Participants share their journeys from restoring wellness on a call: |
from April 18,2014
from June 13, 2014
from August 8, 2014
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Read on for many more Restoring Wellness stories.
from Sarah of Atascadero, CA |
Today is the last day of the 6 week Restoring Wellness program I won from Stephanie Austin. I have so much gratitude and awe for all the I've learned from her incredibly comprehensive and lovingly prepared program. It has truly changed my life. I will forever look at nutrition and wellness differently. I realized in doing the program that I have candida overgrowth so I gave up sugar, even fruit except for lemons and limes, gave up my one cup of green tea a day and gave up gluten. And I truly have soooo much more energy. It's sort of shocking, actually! I've received so many other benefits from this program too. I will definitely re-enroll, probably sooner rather than later. THANK YOU STEPHANIE AUSTIN!!!!
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from rob of redwood city, ca |
Stephanie’s program has been an incredible eye opener. It has unlocked the door to a world that I barely knew existed. I’ve done the six week wellness program twice now and I’ve learned just as much, if not more, the second time around. I enrolled in the program to eat better, feel better and just learn more about nutrition in general. The program has far exceeded my expectations. Stephanie has a wealth of information that turns conventional thinking and eating habits on their head. The results have been fantastic.
As a very active, fit, middle-aged adult, I did not enroll in the program to lose weight. Much to my surprise, I lost 10 pounds without even trying. More importantly, I am now much more in tune with my body and how what I eat relates directly to how I feel. And I have to say, I haven’t felt this great in years. My aches and pains are fading fast. I crave healthy foods now and my body is loving it. My blood pressure has normalized and I am completely off blood pressure medication for the first time in 25 years. GERD – totally gone. I take no medications whatsoever now and feel great. This was a totally unexpected and wonderful surprise. My wife and I did Stephanie's program together and it has certainly become a way of life for us. We will never eat the way we used to. I truly believe that anyone can benefit from the wellness program – whether you are fit, overweight, healthy or sick – the program is tailored to your individual needs. Stephanie – THANK YOU for opening that door and changing our lives forever." |
from greg of orcutt, ca |
With every lesson you send, my nutrition knowledge seems to leap forward to areas never before explored! With the dietary changes you've prompted, I’m feeling so much better. I’m no longer classified as “diabetic” nor do I have acid indigestion problems. My brain is working 100 mph – my memory is sharpening - I leave bed in the middle of the night to write short stories, which I haven’t done in years :) You’re an amazing mentor – you’ve changed my life for the better so much!
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from leslie of paso robles, ca |
Your program is phenomenal. It's been challenging but I think everyone should do it. On the cleanse, I had more energy than I've had in a long time. I honestly didn't think I would be able to do an online class, but it has actually worked out far better than I could have imagined.
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from franklin of redwood city, caupdate august 2014 |
First I would like to thank God for bringing us to Stephanie and leading me and my family to this journey, one that has changed all of our lives. This is the second time around doing this program. The biggest realization this time is that we are no longer trying anymore, the lifestyle promoted in the program has become second nature, a way of living.
I have a rare autoimmune disease called dermatomyositis and although I've been battling this for over a year (I spent 6 months hospitalized last year and couldn't move or swallow, I lost all muscle function and had to learn how to speak, eat and walk all over again). Once I started eating again, the hospital would give me food that I know now was promoting inflammation. Doctors helped save my life; medicine had it's place in my healing, but the nutrition never really played a part. Since getting out of the hospital, I slowly improved but went back to eating somewhat like I did before and started to feel poorly again. Since starting the program in January, I'm so surprised at how much nutrition has played a major part in my healing, and how quickly it's happening just from changing what goes into my mouth. I have seen so many improvements in my health: stains on my teeth have gone away, hemmoroids are gone, my skin tags have disappeared, my sleep apnea and snoring are reduced, my blood pressure is lower, my hair is getting thicker, little aches and pains I've had for years have gone away, my prednisone went from 100 mg to 5 mg and my big goal is to be off all medications. My food allergies have almost all gone away, and I know this comes from repairing my leaky gut. I've exceeded my doctor's expectations and my own. I am improving my lifestyle but what I need to keep working on is my self discipline with circadian rhythms. Do I really want to go back to looking and feeling like that? No, I don't EVER want to feel like that again. I would rather have the porridge for breakfast which is so delicious than what I used to eat - 4 pieces of toast with coffee, wondering why I felt bloated after! It's all an education, I can't say enough about Stephanie and what she has taught me. If people could just look at it as information, education, and not that you are giving something up but adding to the quality of the rest of our lives! I don't miss the foods I used to eat because I have either found a good alternative or I KNOW WHY it isn't good and why it made me feel bad after I ate it. I wish everyone I know would go through the program. It has opened my eyes and it is part of my journey for the rest of my life! UPDATE August 2014 -
"The picture on the left is the last day Franklin ate gluten and sweet iced teas: at a burger joint in January the day before we started our first 10 day cleanse. The picture on the right was taken today (Aug 10,2014) after his workout. I am so proud of him! Not only continuing to recover from his illness, but his drive and dedication to use food as his medicine and heal his body for himself and our family Thank you Stephanie for creating this amazing program! In the first picture, he was unable to hold his arms up and he needed to swing them to get them to stay up for a few seconds. Now, he can hold them up and flex his arms." Furthermore, in the photo on the left, he was wearing sized 2X shirts and on the right, his son's size L. |
from mary of south palm beach, fl |
I've had the opportunity of working with Stephanie twice- 1st with a 10 day cleanse and presently with the 6 week wellness program. Each time right before the program were to start, I would come up with so many reasons why this is the wrong time etc. I pushed through and never looked back. Stephanie is a true coach, never judgmental and always there with helpful information to get you to the next level of your journey. Here I am now, feeling better than I have in years..pain free, twenty pounds lighter and packed with so many useful tools to continue living a healthy gluten free lifestyle. This experience would never have been so successful for me if it weren't for Stephanie. I've tried other avenues to no avail. I know you will be saying the same thing if you just take a chance and do it.
