user search icon     shopping cart icon 0   email icon       email icon

an open door leading to new possibilities

A Better Way

  blog post author icon blog post published date icon   07/05/20

Family  Nutrition  Personal Growth  

Each year SupplementRelief.com provides a $500 scholarship award to one deserving post-secondary (university or community college) student who provides the winning essay promoting a healthier living lifestyle. We are proud to announce our Fall 2020 Health & Wellness scholarship recipient Christopher D'Andrea from University of Central Florida who is pursuing a career in psychology.

an open door leading to new possibilities

A Better Way

  blog post author icon blog post published date icon   07/05/20

Family  Nutrition  Personal Growth  

Each year SupplementRelief.com provides a $500 scholarship award to one deserving post-secondary (university or community college) student who provides the winning essay promoting a healthier living lifestyle. We are proud to announce our Fall 2020 Health & Wellness scholarship recipient Christopher D'Andrea from University of Central Florida who is pursuing a career in psychology.

Editor's Note  2020 SupplementRelief.com Health & Wellness Scholarship essay winner.

Most young adults reminisce about sleepovers and summer camp. I can't. For me, turning twelve years old marked the beginning of my "incurable" bump in the road. When the doctor diagnosed me with C-Diff and Crohn's Disease.

The smell of alcohol...

The sight of needles...

The sound of a grim prognosis...

'Living' would require a lifelong dependency on steroids, immunosuppressive drugs, chemo medicine, and antibiotics. The only "cure" was removing my colon and wearing a colostomy bag. The doctors explained that the danger of developing this condition as a child is that it 'severely stunts growth and development' and that I would be stuck in a sixth-grade body for the rest of my life. And within a decade, the statistical probability of developing colon cancer was very high.

Three years of internal bleeding and a fierce battle against a fatal infection followed the initial diagnosis. Thoughts shifted from boyish daydreams into crippling nightmares. "Will I have a colostomy bag at graduation?" "Will I live long enough to get married and start a family?" Another disheartening outcome that developed with this tragedy was having to leave traditional school and all of the friendships that I had in my life, leaving me feeling completely and utterly alone. The only person I had left was my devoted mother, as even my father abandoned me when I became sick.

As you can imagine, I had a hard time coming to terms with this diagnosis. I didn't understand the common mistake that I made that caused all this hardship in my life... Like so many others, I didn't prioritize my health and instead fell into a cycle of pushing my body until exhaustion without providing myself the proper tools to stay healthy. I learned the hard way that this kind of lifestyle only leaves us drained, exhausted, and eventually chronically ill.

With the medications only serving to make me worse, and side effects which caused more harm than good, including all-night treacherous migraines, extreme muscle weakness, frailty, and immobility.​ ​I knew​ t​here had to be​ a better way ​than​ ​the​ grim options that conventional medicine gave us. T​hese difficult times led my mom and me to learn about a plant-based diet and it's potential disease-fighting capabilities. I wasn't sure what to expect, but out of desperation, we decided to give it a try. What I didn't anticipate was how easily I would come to embrace (and fall in love) with this new way of life. ​We had found a better way.

Not only did this new lifestyle improve my health, but I quickly began connecting with the many other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle, I became connected with my "why." I discovered that being "healthy" is about so much more than just ​not being sick, ​it's about complete personal wellness. It's about learning to listen to your body and giving yourself the proper tools to stay healthy. I learned that when you fall ill, it's not that your body failed you, it's that you failed your body.

Through the years, living a healthy lifestyle became less and less about "fighting a disease" and instead about the ​joy that I gained​ from discovering this new and better way of life. Instead of demanding impossible things from my body, I learned to respect, honor, and care for it so it could care for me. I became interested in everything that this new life had to offer, and I devoted myself to learning organic food gardening, how to cook healthy plant-based specialty meals, and how to shift your paradigm to always find the good out of any situation that life throws your way. I am proud to say that I was able to find my silver lining.

If it wasn't for this journey, I would have never found a plant-based lifestyle.

The nine years that followed the initial diagnosis haven't been easy, actually, they have been far from it... but I never let my health define my life, and I NEVER let it stop me from accomplishing my goals and ambitions. Instead, I use it as motivation to help me accomplish my health goals of treating my body with love and respect through eating a whole food plant-based diet and making sure that I am always giving myself enough margin. Although it can be challenging as a full-time student with three jobs, I'm mindful not to fall into the common health traps that I have before, and that so many people struggle with.

