About TWM

From as far back as I can remember, I always thought I was a fairly healthy person.  I was active; I played competitive tennis as a teenager, was a junior high and high school cheerleader, competed on my college rowing team and started Spanish dancing and a Yoga practice in my 20′s.

I was never overweight, but definitely not “lean”.  I was aware I had high cholesterol starting at age 17.  It was 225 then and stayed between 245-260 in my 20′s.  It went up as high as 375 when I was pregnant with my second child!

I ate the healthy version of the Standard American Diet most of my life.  Plenty of chicken, fish, eggs, whole and processed grains. I had fruit and a small salad most days. Daily shots of espresso and lots of wine and spirits every weekend of my 20′s.  Little did I know this diet was slowly eating away at my health….

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease in my mid 20′s.  Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease. In Hashimoto’s, antibodies react against proteins in the thyroid gland, causing gradual destruction of the gland itself, and making the gland unable to produce the thyroid hormones the body needs.  The majority of people who have the disease are on thyroid medication for life.   I probably had it long before being diagnosed because I had suffered with symptoms for years…fatigue, dry skin, and painful menstrual cycles.

After the diagnosis,  I denied that it was a real disease.  I did not tell my friends and family about it.  I only improved my eating habits to include more “organic” foods and whole fruits and vegetables, but I knew I wasn’t where I needed to be with my nutrition and health habits and it took having kids to give me the real wake up call.

After the birth of my second child my health was declining as I felt increasingly exhausted on a daily basis and then later in the year had numbness and tingling in my hands and feet.  I was determined to do something about it without resorting to Western medicine.

I did not rush to visit my doctor.  I did LOTS of research first.  And what I found was that I could use nutrition and improved health habits to help my body heal itself!

I read many books, three of which heavily influenced my decision to switch to a Plant Based Diet:

• “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell
• “Eat to Live” by Joel Fuhrman
• “Diet for a New America” by John Robbins

In 2006 I turned my health around with a nutrient dense Vegan diet and much improved health habits.  My cholesterol consistently tests between 135-145, which is within optimal levels.  I have taken up long distance running and enjoy training weekly.  I have run four half marathons (13.1 miles) and three full marathon (26.2) in the past three years.  I also continue a weekly Ashtanga Yoga practice which I have been practicing for almost 8 years.  My energy levels are through the roof and my stress levels are much lower.

It has been quite a journey for me, but the moral of my story is to not wait until a diagnosis or health crisis occurs before you start focusing on your health! Invest in your health today, because if you don’t have your health, you can’t LIVE the full life you were intended to live.

Yours In Health,

Gretchen Goel