Goodbye High-Risk HPV and Moderate Cervical Dysplasia! The Story Of My NATURAL Fight!

Like most women, I was shocked when I found out that I had HPV and Cervical Dysplasia. If you're like me and you’re interested in natural treatment options, here's an overview of what to do! 

1.) Order Tori Hudson's Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. This is the most necessary $17 you'll spend on your way back to great reproductive health! Stop surfing the web and find peace when you open this book which has all the answers you're looking for. The book provides specific natural treatment plans for each level of abnormality. 

2.) Find a Naturopathic Doctor (hopefully one who specializes in Women’s Health). Naturopathic Doctors are highly knowledgable medical professionals who have been through an accredited school, and in their practice they look at the WHOLE person to determine the cause of imbalance. This is holistic health. Visit this link and find a doctor in your area who has graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine. These are Tori Hudson’s graduates and they are very familiar with the Natural Protocol that worked for me and thousands of other women around the world. If you live in the east it's harder to find an ND as there are less of them. In that case, try this link, too. 

3.) Diet change, supplements, positive attitude and suppositories or natural Escharotic treatments. (All are described below).

I am here to tell you my story and what has worked for me. I am happy to answer any questions you might have!

When I got the news, I did research every day until my eyes hurt. I read blogs, books and talked to everyone. Even with the incredible support of my family, friends and boyfriend, I was so lost about what to do. The standard medical protocol is to do a Leep procedure. This did not feel right to me; I did not like the idea of having the tip of my cervix shaved off! Especially since it does not address the cause of abnormal cells and it can often cause premature labor. I discovered so many natural treatment options and didn’t know which to go with. What I didn’t know is that just like the standard MEDICAL protocol (Leep), there is also a standard NATURAL protocol (herbal suppositories and escharotic treatments). This was the answer for me! This is the treatment that Naturopathic Doctors (ND’s) all over the United States are recommending to their patients with cervical dysplasia and they have been for years. In fact, shortly after I discovered this treatment option, I spoke to my aunt who said she had it done 20 years ago after Cryo surgery did not work for her. She’s been dysplasia free since!

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Brief Description of HPV and Dysplasia:

HPV is a sexually transmitted virus. There are low-risk types which can cause warts and there are high-risk types which can cause cervical dysplasia. 

Cervical Dysplasia is abnormal cells caused by the HPV virus. These cells can slowly turn into cancer if they’re left untreated. As "abnormal cells" or precancerous cells, there are five different severities: ASC-US, Mild, Moderate, Severe and Carcinoma In Situ. ASC-US and Mild are considered "Low Grade" while Moderate through Carcinoma are considered "High Grade."

Some things about HPV and Dysplasia I didn’t know:

1.) The only REAL cure for HPV and Dysplasia is a healthy immune system. Cutting off or freezing the bad cells may fix the problem temporarily (or even forever) but it’s not a cure and without addressing your immune system, the bad cells could come back. 
2.) An abnormal pap result can tell you a lot more than your doctor probably did. Please ask your doctor specifically whether your pap results were Mild, Moderate or Severe (CIN I, II or III). This will help you to better create a plan for healing. If your results are Mild, there is no need to do a biopsy. Try suppositories, supplements and diet change first, this will likely reverse the abnormal cells. 

Now, Here’s what I did! (Diet and Supplements)

Right away, I went on a very healthy diet! I came up with this diet with the help of my great doctor and several books including The Cancer Prevention Diet, Eight Weeks to Optimal Health, Food Rules & Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Cancer Diet. I also spoke with a famous healer in the Colorado Springs area, Vivian Rice, who has been studying nutrition and Native American healing for nearly 60 years! She helped my mom 30 years ago when she was having trouble with pregnancy. The diet is really quite simple. Eat food (real food). The kind of food your great grandmother could recognize the name of. That means no Cheetos, no Toaster Studel, etc. Along with the elimination of a few food items of course, tons of veggies, and ORGANIC as much as possible. I got very excited about cooking because I knew that diet was going to have a lot to do with my healing process! (Please see some delicious recipes below). 


