Nell's Story

Born in 1971, I was a member of the first generation of kids to be raised primarily on the time-saving, cheap processed food that is now the norm. I loved the canned ravioli, packaged snack cakes, and cheese doodles. Over the years, I gained a lot of weight and was put on Weight Watchers for the first (and not last) time in 8th grade. I joined and dropped out of Weight Watchers about 13 times in as many years.

When I started to work with Kara at Nutritional Weight and Wellness in June of 2008, I despaired that I would never lose the weight. I got my food plan from Kara, some supplements to take, and recipes. I treated this as yet another diet, contrary to Kara’s wonderful advice during our first meeting. I went home and proceeded to try to change everything right away and perfectly. I thought the weight will start pouring off. It didn't. Looking at my initial three pound weight loss through the lens of high expectations made it hard for me to really change my eating and my relationship with food. I also minimized and overlooked that eating in balance was clearing up my skin, allowing me to sleep like a log, and allowing me to pass a physical with flying colors.

Nell Continued

Totally Turned My Life Around

I took the course a year ago, that covered 6 weeks, with my daughter, Debbie. It has TOTALLY turned my life around. I have never felt so good in my entire life and I am 72 years old! My lab tests on blood work was not the greatest last year and they wanted me on statins. But I got such violent side effects, I quite them on my own. A session with Dar put me on track with nutritional remedies and the rest is history. After a year, I have lowered all of my 'numbers', significantly. But beyond the 'numbers', I feel so much better. Things like energy level, alertness, cognitive skills, no more abdominal pain, no more indigestion, no more muscle or joint pain, and the list goes on and on. I keep re-reading the class notebook over and over, because I need to understand the bio-chemistry involved.

The old adage "We are what we eat" is so very true. I take no drugs or medications.... only vitamin supplements that I get through Nutritional Weight and Wellness. Thank you for being there when I was literally at rock bottom. It was the best Mother's Day present I have ever received!

Nan

Learned How to Make Our Bodies Run Smoothly 

I started listening to Dishing Up Nutrition in 2006 around the time my husband was diagnosed with high cholesterol and dangerously high triglyceride levels.  We had extra money in our health care flexible spending account, so John made an appointment to see Wendy Cates Dancer in December of 2006.  After their meeting, John wanted to start eating balanced meals starting January 1st.  I was skeptical about eating so much fat, spending money on quality meat and dairy, and about whether we could actually stop eating cereal for breakfast, snacking out of the candy dish at work and replace the toasted garlic bread we had almost every night with dinner with vegetables.  I believed in the NW&W principles in theory, but I didn't believe we could actually DO it!
 
We made an egg bake or two, we cut back on the candy dish, but were starting to go back to our old eating habits when I won a free 6 week Weight and Wellness class.  During the class in February/March of 2007, the real reasons for balanced eating finally clicked with me.  I finally understood what eating all those empty carbs was doing to both of us - my acne, PMS and sugar cravings, John's cholesterol issues and occassional gout attacks.  Learning how to make our bodies run smoothly has improved our health, moods and probably our life expectancy!  John's cholesterol is in the normal range now.  I just had mine tested and it's in the normal range...my triglyceride level is 40!  We don't take any prescription medications.  My skin looks great, my PMS and sugar cravings are gone.  Thank you NW&W!
 
Julie

Gluten intolerance

I did not realize what I had done to my body by not eating the proper foods throughout much of my life. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis over 10 years ago and suffer from gluten intolerance I believe I’ve had for a very long time. In early 2008, my face became red and swollen with eczema. After four months of discomfort, isolation and embarrassment, I went to a doctor who prescribed an oral steroid and cream. This took care of the immediate problem. When the eczema returned, I would use the cream for a few days until it disappeared. However, a couple of months later I developed a constant stomachache and diarrhea two to three times a day.

