Detailed Story
Hello, Lovely Soul!
My Elevator Speech
If you missed my short, elevator-intro, her it is. You will find a detailed story right below, just scroll down:).
This is my 30-second elevator speech for those who are on the run.
My name is Elena, aka VEGALICOUS. {Can you see the resemblance between us? 
}
I am a certified Personal Fitness & Group Fitness Instructor and a professional Photographer. I currently reside in Dublin, OH [that is Columbus OH metro area.] On most days you will find me in a workout outfit, with hair pulled back and very little makeup on.
My story is not that of food addictions, broken emotions, or painful upbringing. On the contrary, I like food, I am one of the happiest people around and I was brought up by the best parents in the whole world. I am also married to the best man in the Universe.
Several years ago I suffered from numerous ailments that went undiagnosed for years, despite all the specialists I had seen. I was finally diagnosed with hypothroidism, which caused a myriad of health issues, such as: anterior knee condition, dry eye syndrome, skin and hair problems, depression, weight gain and hormone imbalance.
I was told that hypothyroidism cannot be reversed, but only controled with medication. I refused to believe it, and refused medication. I decided that if I got myself into this trouble I should find out how I can reverse the hand of time and undo the damages. I changed to an all plant-based [vegan], whole foods, high raw diet “cold turkey”. In less than 3 years after that I was no longer hypothyroid and now enjoy perfect health and live to the fullest.
I was also diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor and was told that I will have to live with it forever and be on medication, especially if I ever wanted to conceive.
I now live to tell others that the impossible is possible not only for me, but for everyone, who dares to believe.
In the process of healing I fell in love with physical fitness. Power Yoga became my “drug” of choice. Eventually it was insufficient, so I created a high intensity program I called YogaPump. I also teach Total Body Conditioning, do Personally training and occasionally Pilates. Who knows what I will do next?! After all, I am HIGH ON LIFE!
Now onto the detailed story of my life.
In The Beginning
In the beginning… that is before things became bad and I lost my perfect health. It was around 1998 when I moved away from home to attend college in Ohio. Like many young students I felt that I had enough energy to conquer the world. I was in college full-time, held a full-time job and volunteered as much of my “free” time as I could at my home church. 5-6 hours of sleep were not an issue.
After graduating from college I met my future husband*. We began our courtship and shortly after he was diagnosed with a brain cyst, which lead to one major and two follow up brain surgeries.
As his was recovering, he was placed on medication that caused him to gain weight. In all, in a few short months, he piled on over 70 extra lbs, and I was not too far behind with nearly 30 extra lbs on me. I went from size 5 to size 10 in a matter of 6 months. While he was in the hospital and then recovering I was his primary caregiver, still working a full-time job, taking care of my life, his life and spending all of my “free” time [time after work] at the hospital. Sleep was scarce, and I had very little time to think about healthy, nutritious meals for myself. Hospital food, fast food and leftovers from occasional homemade meals became the norm for me.
After a month and a half in a hospital Hubby was released. I continued to provide care and administer medication to him. As he was gradually recovering I started to pay attention to me. I noticed that my body changed. Extra 30 lbs did not feel good. To add to my concern my cycles became longer and longer.
To “help” me my OBGYN put me on birth control medication. Now I know how big of a mistake that was, but then I was fully trusting her professional opinions.
Hubby and I were married in 2003. And soon after my quest for better health began.
In addition to my own concerns, I soon discovered that Hubby suffered from frequent chest pains. They came at different times. Since I was not a doctor, I did not know what to suspect, and I surely did not know what to do to make him feel better. So, I lived in fear of losing him.
*hereafter referred to as Husband, Hubby, and, lovingly, Hubster 
. There are parts of my life that I prefer to keep private. I have chosen to make a lot of my life and thoughts public, however, I do not want to force my spouse to do the same, intentionally or unintentionally.
Hubby’s Quest to Health
When all of our health issues ensued, I was still influenced to believe that genes were the biggest force behind someone’s health. Hubby was adopted at a young age and we did not know what his biological family’s health history was. I was anxious to find them if for no other reason than to find out their medical history. [There were other pressing reasons also, of course.]
I began my search for them even before we married, but it was not until the second year of our marriage that we were able to locate them. To my dismay, most of the males on Hubby’s father’s side suffered or died from cardiovascular problems (hearts attacks, strokes, seizures due to strokes), on his mother’s side there was a history of strokes and cancers. Thankfully we both believe in God who heals. We knew that if we did our part, He would take care of the rest and provide us with perfect health.
