BEFORE
AFTER
MY JOURNEY
I used a Whole Food Plant-Based diet to transform my health and my life. You can too!
My name Deb Kennedy. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, pre-diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol in October 2022. As I embarked on my healing journey, I became a Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition enthusiast and effortlessly lost 70 lbs while reversing my disease. I want to share with you all that I've learned and help you take back control of your health today!
For the majority of my adult life, I thought I was healthy. I was fairly in-shape and was never too concerned with weight or health. I thought I was eating well and tried to incorporate daily walks as the experts suggest. My weight teetered around 165 lbs. During my pregnancy with my first child, I gained 60 lbs and retained about 15 lbs for years. I started putting on more weight with the stress of being a new mom and life in general. Nearly a decade later, I retained another 15 lbs after my second pregnancy. I tried a few of the popular diets and regained the weight every time.
The pandemic hit and before I knew it, I was 215 lbs!
I am 5'9" and carried the weight in all the right places-if you know what I mean-but I knew I needed to make some changes. I cut out the junk food and after getting back to work, I was able to get to 205 lbs, but I could not break the 200 lb threshold.
During my heaviest weight, I was under emotional stress and it manifested in various ways. I developed acid reflux which resulted in severe laryngitis for months. I could not hold a conversation for more than a minute without going hoarse. I also developed adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) on both sides. I knew natural healing was the only answer for me and I refused the medical interventions offered to me. I was already following a pescatarian diet and started reading more about the vegan lifestyle.
Eventually, I was led to Chef AJ's YouTube channel and learned all about calorie density and a Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle. I made some of the dietary changes and finally crossed the threshold weighing in at 190 lbs. My gastric issues subsided and I gained more range of motion in my shoulders. I struggled to stay fully WFPB, but worked every day to implement diet changes.
In July 2022, I learned I was allergic to seafood and experienced a terrible allergic reaction. A few weeks later, I started having this achy feeling in my knees. I attributed the discomfort to the fact that I had just gotten a new dog and was walking so much that my knees couldn't handle it. But the ache never went away.
In August 2022, I took a "Me Time" vacation to Miami and planned to spend the entire week making green smoothies while relaxing on the beach. You see, I had been watching Chef AJ's show and learned how doctors had healed their patients by increasing the amount of greens they consumed. BUT, I also had a supply of Twizzlers, Fig Newtons, and chocolate for the week. I was on vacation after all! Needless to say, I did not heal myself that week. I knew something was really wrong with me when I didn't have the strength in my wrist to open a water bottle.
When I returned home, I went to an urgent care center and described my symptoms to the nurse practitioner on duty. She said it sounded like Lupus which is NOT the appropriate way to disclose that information to a patient. Fortunately, I had already searched WebMd for my symptoms and I knew it looked more like Rheumatoid Arthritis, and was mentally prepared for a negative outcome.
After what seemed like every drop of blood in my body was drawn and tested, it was confirmed: I was Rheumatoid Arthritis positive. I was in slight shock, but also felt fully prepared to tackle this disease head on. I contacted a lifestyle medicine doctor featured on Chef AJ. I started his program which consisted of committing to a WFPB diet, exercise, education classes, mindfulness training, and increasing my social interactions.
I had found the secret! Despite the many ups and downs of trying to commit to this change in lifestyle, I managed to effortlessly lose 70 lbs and take control of my health. My health conditions reversed over the course of the year by simply eating whole foods and without medications. My RA symptoms have subsided and my disease markers have decreased. I am still on my health journey and becoming more steadfast every day. I am more in tune with my body. I have control over cravings and no longer live in The Pleasure Trap.
I am so grateful for all that I've learned and the ups and downs. I know what it is like to be facing death, illness, pain, suffering, and still make choices that will perpetuate these conditions. I've learned to
have compassion for myself. I know chemical dependency on salt, oil, sugar (SOS) can be stronger than all the willpower in the world. I am loving myself throughout the journey and feel empowered to keep moving forward even when I stumble.
I've shared my knowledge with anyone that wants to hear it. I pray that you and others can learn from my experiences. Be sure to download my Beginner's Guide for some of my favorite recipes and tips that helped me to transition. You can follow my journey through my social media accounts and my blog. Get Down with Deb and take control of your health today!
XOXO,
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