At 18 years old I thought my life was over…
I want to welcome you and express my gratitude that our paths are meeting here today. Right now, we do not know each other, yet there is something very important that has brought us together. Your desire to heal and be well. Part of our connection is that I have been in your shoes as I was once the seeker of answers to a failing health condition as well.
What is bringing us together today? Your desire to heal. Your desire to be well. Your desire to move on with your life with vitality, purpose, confidence, and no negative symptoms. I can help you achieve these goals.
In 1973, at the age of 18, after nearly a year of very uncomfortable symptoms, I went through a very painful colonoscopy procedure (without sedation) and was told by the gastroenterologist that I might have Colon Cancer. He said something like: “Your condition is very bad, and it looks like Colon Cancer to me.”
When I returned to the office a few weeks later the GI Medical Team had settled on a different diagnosis: Pre-Cancerous Ulcerative Colitis. I was told that this condition was “medically incurable” and it had nothing to do with my diet and that I would need to be on medication every day for the rest of my life and most likely I would need surgery to remove part or all of my colon before I turned 30.
As you can imagine, none of this was very good news to me at all.
About a year prior to this diagnosis, I had gone on one of those “high protein diets” at the suggestion of one of my high school athletic coaches. If I had eaten any fiber-rich grains or vegetables during those twelve months, it was totally by accident and not by design. I started having negative GI symptoms almost immediately after adopting this crazy high protein diet but I never connected the dots until this disturbing diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis.
Since there was no internet at the time, I went to my local Public Library. I quickly discovered via several health-oriented books (even way back then) that: “an absence of dietary fiber is a high-risk factor for colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.” I knew I was on the right track.
I soon became certain that my high-protein-diet combined with a complete lack of dietary fiber had directly contributed to my condition and symptoms. The doctors insisted there was no connection at all. I was convinced that there was a connection. So, I went off on my own and changed my diet and my condition and terrible symptoms improved greatly in a few short months.
This experience really opened my eyes and dramatically changed the course and direction of my life.
I went back to school to learn about nutrition and health in general and digestive wellness in particular. I have had many great teachers and colleagues along the way. I’ve been in private practice since 1980. As a practitioner, you can say that I was ahead of my time (and I was) but I never saw it that way. I have always seen that what I do is a very common-sense approach to health and healing. It’s safe and it works.
Over the years I have positively impacted the lives of thousands of people around the world by sharing my story and the principles and practices of Functional Nutrition.
You can trust that what I do is not the shiny new object of the week or the current dietary trend or fad but real tried and true principles and practices that work effectively and have worked consistently for a very long time.
I still have that same passionate curiosity that led me to heal myself nearly 50 years ago. I continue to study and learn from the best healers and researchers in the world and to integrate best practices into my digestive wellness and other restorative healing programs.
I care deeply about you and what you have been through. I look forward to meeting with you soon. I want you to know that I am committed to your successful healing journey. Working together we can get you well and keep you well, one step at a time. This is my promise to you.
Your next step in this process is to sign up (below) for what we call The First Step Conversation (via phone or Zoom, whichever you prefer).
This First Step Conversation is 30 minutes long and it’s free of charge.
The purpose of the First Step Conversation is for me to listen to you explain your current condition and symptoms with compassion and understanding. You will leave this session very clear about the most likely root causes of your condition and some of the practical solutions that you can begin to implement right away.
You can schedule a time to talk with me via the form below:
I look forward to meeting with you soon!
Russell Mariani