As we at MamaSezz well know, changing to a plant-based diet can change your life in ways you never expected. In this series, we talk with some of the world’s most soulful, dedicated (and often funny) individuals. We get to hear their stories of suffering, transformation, and service — and we learn how food is an essential part of their journey.
Want to start your own plant-based journey? Get started here.
The connection between diet and chronic pain
Ever been in so much pain you felt paralyzed? For these 4 individuals, pain was simply a part of everyday life. Pain killers and prescription medication kept them afloat, but the side effects wreaked havoc and the inflammation and pain was still there.
Primarily, from doing their own research, these 4 individuals (two of them doctors) decided to give lifestyle medicine a try and it changed their lives forever. Switching to a plant based diet reduced inflammation, put their diseases at bay and helped them to heal. Sounds like a miracle doesn't it? Actually, it's scientifically proven and makes total medical sense!
4 people who switched to a plant-based diet to escape chronic pain
(Before we get started, you can reduce your inflammation and find relief with plant-based foods. Sign up for the the MamaSezz Detox and Reboot Program today.)
1. Chris found relief from gout
In his mid 20s, Chris was suffering from painful swollen ankles due to high uric acid levels. His gout was so out of hand that he was unable to play soccer, and sometimes even walk. As a middle school teacher and coach, being mobile was necessary, but his swelling became more and more regularly.
Chris then made a life-changing decision: to go on the MamaSezz Guaranteed Weight Loss Program. Not only did Chris lose weight, but he also never experienced ankle swelling again.
2: Kate overcame the pain of psoriatic arthritis (and became a marathon runner!)
Kate D. was in horrible pain and couldn’t understand why. She was young, a vegan, and felt pretty great other than her joint pain. She was eventually diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and started taking medication that helped a little, but the pain was still there.
“I developed awful runaway inflammation where many joints and tendons in my body became excruciatingly painful and I spent an entire summer in bed and a year off work, barely able to walk.”
Eventually, Kate learned about a whole food vegan diet, and took a few months to think it over. Eventually she decided to give it a try. Now, she is running in marathons.
Check out the rest of Kate’s story.
3. This doctor's last ditch effort to heal from Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Saray Stancic was pushing herself to the limit. She lived in pain for eight years and watched her health decline while still trying to work as a physician. She was limited to small amounts of physical activity, yet 36-hour shifts with little-to-no sleep were common during her residency. One night at the hospital, Saray took a nap and woke up without feeling in her legs. She was brought to the ER and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
She suddenly envisioned herself in a wheelchair and began to panic. What did this mean for her career? Her life? Over time, Dr. Stancic grew dependent on her medication until she came across an article about MS and diet that would change her life forever.
“It has been 25 years since my diagnosis, and today I take no medications for my MS. I live a symptom free life and I enjoy an active lifestyle with daily runs, walks, or hikes. I consume a whole foods plant-based diet, and I tend to every aspect of my lifestyle as if it were a medical prescription.”
Read more about Dr. Stancic’s journey, and check out the book she wrote on the topic!
4. How this doctor and mother fought her Rheumatoid arthritis
Talk about crippling pain...Dr. Aggarwal’s ah-ha moment where she knew she needed to make a change was when she was crawling up the stairs and collapsed at the base of her baby’s crib. She was unable to lift her crying baby because she was in so much pain. She felt utterly devastated.
Dr. Aggarwal diagnosed herself with lyme disease until a colleague ran some blood tests and told her she had rheumatoid arthritis. She hopped on a slew of medications, but the side effects took a toll. She felt nauseous 24/7 and her hair started to fall out.
At one of her cardiology events, Dr. Aggarwal met someone who went on to change her health forever.
“...And she went on save my life. She started asking me questions I hadn't asked before about the diet-stress-illness connection. This started me on a path towards my own research. I went to programs at Harvard. I spent time with different researchers who are working on the gut biome.”
Once Dr. Aggarwal changed her lifestyle, she got better. Here’s how she did it.
Are you ready to kick inflammation with a whole food plant-based diet?
MamaSezz is here to help! Start your anti-inflammatory journey with the MamaSezz Detox and Reboot Program.