinking like never before about how to overcome my illness. I realized that I had to figure out what the MD’s could not, and my thinking led me to consider more closely the information on self-healing and switching to a vegan diet. The information seemed so incredible, but I saw that it was really working for Dr. Galant, and I had read many amazing healing testimonials.
Then one amazing night while studying Dr. T. C. Fry’s Life Science/Natural Hygiene course, I beheld a healing vision and it all made sense; the picture of my new health was revealed via the Natural Hygiene healthful living system. I understood that humans are biologically fruit eaters and that fruit was the best food for my sick colon and entire body. I was ecstatic knowing I had solved the diet mystery, conquered the myths about humans’ natural diet and the care of disease and set myself free!
The next day I threw away the medicines, divorced myself from all medical intervention for good, gave up all meat and dairy forever and started a three-day fresh-made juice diet. By the second day I was coming back to life. On the third day I was feeling better and better and my enthusiasm and joy drove my family crazy! My gut was feeling soothed, I was rejuvenating and the nightmarish illness was over. On the fourth day, upon adding solid fruits including bananas to my diet, I had solid stools and greatly diminished symptoms. I had set myself free of illness, doctors and medicines for good, and my bowels were working better and better with no signs of toxicity!
I adopted a fruit-based, vegan diet—that harmonized best with my mind/body/spirit. And with that my energies continuously increased as I detoxified and began rebuilding. Within about four to six weeks I felt that my colon was completely healed. I was able to enjoy eating and living again. With my bowels functioning better than ever, I began a new active healthful lifestyle.
Over the next few years I diligently worked at rebuilding my depleted body, incorporating daily running and yoga, all the while studying the life sciences and all of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual factors which determine our health. It took several years of total dedication to build robust health. In 1993, after a year of study and training at the Institute for Educational Therapy in Cotati, California (now known as Bauman College in Penngrove, California), I became certified as a Nutrition Educator and began providing nutrition and healing consultations. In 2006 I received a Ph.D./Hygienic Doctor degree in Natural Health and Healing from the University of Natural Health. Self Healing Colitis and Crohn’s served as my thesis.
In 2014 I founded the online Vibrant Health & Wealth Academy to bring the message of vibrant health to the world, training and certifying Vibrant Health & Wealth Academy Teacher-Counselors and setting them up with their own Web-based Vibrant Health business.
Today I enjoy excellent dynamic health and vitality.
Healing is easy if we understand and apply the principle that it is the body that does the healing. When we remove the unhealthful aspects of our diet and lifestyle and step out of the way, the body will do the healing work automatically and naturally.
Living healthfully is the easiest and most joyful way to be, and I am glad to help health seekers get there and feel that for themselves. Each of us deserves glorious health!
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