Bridgette's Story

"Food From the Ground Up" began as my own, personal journey to health and balance. In 2006, I found that I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea ( I stopped breathing 65 times in one hour while sleeping) and I was 100 lbs. overweight, after many years of weight issues and poor self-care. This began my first steps toward taking care of myself. Medications were prescribed and I began sleeping with a CPAP machine so I could sleep through the night.There were some small improvements, yet I still wasn't losing weight and the improvements were not having any huge effect on my life. Around this time, I began seeing a neurotherapist, Dr. Bill Collins, for help with weight loss.Although there were no physical changes immediately, our visits prepared me emotionally and mentally for the changes that were coming. (thank God for this! I had no clue how scared I was to change and succeed where I had failed so many times.) By fall of 2006, I was in my doctor's office, frustrated and upset. She suggested gastric bypass surgery for my weight issue, which left me in a state of shock and disbelief. I couldn't believe that I was a candidate for a surgery like this and that my doctor asked me virtually nothing else about my lifestyle. Wake up call number one.

For about 8 years before this, I had been living with vertigo, which the doctors have told me is Meniere's Disease. Well, as I began dealing with my other health issues, my vertigo was becoming more frequent, so I saw a specialist to take care of this too. My options were: continue taking meclizine and valium (not good combinations for me) and if that didn't work, ear surgery. All of my tests came back normal, so what we were operating on, I haven't a clue. That was wake up call number two, which kicked me into taking some responsibility for my own health.

So, at 268 lbs., with all of the above health issues and medications, I began to pioneer my own body. Instead of the usual regime: diets (I've done most of the popular ones, more than once), the gym and kick your butt exercising, I listened inside for the first time in my life and I knew what to do. Get off sugar first. This took a lot of time and energy, since I never paid attention to the sugar that was already in my food. I used sugar substitutes in the past and that was going out the window too. The next stepping stone was a visit with a macrobiotic counselor, Denny Waxman, that my friend had told me about in Philadelphia. Now, I had no intention of becoming a "macrobiotic" person. All I could think of was brown rice and seaweed. Really, I knew nothing about it and soon found myself completely intrigued and excited about this approach to food, life and myself. It was very easy to stop eating meat, dairy and a lot of the junk food I had been pouring into my body for many years. I began eating vegetables at every meal, whole grains (I didn't know there were so many), soups and lots of foods I had never tried or even heard of before. It's funny; people ask me constantly how I live without donuts or french fries or other foods that I used to eat all of the time. They think that I am depriving myself. HonestIy, I am discovering new foods at the age of 45! I don't care about the stuff I used to eat anymore. I'm learning how to cook, bake and prepare foods with natural, healthy and organic ingredients and it's just as good, if not better than anything I've eaten in the past. And it feels good!

Now, I've started an organic community garden with a wonderful group of people, some experienced at gardening and others who are venturing into a new experience with growing their own food. My family and I have belonged to a Community Supported Farm and frequent our local farmers' markets. I now care about my food; where it comes from, who grew it and how, whether it's close by or had to travel thousands of miles to get to me. Food is a whole new world to me. I never think about calories, carbs, protein or fats anymore. I want to know if there is any life in my food, so I can nourish my life.

It's now 2009 and I am over 100 lbs. lighter with normal blood pressure, cholesterol, no sleep apnea and no longer take any medications. (none!!) I haven't even taken an anti-inflammatory med since January 5th, 2007. I don't need them! I am amazed at the changes that have taken place in my life and in my body without pain, suffering and deprivation. This is not about being able to continue doing the same things I've always done and still lose weight. That's how I got to the point of killing the life inside of me. This is about feeding that life with alive energy and realizing that I am what I eat and think. Every class I teach or workshop I facilitate is to inspire people to take responsiblity for themselves, to know what they are eating and how they are feeding their lives... we are the only ones who can be responsible for our lives. Feed them well and be shining examples for the next generation so they have a running start. I really believe that good stewardship of our planet begins with our own bodies and lives... then the earth will have a chance too!

Grateful, Happy and Healthy Living!

Bridgette