The foods I completely avoided were:

Animal protein (with the exception of organic eggs & wild caught fish)

Sugar 

Processed foods (Avoiding artificial ingredients and preservatives) - stop eating at Subway and start eating at the local health food cafe!

Wheat (unless completely unprocessed and organic and you know you do not have a wheat allergy).

Dairy (with the exception of occasional delicious raw goat’s cheese and raw goat’s milk)

Alcohol (with the exception of an occasional glass of red wine)

And by all means, no artificial sweeteners EVER!


The foods I focused on were:

Vegetables! (These tasty things make up at least 50% of my entire diet). Mostly raw with nutrients intact, juiced or lightly steamed.

Fruit

Vegetarian protein - grains, legumes, nuts & seeds (qunioa, brown rice, beans, eggs, almonds & flax).
Raw Foods / Super Foods as much as possible! (Raw nuts & hempseeds, sprouted grains, raw honey, goji berries, cocoa, etc.)


I also drank TONS of Green Tea and started each day off with a large glass of Essential pH water mixed with half of a squeezed lime & fresh juiced vegetables (green juice!) In addition, I drank one or two glasses of MacroLife Naturals - Macro Greens each day.


Zoe's Kitchen!

Here is a list of foods I tried to always have in the house (organic and without sugar):
Breakfast: Veggies (for juicing), Eggs, Brown Rice Pancakes, Steel Cut Oats, Granola, Beans, Potatoes, Goat Yogurt and Fruit! (Peaches, Bananas, Berries, Grapes, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Oranges)
Lunch / Dinner: Brown Rice, Tinkyada Pasta, Red Quinoa, Beans, Soup, Potatoes, Salmon, Annie's Mac & Cheese, Brown Rice Tortillas, Spring Rolls, Sushi Rolls, Veggies! (Spinach, Peppers, Onions, Carrots, Cucumbers, Lime, Asparagus, Salad Mix, Celery, Broccoli, Tomato, Ginger, Avocados, Sweet Potatoes, Beets)
Snacks: Brown Rice Crackers & Guacamole / Salsa, Fruit and Almond Butter, Seeds and Nuts, Yogurt, Hummus & Veggies, Cereal.
Drinks: Green Juice, Green Tea, Macro Greens, Lemons & Limes for Water, Coconut Water, Rice Milk, Essentia.
Condiments: Agave, Olive Oil, Braggs, Apple Cider Vinegar, Catsup, Mustard, Honey, Lemon Stevia, Hot Sauce, Marinara, Pizza Sauce, Salsa, Butter.
Additions: Curry, Pesto, Seasonings, Cilantro, Black Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Coconut Milk, Cinnamon, Jam.


I was able to become friends with my new diet and not let it stress me out. Hopefully you can too, but if you find that this diet is frustrating you often, then splurge sometimes! You need to learn to balance stress with eating healthy in your life and it's different for everyone. When you do splurge, be smart. Maybe you'll get an organic cookie at the health food store or have half a turkey sandwich rather than a whole turkey sandwich. You'll figure it out!


Some things about food that I didn’t know:

Yes, you can get plenty of calcium without eating dairy!

Yes, you can get plenty of protein without eating animal meat! 

Eating Tips: Two things that make this diet easier and so much more fun for me are a food processor and a juicer. If you can come up with a couple hundred dollars you may want to invest in these! A Vitamin or similar blender can also add a lot more creativity to your new diet, but a bit more costly. If you’re a pasta lover, you should know that brown rice pasta does exist! It’s called Tinkyada pasta and it’s delicious. For those of you with a sweet tooth, sugar is not the only sweet thing but it is the main sweet thing that is bad for you. Try honey, agave, pure maple syrup and stevia. These tasty sweets are great in beverages, on cereal and more!

