A change in diet saved 23-year-old Ella from a dangerous illness. It is difficult to compare the seriousness of her story and the light, cheerful manner with which she tells. Ella says with a smile, gesturing towards her spacious apartment.
“I looked like I was pregnant,” she continues, “My belly was huge… My head was spinning, I was constantly in pain. It seemed that the body was almost destroyed. Ella talks about her illness, which made a big difference in her life on a morning in 2011. She was in her second year at St. Andrews University. “Everything was going great, I had wonderful friends and a young man. The biggest stress in my life was, perhaps, not having time to do homework. One morning after a party at which she drank quite a bit, Ella woke up feeling very tired and intoxicated. Her stomach was very distended. “I have never been an alarmist, deciding that this is just an allergic reaction. Reassuring myself with this thought, I went home.
“After a while, I began to literally grow in size, unable to lift myself off the couch. The next four months were spent in various hospitals in London. It seemed that there was no analysis in the world that I would not pass. However, the situation was getting worse.” The doctors didn’t answer. Someone referred to psychosomatics, which Ella considered unrealistic. She spent 12 days at the last Cromwell Hospital, where she slept most of the time. “Unfortunately, after these 12 days, the doctors still had nothing to say to me. It was the first time I really got scared. It was a moment of despair and loss of faith.”
Then a happy accident happened when the nurse took her blood pressure and noticed that Ella’s heart rate reached a terrifying 190 while standing. When Ella sat down, the score dropped to 55-60. As a result, she was diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, which is an abnormal response of the autonomic nervous system to an upright position. Little is known about this disease, it mainly affects women. Doctors call this a chronic disease, suggesting drugs that only relieve the symptoms. She began taking medications and steroids, which were determined by the doctors as the only solution – no change in diet was suggested. The pills provided temporary relief, but Ella was still asleep 75% of the time. “Being completely depressed, I didn’t do anything, I didn’t communicate with anyone for 6 months. My parents and a young man, Felix, were the only ones who knew what was happening to me.
The turning point came when I realized that the trip to Marrakech, which had been booked for a long time, was approaching. Felix tried to dissuade me, but I insisted on a trip, which turned into a disaster. I returned home semi-conscious, in a wheelchair. It couldn’t go on like this anymore. Realizing that the doctors would not help her, I took the situation into my own hands. On the Internet, I came across a book by Chris Carr, a 43-year-old American who overcame cancer by switching to a plant-based diet. I read his book in one day! After that, I decided to change my diet and informed my family about it, who took my idea completely lightly. The thing is that I always grew up as a child who hates fruits and vegetables. And now this child confidently tells his parents that he completely excludes meat, dairy products, sugar and all refined foods. I developed a menu for myself for two months, which consisted mainly of the same products.
Soon I began to notice a difference: a little more energy, a little less pain. I remember thinking “if there are stable improvements, then I will definitely return to meat.” “.
After 18 months, Ella is back in great shape, with radiant skin, a lean and toned body, and a great appetite. She does not allow thoughts of returning to her previous diet. The new way of eating saved her so much that the doctors took her case as an example to help other patients with the same diagnosis.
Currently, Ella maintains her own blog, where she tries to answer each subscriber who wrote to her personally.