With the help of Nutritional Weight & Wellness, I discovered that my problem was gluten intolerance. I learned to eat the proper amount of protein, fat and carbs and to eat more frequently throughout the day. Prior to this, I ate little or no protein. I also learned which foods to avoid because of my gluten intolerance.

My digestive problems are gone, I’m no longer depressed, and my mind and memory are clearer. I got my best review at work this year from a boss who is pretty critical. I also am able to continue teaching Sunday school, which is a passion of mine that I was thinking I would have to give up. I have more joy and energy and a much better attitude. I am thankful that I finally understand what was going on in my body.

Jan

Leslie

 

When I started nutrition counseling with Cassie, I never could have foreseen all the ways my health would improve, let alone that my Fibromyalgia pain would diminish within the first month! In addition to having less pain and inflammation, I have more energy and better concentration and feel better overall.

 

A truly unexpected bonus has been the dramatic improvement in my cholesterol numbers. My overall cholesterol dropped from 234 to 194, and more importantly, my triglycerides went from 219 to 91!

 

Cassie created an eating plan and explained why it was necessary for me to eliminate gluten, MSG, and artificial sweeteners. Once I was feeling good, I decided to try eating gluten again to confirm that I needed to stay with the plan. Let’s just say that the evidence was conclusive.

 

One of the things I appreciate most about Cassie is that she understands real life challenges and works to make me more successful by taking away roadblocks that I experienced previously. I eat out about 90 percent of the time, am a picky eater, and have had trouble taking supplements regularly. Cassie helped me identify good menu choices for eating out and gave me plenty of options. Her practical approach has made this workable.

 

I highly recommend nutritional counseling for people looking to reduce pain and inflammation, lower cholesterol, increase energy or feel better overall. Don’t be afraid to ask questions so that you understand why it’s important to make changes and to understand how quality supplements can help. My health has improved dramatically because of nutrition and yours could, too.

The "Nutritional Weight & Wellness" Way 

My first consultation with Dar Kvist, at Nutritional Weight & Wellness or NWW for short, was August of 2006, one month after I turned 50 years old, but I felt about 80.  I was very ill emotionally and physically. I struggled every day; I pushed myself to keep going.

My determination is one of my strongest characteristics and it has brought me through many trials and tribulations.  I have been told that I am a “true survivor” and I guess I am.  I have had nine major and three minor surgery procedures over a period of 24 years (beginning in 1982). I am a kidney transplant recipient of 9 years this coming November and many of the surgeries involved issues from my kidney disease. I have a hereditary kidney disease called Polycystic Kidney Disease or PKD for short.  There is no cure and the ultimate treatment is usually a transplant. I was one of the very lucky ones; I received my kidney from my sister Mary Jane.

As I mentioned, I was very unhealthy and it was about time to learn about proper nutrition.  I had met with other nutritionists along the way but I had never achieved any lasting results. I went with an open mind to see Dar, who was recommended by another sister Brenda, who also has PKD (she is doing wonderful with no signs of needing a transplant anytime soon.  I believe this has much to do with her nutrition plan from NWW as well).

During my visit with Dar, she explained to me I most likely had an allergy to dairy. My cravings and the inflammation/pain I was having were due to eating too much sugar, which I was doing because I had no idea that there was so much sugar in everything I was eating at that point.  A lot of my diet was processed foods.  She advised me to take both dairy and sugar out of my diet. In doing this, almost immediately I gained energy, lost the cravings for sweets/carbohydrates. I was so amazed after the first month how much better I felt. My sole focus became “how can I achieve feeling well again”?  The NWW food plan can do this, I just knew it! And, now I am an example that food is the key to good health!!  Period!  The way that I eat today I do not consider a diet at all; it is a food plan, a life choice/change.  It is all about balance and combination of foods (protein, good fat and complex-carbohydrates).  Long ago I thought balance meant portion control.  I now know that balance is a combination of foods that I eat together and when I do this my body reacts in a positive way.  Since starting to eat this way I no longer have the horrible cravings, I stay full and comfortable for a much longer period of time, my energy has increased enormously, and my brain is less foggy.  All of these things are due to giving my body the complete nutrition that it needs.  I was like a sponge trying to figure out everything I could about nutrition and it was a very exciting learning process for me during the early few months after meeting with Dar.