Each week (Sunday morning), I would cook for the week. I think the key for this diet is to have food READY to eat. I would cook up a big batch of brown rice that I could add veggies to and toss up in the skillet for dinner. I would chop up a million veggies and stick them in a big container that I could just grab along with some hummus for a snack. I also always had a salad handy with some great homemade olive oil, lime and cilantro dressing. It's also nice to have some brown rice crackers and other snacks handy so that you can grab THEM instead of the candy in your kitchen cabinet!


In addition to a healthy diet, each day I took many SUPPLEMENTS! (This is where Tori Hudson's book becomes necessary. She outlines a specific protocol for each level of Dysplasia, suggesting which supplements to take and how many milligrams). Once you know which supplements you need, you can buy most of them at your local health food store. Folic Acid, Betal-Plex and the Botanical Blend will need to be ordered (links below). I divided the following supplements between breakfast and dinner and always took them directly after meals. They are all based on research and studies that Tori Hudson has done. I added a few extras (Fish Oil, Mushroom Immunity, Vitamin D and B-12 for stress) based on my own research and additional advice from my doctors, but there is no evidence that the extras actually help with HPV. To make things really easy, I bought a couple weekly pill cases! I know it sounds silly but it really helped me keep my health stuff organized in the midst of all my schoolwork. This way I could just grab my morning supplements after a bowl of cereal and run out the door for class!


These are the amounts I took daily:

Multi-Vitamin: Women’s One Daily (1)

Folic Acid (10mg) - you will need to order it here.

Beta-Plex (180,000 IU) - you will need to order it here.

Vitamin C (400mg)

DIM (200mg)

Vitamin E (800IU)

Green Tea (400mg)

Selenium (400mcg)

Curcumin (350-500mg)

Zinc (30mg)

Omega 3 Fish Oil (2)

Mushroom Immunity (1)

Vitamin D (1)

Botanical Blend (From Doctor) - Licorice, Red Cedar, Echinacea, Goldenseal & Osha (3  Dropperfuls) - you will need to call to order from Backcountry Herbal Apothecary.

Vitamin B12 Liquid (2,000mcg)

I only took these amounts until I got a normal pap. Maintenance plan for one year only involves the Multi Vitamin, Vitamin C (3g) Beta-Plex (150,000 IU), Folic Acid (2.5mg), Green Tea (300mg) and continuation of the Vegetarian diet with light amounts of wheat, sugar and alcohol, processed and dairy. PLEASE REFERE TO TORI HUDSON'S BOOK FOR MORE SPECIFICS.

A NOTE ON YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR'S OPINION... You may be surprised and disappointed by your MD's response to this dedicated approach. Here are MY thoughts... I believe that Medical Doctors are very useful in the way of diagnosis. The technology available today is incredible for that purpose. I do not, however, believe in MOST Medical Doctor's suggestions for TREATMENT. This is because MD's are taught to treat the symptoms rather than the cause, and I just don't agree with that philosophy... I'd rather go with an approach that humans have been using successfully for thousands of years. Unfortunately, MD's are completely uneducated about nutrition, herbs and the incredible natural healing powers within the body, so it's no wonder that this approach scares them... They simply don't understand it or have the knowledge to support it. Because of this, they will most likely shut it down, tell you there's no cure and recommend that you go ahead with some kind of conventional treatment. I hope that you can sit back and listen to your intuition, and if that is to follow the orders of your MD, please do! If it is to follow a more holistic and natural approach, I hope you honor that and don't allow your doctor's fear of what he or she does not know influence how YOU feel about your personal healing process and the research you've done. Remember, YOU are in charge of your body.

Keeping After That pH!

Besides diet and supplements, I also kept after my pH levels. If you don’t know about a balanced pH body, now is a great time to learn! pH refers to how alkaline or acidic your body is. Cancer (and abnormal cells) strive on an acidic environment so my goal was to become very alkaline!

