Hello there, Mark.

Let the storytelling begin…

At the age of 10, I decided to become a vegetarian. Despite my parent’s disapproval, I dove right in and after seven years went whole-hog vegan. Six years later, at the age of 23, I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency, had stopped menstruating, struggled with bloating and constipation, low energy, no libido, and anxiety. At 5’7″ and 135 pounds, I was by no means overweight, but I carried all of it in my belly and had very little muscular definition. The doctors I had seen (and there were many), told me the immune deficiency was incurable and they didn’t know the reason for my amenorrhea. I work as a stage actor, so the chronic infections and lack of vitality were seriously effecting my work and art. I soon gave up on Western Medicine, and started reading everything I could about “alternative healing”. I started seeing an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, and the first time I met with both of them the first thing they commented on was my diet. “Maybe you should eat meat” were the last words I wanted to hear, and I remember bursting into tears as soon as I heard them.

I spent the next few months reconsidering why I had chosen to be a vegan: primarily inhumane treatment of animals, and factory farming’s effect on the environment. Then it came to me – I don’t have to eat animals who were being treated inhumanely! I don’t have to eat animals from factory farms! And I decided it was more important to do what I had to do to be as healthy as possible in order to give myself fully to the world and my art.

I found local farms and farmers markets, and read a LOT about nutrition. Eventually I was led to The Primal Blueprint and it was exactly what I had been looking for. I started the next day.

It took two years of paleo to curb my regular upper-respiratory infections, but the past four years, I’ve only gotten sick twice! I use some herbal remedies, but no western medicine (sans one round of antibiotics). Two years ago, after seeing a kinesiologist who suggested I drop all carbohydrates and sugars to accelerate the healing process, I went zero carb. I dropped underweight, to 113 pounds, because I still wasn’t menstruating and didn’t have hormonal balance. My energy had gone through the roof, though, and my anxiety was no longer overwhelming!

Then BAM, after six months of zero carb, my hormones balanced over night – my period started, I gained 25 pounds, grew a bum, went up two cup sizes, my hair curled (seriously!), and my libido came back full-force. Suddenly I was a woman. It was terrifying!

I’ve upped the carbs since (tho not too much – under 50 grams is where I feel best for now), and my health is better than it’s ever been…

And that’s where I’m at today – an hourglass, fertile, healthy, medicine-free WOMAN. Thank you, Mark. I feel like you held my hand through my second puberty!

And here are some pictures…

This is “before” – 23, vegan, 5’7″, 135 pounds, belly bloat, sick a lot…

This is “during” (I’m on the left side of the photo) – 27, underweight at 113 pounds, very vital, but still not menstruating…

And this is “now”- 137lb, fertile, healthy, curly! (and still working on getting the boyfriend paleo:))

Thank you so much, Mark.
xx
Adina

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