Sarah Meyer is quite the globetrotter. Her job has taken her around the world, living in far flung places like Afghanistan and Vietnam. She currently resides in beautiful Tunisia, at the northernmost tip of Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, so she did not make the decision lightly to get on a plane amid a pandemic to come to OHI. “I knew I needed help,” said Sarah. “I was at a breaking point. OHI seemed like the perfect medicine.”
Sarah was diagnosed with MS in her early 30’s, and, still active at nearly 50 years old, has worked diligently to manage her health. “I have lesions on my brain and spine,” said Sarah. “I took medication for nine years, but after all those years of declining health and much research, I decided to focus my emphasis on nutrition. I became ‘plant-based’ on Thanksgiving night, 2011. So many of my health problems (e.g. persistent vertigo, eczema, etc.) resolved so quickly that I didn’t feel the need to ‘prove’ the positive impacts of my diet changes until 2015 with an MRI, which showed that my lesions were either stable or had reduced. My neurologist said it was probably a fluke, but year after year my MRIs showed improvement. I decided to stop taking injectable MS drugs in 2014, which my neurologist said was a terrible mistake, and still my lesions remained stable or continued reducing. By 2018, my doctor just shook his head in amazement, and told me to keep doing what I was doing. I can tell you from personal experience that nutrition is absolutely vital to continued good health.”
In late 2020, however, Sarah started having severe trouble walking, and her MRI showed four new lesions on her brain (the first new lesions since 2010). “My diet hadn’t changed at all,” said Sarah, “but I was under tremendous stress. My professional workload was heavy, but that was not new; however, working in-person in an office during a pandemic was very stressful, particularly given so many unknowns about COVID. I could see I would eventually be in a wheelchair if something didn’t give. I was talking to a friend, and she suggested OHI. I looked at their website, and it checked all the boxes for me — organic, vegan diet, strict COVID protocols, and time and space to work on my mindset. I booked a 3-week stay right away.”
Sarah immediately connected with the staff and missionaries at OHI. “They were all so supportive,” said Sarah. “Cheryl Green was instrumental in changing my thinking. She said to me, ‘It’s not just the food, maybe it’s your mood’. I suddenly realized I needed to pay attention to my stress, and add more fun into my life. As soon as I changed my perspective, my body responded.”
Sarah’s stress made it difficult for her to maintain weight. The classes in digestion and food combining were pivotal for her. “The idea that you have to slow down your eating, thoroughly chew everything, and not drink for an hour or two after eating to give your body time to absorb the nutrients seems so obvious now,” said Sarah. “It’s a game changer. It solves all sorts of problems like irregularity and weight loss. Since leaving OHI, my weight has held steady at a much higher, healthier number. The simplicity of the OHI program is what makes it so meaningful.”
Sarah also enjoyed the Deep Breathing class. “It helped me get so much more out of meditation,” said Sarah. “I feel like my health is my own again. Thank you OHI! And for anyone interested in a blog about my personal MS journey, they can read more at www.blessedwithms.org.”
Optimum Health Institute is here for you! We will motivate you to stick with your commitment to health and discover new ways to empower yourself. Explore the holistic healing program offered at OHI. This program offers three week-long sessions, where you will learn to cleanse the body, quiet the mind and awaken the spirit.
Call OHI at (800) 588-0809 or visit www.OptimumHealth.org today for more information.