I thought that I knew what I must do. I immediately adjusted our diet. I was already making 99% percent of our meals myself, using fresh ingredients as much as possible. I cut out “bad” fats that I knew about, we exercised, and we expected great results. Unfortunately changes did not happen as expected. Hubby was still suffering from continuous and escalating chest pains. At times I was scared that he might have a heart attack or a stroke.
As Hubby recovered from the brain surgeries and his skull grew bone in the area where it was cut, he was able to start an exercise regimen. Some of the weight he gained after his hospital stay came off. However, the chest pains persisted.
In 2005 Hubster went to see a physician. After having tried several medications the chest pains did not subside. We even went to see a cardiologist. Hubby was put through several different tests, but again, nothing “problematic” was detected.
We insisted for more tests to be done. I made an educated guess that his arteries must have gotten clogged up quite a bit and were the culprit behind his torturous pains.
In January 2006 Hubster’s physician finally ordered blood work. Here are the results:
His cholesterol levels were VERY high: 220 mg/dL! (You might find it that some labs/doctors would suggest that 170-220 mg/dL is a normal range for cholesterol, but in reality it is not. It has become the new norm in the States during the last century, as the levels were gradually increasing, but it has not always been so. The doctors are now “grading” cholesterol levels on the ever sliding curve.) His doctor told us that the only way to take care of the problem was to take medication. His reasoning, having examined our lifestyle and diet, was that since Hubby exercised regularly, ate “healthy” (or so we thought) and was not overweight, there was nothing else that could be done by us to make the problem go away. So, his high cholesterol was written off to heredity—the ever-responsible for all evils of the world genes.
At the time we did not know any better and were quiet frightened, so we agreed. Hubby went on Zocor, medication that was supposed to reduce his cholesterol levels, but had multiple side-effects. Hubby had to have blood work done every three months to see if the medication was damaging any of his other organs, primarily kidneys and liver.
We continued to pray for healing. We did not want Hubster to continue on medication risking his long-term health. However, seeing that our prayers were not being answered (that is how we felt at the time) and doctors had no clue how to help us, we examined ourselves, knowing that God was not ignoring us, and changed our prayers. Instead of asking God for healing, we began to ask Him for wisdom. We realized that rather than having an instantaneous healing, as great as that would have been, we would actually rather discover a method which would keep us healthy for the rest of our lives.
Call it what you want, audacity, bravery or stupidity, but we told Hubby’s doctor that we would be back within a year with a solution and Hubby would come off medication once and for all. Needless to say, the doctor thought we were naïve and were going to find out that there is nothing that can be done once medical science made its conclusions and pronounced its sentence.
So, I set out on a quest to find a healthier alternative and a cure for Hubby’s problem.
Healing Journey
The information I started to acquire was incredible, yet simple, and I wanted to know more. It just happened that at that time we met someone who had taken a nutrition course, offered by a local wellness organization. Our new acquaintance told me about The China Study, an incredible book written by T. Colin Campbell, about the effects of nutrition on our health. I immediately got the book and began to read it. As I was reading it, with every page, I developed more and more hope that my husband would not have to be on medication for the rest of his life. It seemed that my educated guess [his arteries being clogged up] was actually true.
I shared this exciting information with Hubby. We immediately started to make adjustments to our diet. In December of 2006 we changed our diet to vegan, excluding any and all animal products from our diet. We also excluded processed and refined foods, including sugars, white flour, white rice, and table salt. (Instead of table salt we use Himalayan/Sea salts and supplement with sea vegetables to meet our iodine needs.)
In January of 2007 we went to see Hubby’s doctor to request for him to approve for Hubby to discontinue taking medication. The doctor, as you can only imagine, thought we were absolutely crazy. We, however, insisted. We told him that we wanted at least three months to prove that our theory and new discoveries would work. We ended up having to partially threaten that if he did not want to supervise our “experiment” we would do it on our own. He relented. We were expecting changes! We knew what was going to happen, although the doctor insisted that his condition was hereditary and there is nothing that could be done to fix it.
Three months later, as we promised, we went back for a follow-up appointment. Here are the results from Hubby’s blood test:
The cholesterol level went down from 220 mg/dL (pre-medication) to 173 mg/dL (without medication). That is whopping 47 mg/dL in three months. Amazing, isn’t it?! The doctor was surprised. We were simple happy.
To add to our joy, the chest pains were declining in their frequency and strength. Both of us were dropping weight. We were more alert, more energetic, and certainly happier!
