Helen's Story
Helen was a motivated, excited teenager throughout high school, dancing in a pre-professional ballet company and playing in multiple high-level orchestras as a violinist while achieving excellent grades in school, and besides dealing with anxiety and on-and-off fatigue, she considered herself healthy and happy.
However, after moving to Atchison, Kansas to a small, liberal arts school with less than 2,000 students, however, Helen's health quickly deteriorated along with her eating habits. With the dining hall serving heavily processed meals with vegetables covered in pesticides and drinks packed with sugar, Helen quickly began to feel the importance of healthy eating to achieve a happy, healthy life. By the end of freshman year, she had been sick more times than not (which included bronchitis and IBS), missed countless classes, and dealt with constant anxiety and depression, and by the end of that following summer, had been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease, which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid glands.
Realizing the possibility that she would not be able to meet her goals for her college career if this track continued, she adopted the Paleo Diet with the help of her naturopathic doctor and nutritionist. Almost immediately, most of her symptoms disappeared. No more nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and hot flashes! Sophomore year, Helen was able to work a part-time job as president of the largest club on campus, add another major, play in the school orchestra and ensemble, and enjoy time with her boyfriend and friends, all while cooking all of her meals following the Paleo Diet.
Now, as an upperclassmen, Helen is strongly passionate about the life-changing powers of the Paleo Diet and firmly believes more students with chronic illnesses and health issues should not be afraid to adopt the same diet, despite the many hardships that come with a college lifestyle, such as little money, little kitchen space, little time, and no administrative support from the school.
As a history and theology major, Helen enjoys spending time researching new recipes and ideas for dealing with an autoimmune disease, reading the great books of literature, aromatherapy, exercise yoga, and hiking while at home in her beautiful state of Oregon.
However, after moving to Atchison, Kansas to a small, liberal arts school with less than 2,000 students, however, Helen's health quickly deteriorated along with her eating habits. With the dining hall serving heavily processed meals with vegetables covered in pesticides and drinks packed with sugar, Helen quickly began to feel the importance of healthy eating to achieve a happy, healthy life. By the end of freshman year, she had been sick more times than not (which included bronchitis and IBS), missed countless classes, and dealt with constant anxiety and depression, and by the end of that following summer, had been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease, which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid glands.
Realizing the possibility that she would not be able to meet her goals for her college career if this track continued, she adopted the Paleo Diet with the help of her naturopathic doctor and nutritionist. Almost immediately, most of her symptoms disappeared. No more nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and hot flashes! Sophomore year, Helen was able to work a part-time job as president of the largest club on campus, add another major, play in the school orchestra and ensemble, and enjoy time with her boyfriend and friends, all while cooking all of her meals following the Paleo Diet.
Now, as an upperclassmen, Helen is strongly passionate about the life-changing powers of the Paleo Diet and firmly believes more students with chronic illnesses and health issues should not be afraid to adopt the same diet, despite the many hardships that come with a college lifestyle, such as little money, little kitchen space, little time, and no administrative support from the school.
As a history and theology major, Helen enjoys spending time researching new recipes and ideas for dealing with an autoimmune disease, reading the great books of literature, aromatherapy, exercise yoga, and hiking while at home in her beautiful state of Oregon.