Here’s a list of alkaline foods:

10: Raw Spinach, Raw Broccoli, Artichokes, Brussel Sprouts, Red Cabbage, Raw Celery, Culiflower, Carrots, Potato Skins, Alfalfa Grass, Cucumbers, Collards, Seaweed, Onions, Asparagus, Lemons & Limes

9: Olive Oil, Herbal & Green Tea, Most Lettuce, Borage Oil, Raw Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Raw Peas, Sprouted Grains, Raw Eggplant, Alfalfa Sprouts, Raw Green Beans, Beets & Greens, Blueberries, Pears, Mangos, Paypayas, Figs & Dates, Tangerines, Melons, Kiwi, Grapes

8: Apples, Almonds, Avocados, Tomatoes, Fresh Corn, Mushrooms, Turnips, Olives, Soybeans, Bell Peppers, Radish, Rhubarb, Pineapple, Cherries, Millet, Wild Rice, Strawberries, Apricots, Canteloupe, Honeydew, Peaches, Oranges, Grapefruit, Bananas

7: (NEUTRAL) OPTIMAL pH FOR HUMAN BLOOD (I’m shooting even higher during my fight against HPV and Dysplasia. Neutral foods include only: Fresh Butter, Raw Milk and Oils (except Olive)

Here’s a list of acidic foods:

6: Milk & Yogurt, Fruit Juices, Cooked Spinach, Most Grains, Soy Milk, Coconut, Eggs, Fish, Tea, Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, Plums, Processed Juices, Rye Bread, Spelt, Brown Rice, Barley, Cocoa, Rice & Almond Milk, Sprouted Wheat Bread, Oats, Liver Oysters, Cold Water Fish, Salmon, Tuna, Goat’s Milk

5: Cookd Beans, Chicken & Turkey, Beer, Sugar, Canned Fruit, White Rice, Potatoes w/o Skins, Pinto Beans, Navy Beans, Garbanzos, Lentils, Black Beans, Salted Butter, Rice Cakes, Cooked Corn, Wheat Bran, Rhubarb, Molasses

4: Coffee, White Bread, Peanuts, Pistachios, Beef, Blackberries, Cranberries, Prunes, Sweetened Fruit Juice, Wheat, Most Nuts, Tomato Sauce, Buttermilk, Cream Cheese, Popcorn

3: Lamb, Pork, Wine, Shellfish, Pastries, Cheese, Goat Cheese, Soda, Black Tea, Pasta, Pickles, Stress, Worry, Lack of Sleep, Overwork, Tobacco Smoke, Chocolate, Vinegar, Sweet N’ Low, Equal, Aspartame, NutraSweet, Processed Foods, Microwaved Foods

Keep in mind:

Most foods get more acidic when cooked.

It takes 20 parts of Alkalinity to neutralize one part of acidity in the body! (This explains why I eat so many alkaline vegetables to neutralize the beans, rice and nuts I eat).

3’s and 4’s should be consumed sparingly or never.

It’s best to buy all organic food (especially during a fight against Cervical Dysplasia)

But if your strapped on money and you are unable to buy all organic, there are a few foods that you should spring some extra cash for... They are:

Strawberries, Rice, Green and Red Bell Peppers, Milk, Corn, Bananas, Green Beans, Peaches, Apples, Cherries, Celery, Apricots, Grapes, Soybeans, Potatoes, Raisins, & Cucumbers. These are the food items which are completely un-effected by at home washing and they are especially chemical and pesticide covered (inside and out). 

Pampering Your Immune In Other Ways:

Last, but certainly not least, I feel that it’s very important to pamper your immune system in another way, different from what I’ve already mentioned.. These are, in my opinion, two of the most crucial medicines for reaching optimal health: Sleep and laughter! I gained these opinions from reading Why People Don't Heal and How They Can! Besides that, it's simply common sense. You must feel good in order to heal. Sometimes food and supplements aren’t all it takes. Last year I was accepted into a tough Interior Design program. Although I LOVE what I am studying, I was letting late nights in the studio and assignment deadlines keep me from sleeping, having fun, laughing and relaxing. In fact, I’m convinced that this stress I was experiencing may have been the cause of cervical dysplasia for me. As we know, about 80% of women come into contact with HPV at some point in their life but most immune systems throw it out, therefore, the goal is to boost your immune system to both prevent it and/or get rid of it! (Stress is notorious for downing immune systems). Since there is no way to test men for HPV, it’s nearly impossible to avoid it, unless your immune system can! 