I'm walking as if I have no pain. I have a torn rotator and a limp in my leg, and only a few days into the cleanse ... no pain! It isn't subtle. I'm not limping! I don't understand it but it feels so good. |
from kristy of redwood city, ca "I started years ago, but I lacked the proper nutrition to do it the way it should be done. I lost most of the weight but never had the kind of energy or sense of "rightness" that I have now, thanks to you!"
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I've come to the realization that I will likely never go back to the way I used to eat. Even just a few days into this, I realize what poor choices I have always made and it's this awareness that fosters long term change. I still miss certain things and may not give them up forever, but the foundation of how I used to eat has been obliterated and many new habits have already been formed. Super exciting!! Thank you Stephanie!
she adds: This has been the BEST experience! I highly recommend this program, no matter what your background, health concerns, food preferences, or biases. My husband and I have experienced life changing moments and will continue to follow Coach Stephanie's advice and guidance long after the conclusion of the program today. Eternal thanks!! She Continues after her second enrollment in the program...
The second time around, the biggest thing I've noticed is how much easier it is to be able to try new things that were overwhelming before, such as making rejuvelac, rebounding, trying new recipes and circadian rhythm eating. It is hard to implement everything so I've learned to be gentle with myself and set a goal as to what I want to try to incorporate. I had lost 12 lbs the first program, and as a lifelong sufferer of obesity, I wanted to lose more weight and knew I was eating too late at night. Simply eating before 7:00pm each night gave me a 4 lb loss in a week while not changing my food. I've now lost 21 lbs total, feel better in my clothes, walk with more confidence and most importantly, finally truly believe that that weight is going to come off in its own time. I know that by continuing to eat vegan and gluten and dairy free, I will lose the weight and I don't have to stress about when, how much and how long it's going to take. There's a peace that's fallen over me, it's hard to explain. I've ALWAYS lived tied to the scale. I still weigh in once a week just to monitor but I am not preoccupied with it any longer. I can truly say that I'm ok with the pace of my weight loss and it's not a focus. I feel good about my choices and there's a lot less "beating up" of myself. My biggest struggle comes from the frustration of others; the lack of willingness to learn and educate themselves about what Stephanie has taught us. The lack of understanding that people have for how I am choosing to live my life. I want to help change others as I've been changed but I realize everyone must follow their own paths and it's by living my life optimally that others will see the changes and when they are ready, I can help guide them as I've been guided. My mission has now become to lead by example. Thank you Stephanie for helping me, not only physically, but with the emotional guidance that is inevitable when you embark on a life changing journey. I'm forever grateful and excited to see where else it takes us! |
from annette of pensacola, fl |
The Restoring Wellness program taught me a lot of new healthy ways. I used to call my body puffy, now I learned that it is really called inflammation and I learned about what causes inflammation. My inflammation has gone done and I've lost about 10 pounds. I learned the difference of food-like products versus nutritional foods. I have watched my sister make almond milk for years, thinking I would never do that, it's so much easier to just buy the box milk. Now, I love making fresh almond milk. Eating healthy has become my new hobby. I look forward to making many of the recipes from the program; the few meals that I've made so far have been delicious.
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from heather of atascadero, ca |
I've come along way (and the "before"was taken after a 14-day cleanse with Stephanie (I lost 14 pounds on that one). I've had such a transformation that many people don't recognize me. I have to flag down the people I really want to talk to....
