For the past 35 years, Salt Lake City marathon runner and healing coach Kathie Utley has been a regular guest at Optimum Health Institute (OHI) San Diego . At the time of her first visit, Kathie was preparing to run the legendary Avenue of the Giants marathon, a grueling 26-mile course winding through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County, California. A friend of hers had just experienced OHI’s healing lifestyle program and raved about its benefits. Kathie decided to try it herself.
From the first day, she was hooked. Although she considered herself a healthy athlete, she eagerly absorbed all the new information that put her in better touch with her body. Detoxifying her system, the importance of food combining, cleansing the lymphatic system – through all the classes and the exclusively live, raw, organic vegan meals, Kathie gained a complete new understanding of her body and how it worked. She learned how to nourish her physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs for optimum results. Feeling more fully alive and with energy to spare, she pushed herself to take up ultrarunning, and did the Wasatch Mountain 100-mile run in Utah.
When she’s not training for or running ultramarathons, Kathie utilizes applied kinesiology, energy work and strong motivation to train others to do long runs. Every six months, schedule permitting, she returns for another week or two at OHI.
Through the decades, Kathie has seen subtle but very positive tweaks to the OHI program. “I love that the diet is more creative,” Kathie said. “Tacos, pizzas, seasonings, a wide variety of delicious salad dressings – it’s great!” She’s had the pleasure of meeting the late Bob Nees. Sr. and Raychel Solomon, two of OHI’s founders. Each time she also looks forward to seeing Garden Manager and Sr. Facilitator Dan Strobhar, who’s been at OHI since she first started visiting. “Dan sincerely cares about each person, and is eager to help everyone. I’ve seen him just sit down with someone and take the time to explain the entire program to them.”
Besides helping her push her physical self into peak form, Kathie credits OHI with giving her the tools to achieve optimum performance on every level. She’s had challenges – her daughter is autistic, her husband died of bone cancer – but she chooses to remain optimistic. “My philosophy,” Kathie says, “is everyone has only so much time in this life – how they live it depends on their social skills, eating habits and belief system. I don’t want to get up every day and not be happy. OHI has given me the knowledge to hold it together, and help me do the best I can. They teach you how to live each hour to the fullest.”
Find the compassionate push you need to make the healthiest choices for your body, mind and spirit at the Optimum Health Institute missions in San Diego and Austin, Texas. Come help us celebrate 40 Years of Holistic Healing. Our caring team will give you the tools, encouragement and inspiration to kick destructive old lifestyle habits to the curb, and adopt beneficial and healing new ones. Visit our website at www.optimumhealth.org , and call us at (800) 993-4325 to make your reservation.