Before I had contacted Dar that August, I had registered to go back to college that month, after about 30 years out of a classroom.  I knew at the time of registering that it was going to be very hard and stressful but I was up for the challenge.  By the time I started the first semester I was eating well, taking classes full-time, working full-time and also dealing with my personal life. It had been just a few weeks into the food plan and I was feeling stronger than I had in a very long time. I was able to manage everything and still keep myself from getting sick.  I absolutely know it is the food I was eating, there is not another answer; it was the only change I had made in my life that could result in this change in my mental and physical being.  I was sold!

But, I am sad to say, another surgery took place on February 12, 2009.  It had to do with my bile duct. I became very sick for about 5 weeks post-surgery and thought I was never going to get my health back the way it was pre-surgery. But, tried and true, as it has always been for me—the NWW food plan brought me back to where my health is today.  When I could eat again, I got right back on the food plan my body was used to, and then not too long after, I started to feel good. I can say that I am just about to where I was pre-surgery, February 12.  I am still healing and building my strength, but I have complete confidence I will get back to being able to do everything I could have just a few months ago.

So in three years, and at this point now-July 2009, I have plenty of energy, weight loss of 72 pounds and many inches lost as well.  My blood pressure pills have decreased to about 1/3 of what they were.  My labs continue to stay steady and I feel great!  I am a member of a gym, I make it there most mornings before work and Sat - Sundays are my day of rest.

When your body has been traumatized, and mine has been many times, it is an amazing vessel and if you treat it well with good food, plenty of rest and exercise, it can perform miracles that you could never imagine.  I could not have imagined after the first surgery let alone after this last one-number 13, that I could bounce back to where I am today.  Good food = great life!

Linda T./July 2009
EVERY DAY IS A GIFT!!!! 

Jackie K.

 

I think it’s a miracle that changing how you eat can improve your health in so many ways. After following the Nutritional Weight & Wellness food plan, I noticed that my clothes were getting bigger even though I was eating several times a day and never felt hungry or deprived. In six months, I’ve lost 25 pounds!

 

Another big change has been that even though I work hard, I no longer feel wiped out at the end of the day. My shortness of breath is gone, and I sleep better. Even my skin has improved.

 

I have also noticed that my memory and concentration are better, and I have less difficulty making decisions. Psychologically, when you have success you are motivated, but when you eat better, you are also mentally clearer and can make better decisions.

 

Overall, I’m more in tune with my body. If I don’t eat, I notice my blood sugar dropping. Eating frequently makes my moods more even so when I am away from home, I bring food with me.

 

I am 61 years old, and if I can do this, anybody can. The classes gave me an eating plan with lots of variety and taught me to read labels more carefully. I’m not unique; I just plan menus, shop and cook.  I recommend the Weight & Wellness classes to anyone that wants to feel better.

Kathleen

Liz's Son

Our son’s first grade teacher told us he had Asperser’s Syndrome, a higher functioning form of autism.  This was not the first time a paraprofessional told us this. We had our son evaluated by two separate private sector specialists. Our son did not meet the criteria for any diagnosis.  In all fairness to his teacher, our son had a handful of characteristics that could fall under the autism umbrella which included a facial tic, hypersensitivity, anxiousness, and some difficulty with friendships. My husband and I saw a precocious child who needed his weaknesses shored up.  We got him enrolled in a social skills camp, fostered friendships, and took him to Nutritional Weight and Wellness.  Continued