I was thinking my eyes looked way different. I started crying in the changing room at Old Navy last week when I tried on a dress that is a much smaller size than I've worn in a very long time. AND I feel terrific! And excited to release the excess weight that would it more likely that I become diabetic, and have other health issues. A friend at church pulled me aside yesterday and said, "I have to know what you are doing. You look awesome and I know I need to do the same for my health." Everywhere I go, people are noticing a big change in my body -- both the size, fitness and coloring. People often tell me I "glow." I still can't believe the size difference, but I feel AWESOME! And am sooooooo amazed and happy that I'm able to look at the junk food I would shovel into my mouth when it was in front of me and not eat it. Now, I feel a little sick looking at some of the food and thinking about how it'll make me feel after and the crap that makes it what it is. No. Thank. You. |
from dean of paso robles, ca |
Restoring wellness was the start of an incredible journey. I have taken one other class on two different occasions from Coach Stephanie. She presented a wide range of information daily to the group. This material was customized to our personal needs in group and individual phone calls. Recipes would "appear" in the resources section after our discussions. She was readily accessible and gave from her soul. By the end of the six week program, we had enough information to prioritize healthy food and personal health choices. I will always be grateful for Stephanie, and the class she so skillfully crafted.
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You will notice an extensive list of folks from the Bay Area, CA. This is what happens when you host a Wellness Party in your area ... you get many friends and family to do the program with you. A local network is not only supportive, but fun!
from Lisa of Redwood City, CA |
I have tried over the years to live a healthy and fit life and was able to accomplish that when I was in my mid twenties. When I started hitting my late thirties, I noticed that it was harder to keep the weight off. I fought for many years but the number on the scale kept going up. My methods for keeping my weight off were not working anymore!
When I was 48, I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type II. It runs heavily in my family so it was a matter of time when it would rear its ugly head. Once again I tried to adjust my diet, but the weight wouldn't budge. Only when my glucose level was 389 did I lose weight. My body was basically starving and I ended up losing 20 lbs. Finally, when my levels came down to more normal ranges, the weight started to creep back up and the 20lbs came back over a period of several months. Even though I was exercising and being careful, the scale did not budge. When I first heard about Stephanie's program, I thought, "Oh my God, I can't eat Vegan! I tried that before and I was miserable!" Well, I tried it before but didn't have the right information and tools to be successful at it. Looking back over the last six weeks and the changes I have made, it's just been amazing. I never thought I could eat vegan but I am having so much fun with these recipes, learning about different foods and different ways of making things (like Hemp dressing for salads - totally yummy!!! And once in a while I can even have vegan, gluten free pizza - Oh, I love pizza and am so happy I can still eat it!) It makes a huge difference when you have the right tools and information. Stephanie is so knowledgeable and such a wealth of information that she has made this program so easy to follow. I can't believe how good I feel! I've noticed a lot of things: my allergies have subsided and are not as bad, my lower back pain when I get up in the morning has subsided and I know it's because I can feel the inflammation subsiding inside, my digestion has improved, my stomach doesn't get upset after eating a meal, and I have lost 10 lbs during my journey! The number may not sound big, but my body has dramatically changed in so many ways, it's just incredible! But most important, I have been keeping track of my blood sugar and when I started the cleanse, I stopped taking my medication because I wanted to see how this way of eating affected my glucose levels. Normally, in the morning my fasting sugar ranges from 145 to 160. Over the last few weeks my glucose readings have definitely changed. One morning it was 142, next morning 125, next 123, then - 102! Today my fasting blood sugar was 100! That is the lowest reading I have had in the morning in a long time. It still bounces around but has not gone up higher than 132. I am so excited to see that and will keep on my journey of living a healthy, organic, vegan and a gluten-free life so that I can be at normal levels once again. Thank you, Stephanie, for all your help and support and for sharing your knowledge and expertise throughout this amazing journey. I thank you for your program and will be forever grateful that I was able to be a participant. Ready for the journey to continue! THANK YOU!!!! |
from Kristy of Redwood City, CA |
Just 7 days of eating all meals by 7:00pm has made a huge difference. I'm feeling lighter, going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. The most exciting thing is all I had to adjust was my eating time (ok and a few other cleanse things) but I've lost 4lbs this week! I will strive, even after the cleanse and the program ends, to eat early. It truly makes a difference!
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from franklin of redwood city, ca |
Tonight after our soccer game, the players and other coaches invited me to eat at a restaurant that I used to go to a lot, a Mexican restaurant that now I know everything I ate there did not made me feel good. I knew [my wife] had adzuki chili and a great salad waiting at home. I thought about how I used to feel when eating there, and I didn't want to feel like that again. I was tempted to go just to socialize, but instead I drove home and ate (and loved) the food that was there!
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from alyssa of redwood city, ca |
Day 17 (day 8 of the cleanse) this has been such a challenging yet rewarding journey (and this is just the beginning)! I am so excited to say that I have been forgetting to take my Advil (which I take religiously everyday), lost 22.4 lbs and I feel great! I want to do even more, like doing the cleanse longer and even fasting for a few days. I just want to thank [friend's name] for introducing me to Stephanie! I am forever grateful for the both of you! You have both changed my life and my destiny!
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The number of extraordinary testimonials has gotten so large that I am unable to post them ALL here.
Thank you to ALL who have shared your journey of Restoring Wellness with me and for others to read.
You inspire.
Thank you to ALL who have shared your journey of Restoring Wellness with me and for others to read.
You inspire.