Besides sleeping and laughing, I started exercising more and going on hikes with my pup.

I started doing yoga flow which focuses on taking even breaths and opening your body. I'm also going regularly to a restorative class that gives me time to slow down and honor my body.
I’m taking salt baths regularly followed by aroma therapy (Wyndmere Immune Support which includes Lemon, Peppermint, Niaouli, Pine, Thyme and Patchouli). 

I’ve started laying out in the sun more and soaking up that Vitamin D. 
I always have fresh flowers in my house because what we look at has such an effect on how we feel. 
I practice breathing and meditating at home before bed. Breathing is an easy way that we can lower stress and we have it available to us 24/7. Try it - take deep, long breaths in and out of your nose the next time your stressed and see the effect it has on how you feel.
I resolved the things in life that were causing underlying tension. I got in touch with an old friend who I was on bad terms with and worked things out with her. I also decided that I just wasn't going to carry any resentment or bad feelings towards anyone, any more! I sat down one night and made this decision and haven't gone back since. Life is too short to carry those negative feelings around - and so hard on your body.
I treat myself. At the end of a tough week I might go get a manicure.
I try my best to always be on time and organized because I'm stressed when I'm not. 
I also have made sure to leave time for the things I love, in the midst of all of my school work. I dance and go out to eat weekly! 

I am a big believer in massages. If you can’t afford them, ask a good friend or your mom to rub your back or just give yourself a good foot massage every once in a while. I’ve read that massages are extremely important when you’re detoxing your body and besides that, they feel great and are sure to bring happiness and relaxation into your life!

Honoring your scared moon cycle. This is a beautiful and powerful practice! Yes, I'm talking about menstruation, as a divine process. We are taught to despise it and fight it, claiming that our periods make us evil and unpleasant. What I have learned about extensively in my yoga trainings is the incredible relief we get from EMBRACING this sacred cycle. Within each month there are four phases. If we can learn to respond to each phase accordingly, we can find such peace. The first week (which begins with the day you start bleeding) should be very slow paced and relaxing. During your period, spend as much time alone as possible, allowing yourself to reflect, nurture yourself and relax. The second week (once you stop bleeding) is associated with growth and new ideas. The third week (following ovulation) is when we're at our peak energy level - powerful and connected to others. Finally, week four is the time to let go and accept change as you begin to turn your attention inward once again for menstruation. Below is a diagram I made to help me discover the relationship between these four phases and the phases of the moon. 

My Cervical Treatment!

I was diagnosed with CIN II. Girls, please don’t wait to get your annual pap like I did! Get your paps on time! If I had just had CIN I, I would have only done herbal suppositories but because I had progressed to CIN II, I decided to go ahead with escharotic treatments (which you can read all about in the Tori Hudson book). Escharotic Treatments could be described as a natural Leep procedure. The treatments are done in a Naturopathic Doctor’s office where he or she applies Bromelain, Zinc Chloride and Sanguinaria (Blood Root) followed by soothing Green Tea Suppositories. This treatment is done twice a week for 5 weeks (10 treatments). What’s special about the treatment is it really targets those bad cells while nourishing the healthy parts of the cervix. My doctor said my cervix looked so much more healthy after just 3 treatments!

Dr. Hudson did a study where she treated 43 patients with all degrees of precancerous cells (CIN I, II & III). Of the 43 patients, 38 returned to normal, 3 had improvement and 2 stayed the same. 0 patients progressed. 

