The Story of Ruth: What Naturopathic Medicine Can Do for YOU.
Throughout my years in practice, it has become increasingly clear to me that health is a life-long process which involves a clear understanding of the factors that affect health and how to make ongoing choices towards improved health and well-being. To illustrate the changes that can result from a commitment to natural therapies and healthier lifestyle choices, I’d like to tell you the story of one of my long-term clients, Ruth Da Silva, whose growth and progress I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing over the past few years.
The Challenge
Ruth first came to the Head to Toe Health Centre several years ago with numerous concerns in hand. She worked full time as an accounting manager for an interpersonal training company and lived at home with her mother and two brothers. Weight had always been a struggle for Ruth, as her weight fluctuated between 290 and 320 pounds. She had great difficulty with heat rashes and the heartburn she experienced led to frequent use of Tums. Her blood pressure was elevated and typically would measure between 145-160/100, with some readings as high as 172/113. For this reason, Ruth was taking a prescription diuretic medication on an ongoing basis. Ruth’s cholesterol was quite high for her young age, at a value of 6.99 mmol/L, when <5.2 mmol/L is desirable. Another blood level which we found to be elevated for Ruth was her Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate or ESR, with a value of 61.
The ESR is a very important test, though not one that is very well known. It measures the rate at which red blood cells settle out of blood in one hour. In general terms, the faster the red blood cells settle out of solution, the more inflammation in the body, and the higher the ESR value. In Ruth’s case, the inflammation was conveyed mostly through pain in her knees, for example, Ruth would have difficulty simply walking up and down stairs.
The Transformation
Through perseverance and persistence, as well as education, dietary changes, lifestyle counseling, supplements, and botanicals, Ruth has transformed her health! She is no longer in need of diuretic medication and her blood pressure and cholesterol levels are always within normal limits. Ruth has also lowered her ESR to a value of 26 and she is very active in her work with her physical trainer. Ruth has lost between 30 and 60 pounds and weight loss continues to be a focus of our work together. Heat rashes and heartburn are no longer a part of Ruth’s life, and she reports increased energy, feeling more positive, more motivated, inspired, social, and feeling as though she is able to accomplish something meaningful with her life. Ruth has recently moved in to her own apartment and launched a new career in energetic forms of healing, while maintaining her full time position as an accounting manager.
Ruth’s story is an inspiration towards personal change, growth, and the restoration of health through increased awareness and alternate lifestyle choices. Ruth remains committed to improved health and well-being and continues on her quest to lose weight, decrease her ESR, and keep her cholesterol within desirable limits.
The Reward
The courage to make changes in our lives is both challenging and rewarding; and though the process may be slow and require an immense amount of personal commitment and discipline, the results can be felt in all aspects of our lives from the purely physical to the contentment we may enjoy in living our lives. The satisfaction of experiencing progressive and positive results on numerous fronts can encourage us to stay the course, and inspire those necessary qualities in ourselves and others. It is always so wonderful to participate in the successes of others, and to experience with them the overcoming of challenges and obstacles. We are grateful that Ruth has invited us into this very personal and inspirational process.
– Dr. Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
Be a part of Ruth’s transformation. We invite you to follow the Story of Ruth on Facebook where Ruth will share weekly results, updates and lessons learned. Send her encouragement and get inspired for your own life changes.