Tell us how healthy food matters in your life!

Share your inspiring story and tips, and be entered to win 1 of 10 free viewings of the movie everyone should watch, Food Matters.   
Food Matters is all about providing you with access to solid information on nutrition and natural healing. After travelling the globe interviewing the world's leaders in Nutrition and Natural Healing, Food Matters has acquired a mass of footage explaining the finer details of nutrition and treating disease naturally.

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Enjoy a free movie trailer of Food Matters: http://www.myyogaonline.com/blog/2008/11/24/food-matters-invest-in-your-health/
Read below some of the inspirational experiences from those who have entered this movie giveaway.

**contest ends December 15, 2008
**giveaway prizes can not be redeemed for cash
**giveaway prizes issued by random draw
**by submitting your entry, you agree to give MyYogaOnline permission to post your article submission on MyYogaOnline-MyYogaOnline reserves the right to select and post article entries

Food Matters!  I had a medical practice for 20 years in NYC doing nutritional and lifestyle counseling (Anthroposophic medicine, family practice).  Over and over I saw seriously ill patients recover with a dietary change.  I came to expect daily what some people call miracles, and I call business as usual.  But the most dramatic to me has been my 8 year old shiba inu with chylothorax, who was given a death sentence 2 years ago.  He was dying at that time, I researched the disease, created a diet for him and he is still alive, almost 3 years past the typical lifespan with this disease.  He eats organic grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and no oils or fats at all.  Food Matters!

Rainbow C.

DIET A PATTERN OF EATING,SUMMARY Diet as in a 'pattern of eating',is very important in my life.Little and often has always been my mantra.Eating large portions of complex carbs, our primary source of energy, only when I know im going to need the energy in abundance otherwise,I would eat them in small amounts and normally in the first half of the day.(theres no point in tearing into a huge helping of rice if you are just going to sit down and watch your favourite yoga dvd before you drift off to your bed.)Protien is vital for the growth maintenence and repair of the body but contrary to popular belief, we dont need to eat as much as they say,especially in the body building circles, as the liver can only process a certain amount and the rest is disposed of.Plenty of veg for all the nutrients and to boost the immune system and one or two portions of friut a day is preferable and more than enough.It is important to remember that fruit is in its essense a simple carb and therefore converted to glucose in 20 min or so, too much can have a negative effect.

We get alot of water from the food we eat but if i need extra, i will freely top up with filtered tap water.Its great for clensing the body leading to glowing skin and  toned muscle.I refrain from any food supplements unless absolutely necessary.I feel that the best form of vitimin mineral and indeed all nutrients are delivered through the food we eat and the way its cooked,and to close this summary, the best diet is a vegetarian one.I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years and it has had a very benificial effect on my health and hopefully, the health of the animals i did not eat!! thank you bill m. (personal trainer)

How healthy food matters in my life: Unfortunately, as I was growing up, my pattern was to chose the easy, most immediately satisfying option. This most recognizably surfaced in my eating habits - although it was also exemplified in my habit of NOT joining any teams at school, NOT undertaking any hobbies, NOT getting any physical activity, and NEVER making an effort in developing romantic relationships. That being said, I was generally happy and well taken care of. I grew up in a loving and warm environment. However, I grew up in a seriously unhealthy physical body, which culminated in my diagnosis and at 20 with lupus and subsequent hospitalization. Luckily, this diagnosis - although most immediately hugely terrifying - was just the impetus I needed to take control of my life, and change its direction in a more positive way. I was astonished at how quickly my body shape changed when I started exercising and choosing relatively healthier food options! I should mention that after my two week hospital stay, and six month chemotherapy regimen, I was hugely edematous (not merely hugely overweight), so the weight loss would of course be quite surprising.

It took a life changing event, and possible death-sentence for me to realize that I wanted to live, and that I wanted to be happy and healthy. I make changes to my lifestyle on a daily basis because I think that everything is a process and that all we can do is make the best choice at the present moment. There will always be new information and new challenges, but at least I know that I am empowered and that how I feel directly relates to the choices I make. I think this is the first and really, the only step, in finding peace, serenity, and true health.   Sarah M.

It was about 5 years ago that I began feeling the first symptoms. Occasionally in the evening I would feel light headed. Not dizzy...I would describe it as more whoozy. It made me nauseated and as it began happening more and more, I began to lose weight. I always felt like healthy. I exercised. I thought I was a good eater. Grain cereal for breakfast, yogurt for lunch and I generally prepared a healthy dinner. Rarely if ever did I eat fast food. Of course, I had a deep and loving relationship with chocolate. The whooziness intensified to the point where the room would spin if I turned my head a certain way. I could no longer function.

I was referred to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor who specialized in Inner Ear disturbances. He diagnosed a Fistula which meant the lining between my middle and inner ear had burst. I went in to surgery to have it repaired but when I awoke from the anesthesia, I didn't feel a whole lot better. He explained that it might take time. Six months later I was still feeling bad and he began a battery of tests for another surgery. What he discovered was that I had something called Benign Intracranial Hypertension, or excess fluid pressure on the brain. I would be ineligible for another surgery. He gave me a bucket full of drugs and sent me home. If it didn't improve or if it got worse, he told me, I would need a shunt.

I continued to get worse to the point that I could no longer drive or even walk around my house for too long. Having three young children meant I was missing much of their lives. It was the most hopeless, dark time of my life. Before I was to schedule the surgery for a shunt, someone suggested I see a Chiroprator/Nutritionist conveniently located not too far from my home. In desperation, I agreed. On the very first visit, he started me on a Gluten-free/dairy free diet. It was difficult at first but within days I was able to decrease much of my medication. In eliminating many of those inflammatory foods, I was able to discover how other foods effected my body. I realized that I was allergic to chocolate, a staple in my diet. I was also allergic to tomatoes and many other things.

Discovering this link between the food I was eating and my symptoms was a real education. Through the education I was getting from my Chiroprator, my own research and my body I was able to help my children eat healthier for their bodies. What I discovered is that food, even certain 'healthy' foods are not always healthy for every body. Certain intolerances can cause damage to the intestine thereby creating a host of symptoms, different for each person. My middle son's chronic headaches have cleared up. My oldest son's asthma has been virtually cured. And we have been able to ease my little guy's stomach aches and IBS. "Food is the medicine" my Chiropractor always said. But I would amend that to say "The right correct is the medicine."

Stacie L.