As we parted with the “good” doctor, I made him a promise. I told him that when we return for a follow-up test, the timing of which was actually left up to us to decide, Hubby’s cholesterol will be under 150 mg/dL, which is optimal for cardiovascular health. You would have thought that the doctor had learned his lesson and would have believed me, but with scorn on his face he waved me off as an annoying insect and once again declared it was impossible. Apparently he did not know not to mess with a woman on a mission to save her husband.
I bet you want to know whether we ever went back and, if we did, what the test results were. Indeed, we did go back in December of 2007, a year after we changed our dietary lifestyle. Here are the results:
Yes, you are seeing it correctly—the overall cholesterol, in fact, was below 150 mg/dL. It was 149 mg/dL, which is additional 24 mg/dL, making a total of 71 mg/dL down from the initial test.
We were right once again. Only this time we decided not to go back to the doctor. It really was not worth to waste our time and money for us to walk in his office just to say: “I told you so!” The chest pains were gone as well, and I no longer live in fear of losing my husband.
My Quest to Health
As I previously mentioned, the entire journey of Hubby’s treatments and recovery, as well as my busy life, took a toll on my health. In addition to developing a hormone imbalance, which went misdiagnosed for over 5 years, I also gained a “few” extra pounds.
My OBGYN, out of sheer ignorance, placed me on birth control to regulate my cycle. That was the only thing that the medication was able to accomplish. Once on it, the weight started to pile on [I maxed out at 168 lbs on my small frame], followed by hair loss, skin issues, joint problems [I developed and anterior knee condition (softening of the cartilage around the bones of the knee cap and knee joint) and lived with severe pain, at times barely able to get out of bed], severe dry eye syndrome, and eventually, depression.
So much for helping! Medication did nothing more than to mask my mounting problems.
I went from doctor to doctor and each one offered different methods to help my issues: dermatologist offered more medication to “help” solve my skin issues; orthopedic doctor offered a surgery, to have the knees scraped—he told me that the condition will never improve on its own and the medical field still does not know what causes it; optometrist inserted punctal plugs into my tear ducts to help retain tears; general physician offered calcium supplements for the knees—after my research the supplements turned out to be poorly made with indigestible sea/clam shells [welcome to total educated ignorance]; and lastly OBGYN had me on birth control. I was reluctant to go see anyone for depression, because I already knew that the only thing I could expect in the form of help would be more medication.
With Hubster’s health fixed up it was time to pay attention to me. While we were taking care of him and changing our diet my health also began to improve. I lost over 20 lbs, however I was still afflicted with a myriad of health issues.
I began researching more of what could have caused my health problems and, rather than looking for different sources for each issue as all medical doctors/specialists had, I decided to look for what they had in common.
I was able to accomplish what my numerous specialist doctors could not. With thorough research I self-diagnosed myself with hypothyroidism. All I needed at that point was to confirm it.
Dumping the Pill
In October of 2007, after much research and soul searching I concluded that I could no longer stay on birth control medication. It was no really helping me any. Yes, it did cause me to have a menses, but it was not because it healed me, rather it peaked progesterone levels artificially and on the days when I was not taking the meds, progesterone withdrawal caused menses.
In addition to the “cover up” all, and I must emphasize all, un-natural birth control medications cause side effects ranging from causing hormone imbalance, increased chance of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, various forms of cancers, and unintended miscarriages. Yes, women who take birth control can still ovulate and become pregnant. However, the medication, or artificial implants that go into a woman’s body, can and some of them specifically serve that purpose, so they will, cause a disruption of the inseminated egg to get implanted, thus causing a miscarriage, or, if you will, an abortion. All of these also increase the risk of death to the woman. If you don’t believe me just read the inserts for each birth control, and clinical studies research. You will be blown away that there is nothing, except for natural family planning, that is safe. [For details on Natural Family Planning make sure to sign up for the Vegalicious Newsletter to get the free report containing this information.]
At the time these facts caused me a lot of heart aches. Although I had a severe hormone imbalance and the likelihood of me ovulating were very slim, there was still a possibility. Thankfully I found out the truth and got off birth control as quickly as I could.
Amazingly, almost immediately there was an improvement in my health. I felt as if all of my senses had awakened back to life. Depression was one of the first things to go after I quit the pill, although the full recovery process took a little while, but the beginning of healing from it was glorious.
