I was a Division 1 college athlete and thought I was in good shape. It was a few years after graduating from college that some persistent health concerns were not going away, but instead were getting much worse. I had severe pain in my lower back, so much, that it had become difficult to sleep. I also had only one to two periods a year and severe seasonal allergies.

My back had become so bad that I was trying everything and anything for relief. I tried physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage. I had an MRI to be sure there was not anything of “concern”. I thought, “well I haven’t slept well for 5 years…isn’t that concerning enough?” The MRI found nothing conclusive, and I was left with the “nothing is wrong” diagnosis, but I knew better. I met an individual that worked at the front desk for a nutritionist. She suggested it might be worth a try, and I was willing to try almost anything at that point.

By changing what I ate I was able to alleviate 95% of my persistent and burdensome health concerns, most specifically the chronic back pain. I would be lying if I told you this was an easy change…in fact it was one of the toughest changes I have ever made.  If it wasn’t for supportive family and friends I don’t know where I would be today. I removed refined sugar, most dairy and all gluten from my diet. You may be asking, “What DID I eat?” What a great question…I had no idea what to eat. The first six months I had withdrawal symptoms. I craved sugar like it was the last thing on earth that I could eat. I cried. Then I got busy…being creative, taking ingredients I could eat and inventing recipes and finding new ingredients. As my back pain disappeared and my other health symptoms started to improve, my passion and love for nutrition grew out of my personal testimony.

This has been a journey of over 7 years and I can now, in retrospect, see it as the root of my passion for helping others – sharing what I have learned about toxins, health, nutrition, food and recipes to make others lives better. I started attending the Nutrition Therapy Institute in January of 2012 to obtain my Masters in Nutrition and continue working and building on this passion.

We have just embarked on a new journey…one that we would not have chosen. In October 2012, at 32, I was diagnose with breast cancer. If you would like more information about or desire to join us in our journey of prayer, laughter and hope, please visit the Boobie Bunch blog. Nutrition has always been an important part of my life and this takes it to a whole new level.  I want to do as much as possible to help my body and others live a long, healthy and prosperous life.  Yes we are fighting cancer with surgery and chemotherapy, but I am also a big proponent of “fighting cancer with a fork” – and guess what has amazing cancer fighting properties?  You guessed it, a tomato!

Cornered Tomato is a place of community to share what I am learning, what you are learning, ideas about health, information about toxins, recipes and encouragement…all in the name of optimizing our health and the health of our families.  My desire is for Cornered Tomato to share useful information but also put a smile on your face as you remember: Don’t be a cornered tomato, don’t be cornered by a tomato and don’t eat tomatoes with corners…Optimize your health!

Thanks for journeying with me,
Adrienne