“When I was in high school, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, I didn’t entirely know how much that was going to affect her life and my life. When it happened, she realized that there were a lot of things going on with her own body that were fixed by changing her diet. Like her Mercury poisoning was completely removed after she changed her diet. She kept making all of these changes, and it really taught me to eat healthy because I could see her getting healthier and happier. She took me out to see this doctor in New York, who gave me an allergy test. It was the first time I had actually taken an allergy test that was for a much broader spectrum of foods. He checked my intolerance to all kinds of foods. It was interesting to see the foods I was intolerant to and to find out what wouldn’t really work with my digestive system. Realizing that those foods were foods I should be using much more sparingly made me feel so much better. I started feeling a lot clearer and more present minded. Over time, it has helped me feel more balanced, mentally and physically. I think knowing my strengths and weaknesses has really helped me be more respectful towards my body, because before my mom was diagnosed, I didn’t really realize what I was doing to my body. When I’m not taking care of my health, I think I become more introverted, and I don’t feel as proud of myself. Lately, I’ve been trying to be more cognizant in making sure I’m being as healthy as possible, because I know how much healthier and happier I feel when I am.”