Confirmation
Having come to the conclusion that I was hypothyroid, all I needed to do is to have it confirmed by a specialist. In January of 2008 I did just that.
The tests had confirmed what I long suspected and what my numerous specialists failed to accomplish—I was finally diagnosed as hypothyroid. My TSH was at 4.905. (My suspicion is that prior to our diet change it was higher, as ever since diagnosis it kept dropping by an average 1.3 points per year. If my statistical guess is correct, my TSH could have been as high as 6.2 or higher prior to us converting to a vegan diet.)
With diagnosis I finally knew what I was up against. Although my medical doctor told me that hypothyroid condition is irreversible, by then I already knew and understood the power of lifestyle choices and refused to believe that something that I developed over time (I was not born with hypothyroidism) could not also be reversed, given time.
My conclusion was that if I did things to encourage poor health, I should be able to do things that would help me retrace my steps and correct my wrongs, thus reversing health issues that were created in the process.
My further research had also confirmed that all of the ailments I had were not independent of one another, but on the contrary, had a common root—hormone imbalance caused by hypothyroidism, which in turn was caused by severe stress, lack of rest and poor nutrition.
As my body struggled through aforementioned neglectful habits, it depleted itself of minerals and vitamins necessary to maintain optimal thyroid function, which in turn affected many other physical processes. The stress forced my body to live in the survival mode [fight or flight (for details about Fight or Flight Syndrome make sure to subscribe to the Vegalicious Newsletter to download a FREE report conaining this infromation)] for so long that I had to find ways to nourish it back to health.
It meant forming better habits not only when it came to nutrition, but also better stress managements, treating my physical body with respect and dignity and giving it all things necessary for optimal health, i.e. rest, nutrition and exercise.
Highway to Health
I kept on with my research as we continually improved our diet, learning the What’s and the How’s of vegan living.
I changed my perspective on how I should treat myself. I found that the Bible must have been correct. It says: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ {Mark 12:31}. After so many years I finally understood the meaning of it. For so long I loved others around me more than myself—taking care of them and neglecting myself. I finally knew that true love expresses itself through taking care of yourself: health, emotions, etc., first, so that I could be more effective helping others with whatever needs they might have.
The new revelation helped me to reprioritize what was important in my life, thus reducing stress and tending to my needs. I spent more time away from stress, spending time in prayer and meditation on God’s word, as well as taking time off to recuperate from every-day stressors. I learned that things can wait and the world won’t fall apart if I don’t immediately tend to what seems to be even the most pressing matter.
Green Smoothies
In the Spring of 2008 I was introduced to Green Smoothies. Having read V. Boutenko’s book “Green for Life” I jumped right on it and began to consume as many raw [uncooked] greens as possible, in blended form. Within 30 days I noticed a measurable change in my health. More weight came off and I felt better. The new revelation, in turn, made us consume more of a raw [uncooked] diet. Currently 60-80% of our diet is raw.
One by one the health problems that plagued me for years melted away. The healing did not come overnight. I was mindful that but I did not develop poor health overnight either and I had to be patient to get well. But when healing came it stayed.
My hair stopped falling out. Skin problems melted away. Depression fled the scene. The knees stopped hurting. My back became stronger. I slept better. Weight came off. I felt normal again. And, to top things off, I had hope and even more so, an assurance that things will get only better.
I kept track of my medical tests to measure improvements. I am a person of hard facts, not speculations, so I needed to measure my progress with facts. I had blood work drawn every 1-1.5 years to measure my success. Below are the results.
As of today I am feeling better than ever, and I am certainly in better shape physically than I had been for many years. I am no longer diagnosed as hypothyroid, although there is still room for improvement. The doctor who diagnosed me in 2008 could barely believe the results when I went back to see him in January of 2011.
Through the process I learned patience. I reconditioned my mind and my body. I am in total control of what goes into my body. I had changed my view of foods and medicine radically. I now know food is fuel for my body and I have to use the best available grade to make sure I achieve optimal results. In my opinion, medication is to be used only in critical conditions and only until we are able to improve our health naturally.
I know that my health will only continue to improve, as it had to this point. I am looking forward to even a healthful future.
Answered Prayers
As we got better we knew that our prayers have been answered, and not for only then and there, but we were equipped for a lifelong journey.
With all the prayers we prayed and tears we cried in the beginning, we did not realize that the answer to our prayers was as close as the hand is to the mouth.
