Missionary Spotlight: Get to Know OHI Missionary, Natalia Eric

Natalia Eric has experienced adversity…over, and over, and over again.  And yet here she is, with a big smile on her face.  “I have seven grandchildren,” Natalia said.  “Cancer can come and knock at my door, but I am not going anywhere.  I intend to be here to watch them all grow up.  And OHI has given me that chance.”

Natalia was born in Moscow.  She got married in 1984, and moved with her new husband back to his childhood home in Serbia, Yugoslavia.  They started a family, and lived there for ten years.  In 1994, Natalia and her family made one more big move, this time to Toronto, Canada.  The family all became proud Canadian citizens in 1997, and Natalia worked in a hospital as a labor and delivery clerical coordinator.  The years went by, and Natalia watched her three children grow up.  Then in 2008, her life was turned upside down.  “I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer,” said Natalia.  “Two years later, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, stage 4,” said Natalia.  “They had to remove my spleen and lymph nodes.  In 2012, the Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was back.  This time I had to undergo six rounds of chemotherapy, and then do chemo every three months for two years.  I had nothing left to give.  I was bald from all the chemo.  My life expectancy was five years at best.  I asked God for a sign that everything was going to be OK.  I went outside to get the mail, and when I turned around I saw a double rainbow over my house.  It was a sign, but what did it mean?  I was watching YouTube videos on healthy eating, desperate for some new options, and one of the YouTubers I was watching mentioned OHI.  It was just a passing mention, but it piqued my curiosity.  I looked them up, and immediately booked a 3-week stay.  The detox that my body went through that first week at OHI after holding all the toxicity of three years of chemo was terrible.  But after my body detoxed, it was like a light switch went on.  The grass was greener.  The sky was bluer.  I felt something that I hadn’t felt in a long time — hope.”

Natalia immediately applied to the OHI Missionary Program, and started in May 2015.  “I wanted to be a missionary because my body needs a full reset that only a 3-month stay can give,” said Natalia.  “I now understand what my body needs to be healthy, and I teach my grandchildren to eat healthily.  I want them to value the good health they have now, and to honor their bodies as they age.  OHI has taught me how my body can heal itself as it’s intended to in nature, through the power of whole raw foods.”

Natalia finds the OHI Missionary Program to be incredibly rewarding.  “Being a missionary allows me to meet different people every week,” said Natalia.  “For guests who are new to OHI, they are assigned a missionary as their buddy for the first week.  We spend a lot of time together.  They share their stories.  I share mine.  We learn from each other.  The experience is never the same, but the outcomes are always so positive.  Just watching the healing power all people experience in that first week of detox is nothing short of miraculous to me.”

As a missionary, Natalia’s favorite thing to do is lead the exercise classes for guests.  “It is such a joy to stretch my body, and feel the power that it now holds,” said Natalia.  “I survived having Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma twice, then thyroid cancer, and then high blood pressure, and my body was broken.  I weighed over 200lbs, I had lost all my hair, and I didn’t have an ounce of strength left.  I came to OHI looking for anything positive to take hold in my body, after having so much negativity reside there.  Seven years later, I have lost 60lbs, I’m cancer-free, my blood pressure is under control, and I feel so ALIVE!  I tell everyone I know about OHI.  I have been a missionary five times, and each experience has been so valuable.  They have helped me so much, and that makes me want to help others.  I am so grateful to be here, and feeling this healthy.”

Natalia has simple words of advice for anyone considering a stay at OHI.  “Be willing to be open, and change yourself,” said Natalia.  “Go to the Friday Morning Testimonials, and open your heart to people’s stories of change.  Every class will change your perspective, and help you on your healing journey.  Practice conscious breathing.  Learn alpha state mediation techniques.  Take the fermented foods class.  All of it will come together for you, so you can successfully continue the program on your own at home.  You will love your life!”

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. Visit our website at www.optimumhealth.org, and call us at (800) 588-0809 to make your reservation.