Following the treatment is a month long series of Soothing Suppositories and Thuja Suppositories: Then, weeks 5 - 12, I’m inserting a Green Tea Suppository twice a week. Once I’m through with week 12, I’ll go in for a pap!

Obviously, just doing the herbal suppositories which you can receive from an N.D. and insert at home is a much easier and cheaper option. And if you just have CIN I, that’s what Tori Hudson recommends. This treatment option is also extremely successful. I could have taken that route but just didn’t want to take any chances with my CIN II! If you do not have access to an N.D. but you'd like to do the suppository protocol at home, you can call to order specific suppositories from the Backcountry Herbal Apothecary. You will need Tori Hudson's book (mentioned above) to know which suppositories are recommended for your specific level of Dysplasia. 

The Result! And My Maintenance Plan:

On a beautiful Fall day, October 21st 2010, I went in for my re-pap. I was so anxious for the result, and of course I called nearly every day until I got it. But it wasn't until that lovely Thursday (one week from the pap), that I discovered the fantastic news... Not only is my cervix completely healthy and clear of dysplasia, but my immune system threw out the HPV virus, as well! (Most medical doctors say this is impossible). I feel like such a lucky girl, but I also feel like my hard work paid off. Although I was nervous for the results, I knew in my heart that this system would work for me, just like it has for thousands of women world wide! I am grateful to have learned so much about my body and good health through this experience. I've made changes that will stay with me forever!


To top that, I went back 3 months later and my pap came back completely clear once again! After the first normal pap, my boyfriend and I (who have been together exclusively for the past 7 years) had a big talk and decided to occasionally have sex without a condom again, like we did for many years before I ever had an abnormal pap. This is just more PROOF that a healthy immune system is KEY to getting rid of dysplasia and HPV since it's nearly impossible to avoid it throughout our lives. For example, some day when you're ready to have children, it's possible that you'll come into contact with HPV at that time, since there's no way to test men for it... But if you have a healthy immune, you can keep it from doing you any harm. What an excellent discovery that we should all be taking advantage of - for many reasons! 


Once again, 5/15/11, I went in for a 3rd pap AND an HPV test this time, BOTH of which came back completely clear and negative! There it is, proof that you can have sex with the person who gave you HPV, and remain HPV free if your body and IMMUNE is healthy and happy! How fantastic. 

So now I began to think about a maintenance plan. For those of you who have the Tori Hudson book (like you should!) you know that she has a very clear maintenance plan for each level of dysplasia - CIN I, II, III and Carcinoma In Situ. I really believe in her plan and I used it as a major component when creating my own maintenance plan. For CIN II, Tori recommends the following supplements daily for one year: 


Vitamin C: 3,000mg
Beta-Carotene: 150,000 IU
Folic Acid: 2.5mg
Multi-Vitamin
Green Tea: 1 capsule 
Plus a Vegetarian Diet


I truly believe that this plan would work wonderfully and I'd stay dysplasia free by doing just what I listed above. Considering the way that I've changed my mindset to being so positive, I've fallen in love with yoga and I have such awareness about the problems revolving around processed foods, I just can't imagine going backwards. But I really believe in doing what feels RIGHT to YOU. Which is why I tweaked Tori's plan just a bit. First of all, I started with CIN III's maintenance plan as an initial plan, which is identical to CIN II's with the addition of 400mg of Vitamin E and continuation of my Botanical Formula, only now, I take just 2 dropperfuls daily rather than the 6 dropperfuls I took until my second normal pap. Next, I looked at the list of supplements I've been taking and remembered what good feelings I have about the DIM, Selenium and Mushroom Immunity I'm on, so I decided to continue lower doses of those. Aside from the supplements I'm taking for treatment of Cervical Dysplasia and HPV, I'm also on a few others: I take fish oil because it helps me focus in school (it's really good for memory), Liquid B-12 because it's an incredible stress reliever while also helping to provide energy! Now that I came up with a plan I feel good about, I got in touch with my doctor, Kim Nearpass, to see what her thoughts were. She thinks it's a good plan! She's with Tori and believes that the maintenance plan she recommends in her book is excellent and probably all that's necessary to keep me dysplasia free, but she's with me about doing what feels RIGHT to your individual situation. So the plan I came up with seemed like a good compromise to both of us. So ladies, here's the final list of what I'm doing now:


Folic Acid: 1 drop daily (5mg)
Beta Carotene: 150,000 IU
Liquid B-12: 1,000mg
Botanical Blend: 2 dropperfuls daily
Women's One Daily Multi-Vitamin
Vitamin C: 3,000mg
Green Tea: 300mg
Vitamin E: 400mg
DIM: 200mg
Selenium: 200mcg
Mushroom Immunity: 1 capsule 


Because I have a lot of supplements left over, I'm weening myself off of the ones that I'm completely discontinuing and still taking a couple capsules of each of them weekly until they're gone. 


Besides Supplements, I'm continuing a positive mindset, plenty of yoga, exercise, a vegetarian diet with no processed food and low amounts of sugar and alcohol, and of course, I'm leaving time for the things I love and enjoy.

10/21/15 - 5 years later and still HPV and Dysplasia free! 

Here Are Some Books I Highly Recommend:

Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Tori Hudson

Why People Don't Heal and How They Can by Caroline Myss

Eight Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil

The Cancer Prevention Diet by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack

The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen by Donna Klein

Juicing for Life by Cherie Calbom

Incredible Documentaries!
Food Matters - Please just watch it, really! Famous Nutritionist David Wolf and fellow Medical Doctors speak about why what you eat has such a huge impact on your health. You can watch it via Netflix or buy it online. If you don't have Netflix and can't afford buying it, contact me and I'll send you my copy to watch. It's a must see. 
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead! - Amazing documentary featuring the lives of two men who have Auto Immune Disorder and their journey of loosing hundreds of pounds, eliminating all medications including steroids and feeling healthier and happier than ever before... all from JUICE. These men did 2 month long vegetable juice fasts and turned their lives around 100%!

Recipes!

Black Bean & Brown Rice Burger:

To make one burger, mash together cooked brown rice and cooked black beans (1/2 cup of each), add finely chopped or pureed veggies of your choice (celery, peppers, onion, etc.), add a pinch of salt and pepper, shape into burger patty. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the patty, cook until crispy. Add sauce of choice (homemade artichoke dip, mustard, sugar-free catsup, etc.), add chopped tomatoes and lettuce. Sandwich between a gluten-free bun or tortilla. Enjoy!

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed With Herbed Goat Cheese:

Wash tomatoes and cut off top, empty the insides and lay upside down to drain. Mash herbs of choice into goat cheese (I used an organic all-purpose seasoning). Stuff tomatoes with cheese and garnish with a tiny piece of celery. 

Tinkyada Pasta & Veggie Soup:

First make an alkaline broth! (Fill a pot with water and add celery, carrots, onion, etc. simmer for at least 30 min then let cool, drain out all vegetables and keep broth). Cook Tinkyada pasta as directed then add pasta and lightly steamed vegetables to broth. Heat and serve! (Great left over!)

Delicious Omelet & Toast:

Scramble together 2 ORGANIC eggs, all purpose seasoning & a pinch of salt. Cook diced peppers and onions in a small skillet with butter. Add scramble and turn down heat to medium. Lift edges of omelet to allow runny top to drain under and cook. Once top is not runny, flip! (This takes practice). Immediately turn off heat and let continue to cook for only about 30 seconds. Flip over in half and enjoy! Meanwhile, toast Food For Life brown rice bread, add butter or Crofters Jam (sugarless). Also try sugarless catsup with the omelet (West Brae Naturals).