Bonni

When I was 43, I found myself at the doctor's office complaining about almost every part of my body. My cholesterol was very high, my energy low, and the joint aches and pains were debilitating despite my daily doses of Advil. Peri-menopause was upon me and I was ten pounds overweight but felt much too lousy to do anything! Oh, I forgot to mention the gas, bloating, and frequent diarrhea. After an unfulfilling encounter with my physician, I decided to take a friend's advice and see Darlene Kvist.Bonni Continued

Diane

I came into Nutritional Weight and Wellness when I got to the point in my life that I had no energy left. I was so tired most of the time that I couldn't keep my eyes open. In addition my blood pressure was dangerously high, to the point that I could not complete a workweek. My weight was also an issue, but one I had given up on. I had tried every "health program" out there, from Weight Watchers to Gwen Shamlen's Weight Workshop to chiropractic techniques, without any long-term success.Diane Continued

Herb

In recent years I had become increasingly concerned about my health and weight. I was taking Paxil to manage anxiety and Verapamil and Prinivil to control blood pressure. I also have a pacemaker to regulate my heartbeat. I was anxious, stressed and unable to concentrate or focus. I retired early from my career because I wasn't functioning well. Consultations with a psychotherapist did not help. As a Christmas present my wife gave me a consultation at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. This was probably the longest-lasting gift I'd ever received: The gift that keeps on giving.Herb Continued

Jan

In the past, I did not always treat my body as well as I knew I should. I skipped meals, frequented McDonald's, drank too much coffee and pop, and ate sugary foods. I was overweight, plus I did not enjoy my food. My family was suffering from bad habits too. At age 42, I my doctor informed me that my blood pressure was too high and I needed medication. This was my first signal that I needed to change my ways. I went through several programs to attempt to get my health on track, but no program was able to combine information, instruction and motivation well enough for me to make lasting changes.Jan Continued

Kim

I originally came into Nutritional Weight and Wellness because my health was suffering. Since childhood, I have experienced severe blood sugar fluctuation and problems fainting as a result. As I've gotten older, I've gained weight, experienced severe cravings, and my energy level dropped significantly. I also learned that I had high cholesterol and hormonal imbalances. My life was beginning to look a bit out of control.Kim Continued

Lori

I have been a client of Nutritional Weight and Wellness for three years now. When I came in initially, I had severe hormonal imbalances. I had problems sleeping, painful intercourse, and daily headaches, as well as an extremely painful and irregular menstrual cycle. I was experiencing symptoms of early menopause at age 43. When I addressed my health problems with my physician, he recommended I get my uterus removed! I was completely adverse to this idea and knew right then that I would seek out a nutritionist. That is when I initially met with Darlene.Lori Continued

Mary

I've always had low energy and had begun to stop thinking of myself as a healthy person. I've struggled with being overweight most of my life. In my late 20s, I was diagnosed with a thyroid disease. By my late 30s, I was taking three prescription medications-one for my thyroid and two for hypertension. In the past, I had worked with conventional doctors, weight loss programs, and Tai Chi (for blood pressure), but never felt significant improvements. So I decided to try a nutritionist.Mary Continued

Maureen

I struggled with an eating disorder for 8 years. Throughout this time I tried every diet out there, each time more determined to become thinner while continuing to deplete my body of nutrients by cutting down on calories and eating fat free foods. (I had tried working with many dieticians who could only explain the body's need for food on a very surface level.) My eating disorder consumed my life.Maureen Continued

Stephanie

Looking back now, the warning signs of my body's chemical imbalance were glaring, but still it took me three major downfalls to learn that I needed to change. First was the onset of panic attacks, followed by months of overwhelming anxiety, all of which I chalked up to stress and inadequate rest. Second was my uncontrollable cravings for sweets that led me to eat cookies, candy bars, and ice cream many times per day. I rationalized my sweet addiction as though it was merely a "sweet tooth." The third sign that something was wrong was that my usual breakfast of juice, coffee and a bagel no longer held me until lunch. After breakfast, my blood sugar fell so low that even a mid-morning snack didn't make me feel better.Stephanie Continued