by Sue Staropoli, M.A.

Featured Healing Modality: Nutrition
Featured practitioner: Marge Pickering-Picone

How Nutrition, Exercise & Attitude Transformed One
Woman's Life: Mary's Story

"Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."
Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine", 2500 years ago.

These words of wisdom echo through the centuries, yet how often are our diet and nutritional patterns seriously considered when we go to the doctor with our ailments? All too often, medication is used as the first line of defense, rather than being a last option.

The story of Mary*, our featured guest in this column, is a living example of this experience. Mary, suffering from long-term fatigue, sinus problems and chronic intestinal difficulties "…had been to at least 8 local MDs and a well-known national clinic, to no avail." In all these contacts, (including an immunologist, allergist, internal medicine, gastrointestinal, ENT) "most MDs treated what their specialty was and not the entire person, mind and body. "I was on so many medicines; I was having reactions to the interaction of side effects." By contrast, Mary describes her contact with her natural health care practitioner Marge Pickering-Picone - a Nutrition Consultant and Educator: "Marge took the time to listen to my entire health saga and put it all together."

Mary turned to Marge at the suggestion of a friend, "…hopeful that just maybe some relief might be on the way," after experiencing … years of "…absolutely no endurance, constantly pushing myself to exhaustion all the time." On a scale of 1-10, her level of pain was a 10. Her desire was to reduce and/or eliminate the symptoms and have a better quality to her daily life. Her symptoms would keep her from doing many daily tasks and was putting much stress on her life and lifestyle.

Marge, a Certified Nutritionist, explains: "Every part of the body utilizes a fuel for its function. These fuels are made up of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. When a fuel level is low the body malfunctions, creating symptoms. With today's typical dietary intake most of us do not even consume what would be considered the recommended RDA for nutrients. The lack can affect us - from fatigue and stress to major chronic ailments." The questions often asked are "What do we have to do to get all the vitamins and minerals that we need to build and maintain a healthy body? Why do we need supplements? Why not just eat a balanced diet?" Studies of lifestyle, methods of farming and food packaging in our culture offer several reasons why a balanced diet is no longer adequate. Among the reasons, mineral depletion of soil, foods being picked before they are ripe, additional chemicals and processing (pesticides, additives, etc.) and individuals eating fewer fruits and vegetables.

In her initial assessment Marge noticed that Mary's "…daily diarrhea eliminated many nutrient values that were necessary for energy, long-term health and enjoying life's existence." The first approach then was to utilize particular foods and supplements that would offer Mary more energy and stamina. She also recommended enzymes and minerals responsible for digestion, absorption and elimination to help with the chronic intestinal disorders. The addition of amino acids and glandular products helped reduce the sinus and allergy activity due to stress. Since a holistic approach seriously considers the mind/body connection, Marge also encouraged Mary to engage in activities that make her happy (fun).

Three weeks later, and before her second appointment, Mary noticed significant improvement physically and emotionally. She states that she "…felt less tired, headaches disappeared, chronic intestinal problems under control, depression lifted and sinus problems less frequent," with hope and a better outlook on life.

As the weeks progressed on her new nutritional regimen Mary's life changed dramatically. With reduced symptoms and increased energy Mary began to exercise and swim. She states, "The energy improvement allowed me a new life. I felt much better about myself. Loss of weight gave me more self-confidence and I was able to help my family and participate in society."

As Mary reflects on her healing experience, she highlights the importance of looking at health in a holistic way: "My entire life was not in balance and Marge took the time to restore the entire me - not one segment. I learned that you never give up searching for help or a cure. You have to be responsible for your own health and keep searching for answers." Marge also notes Mary's attitude as a key factor in supporting the healing process: "Mentally and emotionally she knew somehow she would find something that would help her achieve a better quality of daily life. The main thing was that Mary was open and willing to try."

Mary's experience offers us great insight into key areas of choice - our eating patterns, our openness to learn and change, and our attitude or outlook on life. A key to a full rich life is to give our bodies and minds healthy nourishment - to invest in steps to stay well - rather than waiting to treat symptoms of disease when our body has stopped functioning as it was intended. Working with qualified natural healthcare professionals like Marge can help us avoid some of the chronic unhealthy living styles so prevalent in our society.

Thanks to Mary and Marge for your inspiring, educational and hopeful story!

*Mary is not her real name.

Reprinted with permission from Nature's Wisdom Magazine.
Volume I/Issue VI (Late Autumn 2003)