Pituitary Adenoma & Curing Infertility Naturally
I know that I told you in the beginning that I was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor. I was told that it is incurable and I could never conceive without medication, thus I was rendered infertile on my own. You probably thought when you read it: “There is NO WAY she is going to tell me that she cured that too… will she?” Well, click through these posts and find out for yourself .
- Even Saints Miss the Mark Every Now and Then
- A Happy Interlude {Vitamin B-12 Natural Infertility Treatment}
- Even Saints Miss the Mark Every Now and Then [Medication Free Pregnancy]
- It is Pituitary Adenoma or Curable Hormone Imbalance? Or is it a Miracle?
- How I Reversed Hypothyroidism Naturally… TWICE!
. So, there is hope for everyone!
What Future Holds
Since we reversed Hubby’s health issues and got me back to the world of the living I have become consumed by the desire to help others do the same as long as I can.
Proper nutrition and fitness are a key to our world’s health. Both are imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I believe that most diseases can not only be prevented but also reversed, including the worst of them. I hold to the view that 85% of diseases can be dealt with and prevented by a simple change in diet and lifestyle.
Many view my husband and I as crazed lunatics who sacrifice the pleasures of life [i.e. junk and animal foods]. They believe that we lead a deprived life. We, on the contrary, know that what is perceived as sacrifice and depravation, are answers to our prayers for better health and longer lives.
Our diet is very rich in nutrition. We eat a variety of foods and as much as we need to; we never get bored with our meals; we get full quicker than we used to, since there is actually whole nutrition in our foods; never get the “stuffed” feeling that those on over-processed, nutrient-poor, animal-product-rich Standard American Diet {SAD} get regularly. We had lost and kept off over 100 lbs combined; our health had improved and energy levels increased. We are far from thinking that we are deprived of anything, except for poor health. And we invite you, the readers, to feel the same way—full of health and deprived of sickness.
There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will spare the description and show you what a Plant Based diet and a change in lifestyle has done for us.
Conclusion
Plant-Based Lifestyle is Not for Wimps
In conclusion I want to disspell the myth sold by junk food and meat companies that “real men” eat meat, and plant foods and salads are somehow “chick” food.
- Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman tri-athlete
- Scott Jurek, ultra-marathoner, course record holder at Badwater and Western States
- Chris Campbell, Olympic wrestling champion
- Ruth Heidrich, six-time Ironwoman, USA track and field Master’s champion
- Bill Manetti, power-lifting champion
- Yours truly [yes, me ] is a fitness trainer with quick recovery times
Unfortunately magazine and TV ads are targeted at confusing you, while collecting a huge profit for pharmaceutical companies and large corporations. Medical doctors remain largely ignorant about the role of nutrition. It is not surprising, as in their entire education career they take only one course on nutrition, which, ironically is sponsored by the meat and dairy industry.
So, how do we combat this misinformation and commercialism? Education, coming from trustworthy sources, is the answer! But you must have motivation, a need and a desire to make changes.
It Is Your Time NOW
You might be thinking: “Is it really that simple?” The answer is: YES! Most solutions to our lives’ problems are very simple indeed. And what can be more simple than eating great food?!
Making changes might not seem to be 100% easy in the beginning, but that depends on YOU! It starts with a decision. A decision is followed by actions. Actions lead to a change of our mindset and habits.
There are two ways to make changes:
- the way we did it—overnight; or
- start with one meal at a time, one day at a time, one decision at a time
You are already taking a step toward making improvement—you are reading my story, which means that you are interested in making a change, or at least you think that there is a possibility to make positive changes that will bear results.
Eating right would largely obviate the enormous costs of drugs as well as their side effects. Fewer people would get sick with chronic diseases and waste years of their lives. More people could enjoy their lives by traveling, spending time with family and pursuing their passions, instead of giving their hard-earned money to pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and medical clinics.
I have been in your place, in the same position. In the beginning, although I was very resolute, I found it both exhilarating and frustrating to figure out how to reconstruct our diet. I had to literally abandon all I knew to be true at that point in my life about health and nutrition. It is my hope that my story will help you on your journey. There is, however, even more information I have to help you.
To make your journey easier and more enjoyable I started this blog. It is full of recipes and insight. Make sure to stop by, read it, subscribe to it via RSS feed or e-mail; subscribe to the Newsletter to get a FREE 90+ page detailed report of my journey to healing , and pick up some of the e-books and products I offer to help you start on your journey.
I also offer one-on-one online and in-person consultations, tailored to your needs and lifestyle. If interested, contact me for more information.
LIVE VEGALICIOUSLY!
