I’ve slowly become fascinated by people who heal themselves with food and alternative therapies. After visiting about 27 countries and seeing different food cultures, rituals and traditions, I realized the West isn’t always right. I’ve heard many stories of people who reversed serious illness or fixed imbalances with a single food group, herb, or daily habit. These traditional practices have lasted thousands of years but are often dismissed by modern medicine.

I’ve generally been healthy and avoided regular medication, so leaving the hospital after knee operations with a pile of drugs surprised me—especially when some pills were to counteract others. How many people must take lifelong meds like that?

I learned that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to diet. We’ve lost simple habits for living well and long, replaced by processed foods and quick fixes from big pharma. Modern stress, toxic food and water, and poor self-care create imbalances that harm many people. Small influences and triggers made me want to learn more. I believe the planet supplies what we need: we come from the earth, and it can provide our health and healing.

So I took a few online courses and found the Academy of Healing Nutrition, which matched my interest in using food as medicine and honoring the earth that sustains us.