Through my health journey, I came to the desire to help other young adults like me learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle. My desire is to one day become a public speaker and author, helping people by sharing my story, inspiring them, and mobilizing them to change their lives for the better. And although these dreams are in the future since I am still a full-time student, I am taking actionable steps towards helping others by building a blog, a YouTube channel, and social media presence devoted to teaching others these lessons. Ironically this actually keeps me more consistent with my health goals by writing and sharing them with others!

If I was chosen for this scholarship, a desire I have is to use it to become a certified health coach or certified naturopathic practitioner. This would allow me a venue to shine a light on how living a healthy lifestyle can change your world. It's so much more than a diet... it's the most stunningly beautiful journey! I'm ready to light the flame of inspiration for those who seek the truth.

So whether my destiny is to change a life through a book, a speaking platform, or even just one-on-one coaching to the young child with a newfound diagnosis, or the resigned adult who's given up all hope from a chronic illness, this is what I would say:

The way your story began, is not how it has to end. All things really are possible if you can have faith and believe. Embrace the joy of a healthy lifestyle. And with every sip of green juice, celebrate that food is your medicine and medicine is your food. And smile at your scars because they tell the amazing story of how within your greatest struggles is when you discover your greatest strengths. And above all else, it's never too late to begin again.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Citations:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet

Editor's Note  Christopher has a presence on YouTube and other social platforms where he advocates for a Wellness lifestyle.

A Whole Day Of Healthy Eating Under $5 | Meal Prepping For Productivity

  • product discussion forum icon Discussion Forum
    Questions or Feedback?

    Ask questions. Share your thoughts.  Note that we cannot answer questions relating to specific medical conditions - please refer those to your qualified healthcare provider.

    Post a new Comment or Reply to an existing one. Help for using the Discussion Forum.

    Post Comment

    help icon Discussion Forum Help

    Comments are displayed in order of the last one posted so the most recent one is at the top and the oldest one at the bottom.

    Replies within a Comment are displayed in reverse order with the oldest one at the top and the most recent one at the bottom.

    Each post identifies comment posted by icon who made the post and the comment timestamp icon date and time the post was made.

    Mouse over the icons for tooltips that explain what they mean.

    audio file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach an Audio file to your post.


    document file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach a Document file to your post.


    image file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach an Image file to your post.


    video file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach a Video file to your post.

    You will see the ban post icon Ban icon (Report Post as SPAM) immediately following the Timestamp of the post. Click this icon if you feel strongly that the content posted is not appropriate and should be reviewed by the Forum Moderator. You will be provided with a confirmation dialog to be sure you wish to submit this post for review. If submitted, the Forum Moderator will be notified to review the post and will determine what type of action to take.

    Click exit icon in the upper right corner of this Help modal or anywhere on the web page outside of the modal to exit Help.

warning icon Session Expired from Inactivity


Do you want to?

You may also close your browser window/tab now to exit the website.


SupplementRelief.com
9618 Jefferson Highway, Suite D-191
Baton Rouge  LA  70809-9636
(888) 424-0032  | 
[email protected]


* Disclaimer: This page is available exclusively for SupplementRelief.com clients. None of the information on this website is intended to replace your relationship with your healthcare provider(s). Nothing should be considered medical advice. The information, knowledge, and experience shared on this website are the opinions of SupplementRelief.com. This site and its content are intended to enhance your knowledge base as YOU MAKE YOUR OWN HEALTHCARE DECISIONS in partnership with your qualified health professional.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products and services are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

* There is NO GUARANTEE OF SPECIFIC RESULTS for the products or services offered, and the RESULTS CAN VARY for each individual. Any results claimed by our customers are based on individual experiences that are unique and cannot be guaranteed.

FirstFitness Nutrition and NuMedica may be promoted and sold on the internet ONLY by Authorized Resellers who have been approved by and have registered their website domain with these companies. They strictly prohibit, and actively monitor, the UNAUTHORIZED SALE or RESALE of their products in ALL online public shopping portals including Amazon, eBay, and others and into other countries. All products purchased in SupplementRelief.com are for PERSONAL USE ONLY and CANNOT BE RESOLD to others. Please report violations of Reseller Policy directly to FirstFitness Nutrition at 800.621.4348 and to NuMedica at 800.869.8100.

The content and photographs on this website are copyrighted or Licensed Material and may not be downloaded for other than personal use. Republication, retransmission, reproduction, or any other use of the content or photographs is prohibited. ©2010-2024 SupplementRelief.com.

Are you sure you want to remove this item?