Red Quinoa Burger:

Cook red quinoa as directed. To make 1 burger blend together 1 cup of quinoa, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and desired seasonings & salt. Add olive oil to skillet and let heat. Once skillet is HOT, add a scoop of the blend and flip once crispy on one side. Toast a tapioca bun, add sliced tomatoes, lettuce, catsup, mustard, etc. and enjoy! For an even more delicious taste, use a food processor to make a black bean and cilantro spread. Blend together black beans, cilantro, lime, salt, pepper and seasonings - spread on top of quinoa patty. 

The Wonderful Dr. Kim Nearpass Diet:

My incredible doctor, Dr. Kimberly Nearpass N.D., put me on a temporary (2 week) diet right away which helped me eliminate any possible food allergies. Food allergies could keep my body from reaching optimal health - the goal for getting rid of dysplasia. The diet meant eating only easy to digest foods for 2 weeks then, each day, introducing one of each of the DIRTY DOZEN food items to see what kind of reaction my body had to them. The dirty dozen is a group of foods that are notorious for causing allergies. This helped me identify my sensitivity to wheat and corn. Do you have any sensitivities? Try this diet below and find out! 

In addition to the diet, you may want to test you self for Candida. It’s a common yeast infection which most people don’t even know they have but it can hurt in terms of boosting your immune system. I had mild Candida which I got rid of by taking Rainbow Light Candida Cleanse. Check out how to test yourself at home using the Spittle Test.

I ate only these foods for 2 weeks (all organic):

Vegetables - with the exception of corn and nightshade family (tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant)

Fruit - with the exception of oranges, grapefruit and strawberries.

Protein (nuts, seeds, fish, beans, grains - brown rice, quinoa and millet) - with the exception of tuna and peanuts.

Condiments - olive, coconut and sesame oils, balsamic, apple cider and red wine vinegars, mustard, hot sauce.

All Spices and Herbs!

Beverages - water, green tea, herbal tea, unsweetened 100% fruit juice, rice milk, almond milk and goat’s milk.

Here’s the Dirty Dozen list. Once I ate only the foods above for two weeks, I started introducing each of these one day at a time (with the exception of those which I completely eliminated from my diet for a while - alcohol, sugar and meat.

Dairy

Wheat

Gluten

Corn

Eggs

Citrus - oranges, grapefruit, strawberry.

Soy

Chocolate/Cocoa 

Coffee

Alcohol

Peanut

Beef, pork and poultry

Special Thank You

Thank you to my family for helping me through this tough time! 

Thank you to my supportive boyfriend and friends. 

Thank you to my wonderful Doctor, Kimberly Nearpass.

Thank you to my mom’s healthy and helpful friends! Peggy, Molly & Jan.

Thank you to an incredible healer, Vivian Rice, for helping guide me.

Thank you to my fantastic Homeopathic Doctor, John Coppinger.

For Those Of You Going Through This

I know that this is a tough thing to go through and if you need someone to talk to who’s been there, please feel free to comment or e-mail me with questions at healthyzoe@gmail.com. My goal is to be the person that I really needed when I was facing this issue and didn’t know what to do. I hope my story will inspire you find the right answer for your own health. Best of luck to you! Try to LAUGH some! Your body has the power to heal...

I'm adding to this post 5 years later to reflect upon where this journey has taken me. I can truly look back and feel SO GRATEFUL that this scary experience happened to me. I changed my outlook on life and the way I care for my body, completely. I took a close look at my passions and gave them the chance to shine, graduating with a fine arts degree that will allow me to do what I love in life! I quit my job and traveled the world, ending up in Bali where I deepened my yoga practice by becoming a yoga instructor! There's really no telling where I'd be if I hadn't been faced with this challenge. I believe that these things happen for a reason and are a true blessing. I hope you can allow this to be a beautiful chance to look at your life and think deeply about what needs to change in order to follow your dreams, find happiness, and of course, create vibrant health inside and out. 

I am thinking of you brave women and sending positive healing vibes! I still respond to emails daily and I'm happy to answer questions, encourage or just listen. Always here.

Love,

Zoe