christy’s story

I grew up eating a fairly typical American diet. I remember my mum limiting sweet cereals as a kid, and I always had an apple in my lunch bag (thanks Mom!).

I think pretty early on I developed an addiction to sugar, however. I regularly craved ice cream and sweets, and in my teen years I plunged into the not-so-wonderful world of fast food on a regular basis. Up until the 6th grade I remember looking and feeling pretty good, but after that my health seemed to get progressively worse. I ranged between being 15-20lbs overweight all through high school, and I developed severe acne, which lasted for over 16 years. I went on antibiotics and ended up spending four solid years on tetracycline and minocycline. It didn't work, but the doctor kept saying to just stay on it a little longer. I now know it actually caused a lot of other problems like candida and poor digestion, and in the long run, it actually made my acne worse.

I spent a lot of hours worrying about my skin, and trying every treatment and product I could get my hands on. I never saw any real lasting improvement, however. My frustration with the condition only grew. In a way, (and I know other acne-sufferers often feel the same way), it was the biggest motivation for me to get healthy. After seeing my acne get worse after so many dermatologists, pills and products, I knew I had to find the answer for myself.

Around age 23, I started thinking, “I've had enough! What is going on?!!" It was becoming harder and harder to be the person I wanted so desperately to be: me. Though I hated myself, I knew somewhere inside was the person I was meant to be. I felt as if there was a heavy cloud over my head and a black veil separating me from the world. I looked awful, and I felt awful. My skin was blotchy, my hair was falling out, and my eyes were lifeless and bloodshot. One of my friends suggested that I might have food allergies. Here was a new idea! I had had a reaction to breast milk as a baby, perhaps I had been eating foods all my life that I was sensitive or allergic to.

So I promptly cut out some of the typical allergens: wheat, corn, and dairy. I limited my diet to rice, soy, meats and fruit with a few veggies here and there. I felt instantly better. I continued on the diet for over a year, but after a few months, I started to feel bad again. I visited a regular medical doctor, who promptly prescribed sleeping pills, antidepressants, antinausea pills, antibiotics and Accutane. I just couldn't do it. My intuition was sending red flags up all over the place. I knew from experience these medications only masked the symptoms, so I didn't take anything, and I struggled on. I thought it must be more allergies so I cut out more things. But, I must confess, I held on to sugar. Sugar was still huge in my life.

I felt somehow that food was the answer and doctors weren't treating it with the importance I felt it deserved. I remembered a poster in my grade school gym of a big carrot and apple dancing together and words above it: “You are what you eat". Still, it didn't click. I slowly cut out most red meat, chicken, too; and I had cut out eggs and cheese because they made me sick a long time ago.

Around then, my sister had candida, and after reading about it, I scored off the charts on candida tests. I hoped that I’d discover the 'key' to what was wrong with me. Sugar had to go. I stayed on the candida diet a while, had an improvement in my overall health, but I couldn't seem to get rid of all the problems.

I began trying all kinds of therapies: Chinese medicine, colon and liver cleanses that came in a box, a cupboard full of supplements and miracle cures. I had a series of colonics, which helped, and I found out about the benefits of juicing and fasting. I learned a lot and did improve some. Each thing I learned was a step in the right direction.

Around January of 2003 I hit rock bottom. I was weepy, cranky and dependent. My feelings were based on what others thought of me (or what I thought they thought!), and inside I was screaming that I hated myself, and no wonder everyone else hated me too. These thoughts and feelings seem so silly to me now, but they were all too real then. Then the fog seemed to lift a bit, long enough for me to see that I really was valuable, a priceless creation, and very much worth investing in. I decided then and there that I would change my life and get healthy once and for all, and though I had said that a score of times before, I had had enough of pain and just couldn't live with it any longer.

I came across a cookbook called Raw: The UnCook Book by Juliano. I sat down right there in the aisle of the shop and leafed through the beautiful vibrant pictures. I couldn't believe a raw fruit and veggie diet could look so good. I wanted to buy it but I put it back. I kept thinking about it though. I told others it seemed so right; it really clicked in my mind. I spent hours and hours online researching it, and went to the library and checked out Juliano's ‘uncook’ book. That week I tried two days of all raw, and had fruit for the first time in a month (the candida diet didn't allow it but, oh, it was wonderful!). I felt better. I actually felt good, which was so amazing.

Then March 8, 2003 I went 100% all raw foods: fruits, nuts, seeds and veggies; and I haven't turned back since. I had one week of candida symptoms but stuck with it and have had few symptoms since (after months of trying to get rid of it before).

Fatigue and depression disappeared within weeks, my skin began to glow with health and my acne improved, I lost 25 pounds, mental cloudiness, headaches, nausea, insomnia, aches and pains, cystitis, negative emotions — all of it gone or vastly improved. I have taken up dance again, and I actually do it on a regular basis with joy and energy. It used to be a chore, and I had to make myself exercise, but it is so much easier now. My future is brighter than I ever thought it could be! I could go on for hours about the benefits of eating natural foods; it paves the way for so many good things to come into your life. I now know that if you don't have health, you don't have anything.

I work with acne sufferers all the time. I am a technician in an office that does skin treatments (with lasers, but we also do facials and skin care products). I’ve worked there three years now, and my acne did improve some, but it did not improve significantly (and lastingly) until several months on the raw diet. Not to mention my skin now glows as it never has before. And even if I get a spot now it heals so much faster. I used to have such a hard time treating my acne clients before, as I hadn't found the answer yet for myself. Now Karen's book is one of the first things I mention. And as a results of my acne improving the natural way, they are asking me to possibly start giving nutritional advice to clients. It's amazing they should ask me to do that, because the first year I worked there the doctor handed me a prescription for antibiotics practically every week. I think he thought I was crazy for refusing it then, but now he seems very interested in the raw diet.

So don't accept average or poor health another minute! You can make changes right now! Keep smiling, because you are on your way!

Christy McCallum, USA

Christy's story is featured in Clear Skin, by Karen Jessett.

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