Dr. [Uthman] Cavallo recommended that I do the Integrative Nutrition Package when I started seeing him as a patient because of insulin resistance and my endometriosis.

 

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Before I went through with it, I questioned how much I would get out of it.

 

 

I thought it might end up being product-driven because that can sometimes be the case with information sessions. You might go into it thinking you’re just there for information, but then it turns into a sales pitch. So, that’s my initial concern with any type of seminar or class…

 

But that wasn’t the case at all.

 

I didn’t realize how much your diet can really cause a lot of hormonal issues and problems with pain....Something just as fundamental as your diet can really change things.

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A lot of people are seeking remedies or answers to health problems and Dr. Susan’s Integrative Nutrition Class Series is a really important part of empowering people to take control and find answers.

 

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The first class was mostly education, which I found really helpful because sometimes after those doctor visits, you don’t necessarily get to have a full understanding of an issue, so that was really important for me just for my complete awareness.

 

But also the second session was more about application, and so it was helpful having it split up that way so then you can use what you learned from the first class for the second class.

 

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I was able to take action right away to correct my diet and start feeling better—like how many carbs I can have, how much sugar I can handle.

 

 

It wasn’t something that I had to keep trying to figure out. I was able to walk away with the information that I needed in order to move forward and get going immediately.

 

There’s just so many misconceptions about diets and what’s right for people and I think that’s why a lot of people gravitate toward fad diets and overnight solutions, but getting the recommendations and education from a health professional that truly knows how this will work immediately and over the long term, makes it easier to just jump right in.

 

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I think that’s a key piece.

 

 

Because you may even leave with all the information but if you don’t really have the confidence in the person relaying the information, then sometimes you still try to do your own homework or are not able to implement the change right away.

 

When you see a doctor they give you a diagnosis and a prescription. I felt like this was the same. In this case, the prescription was a proper diet.

 

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Just within the first 60 days, my lab work has improved drastically.

 

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I went from being at an abnormal/concerning range to normal and even pretty close to optimal. So, to me, to see that much improvement in the short term was really exciting!

 

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Over the long term...

 

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Now that I’ve given it some more time and been more committed to it for a little over six months now, I’ve noticed that my skin is clearing up which was actually something that I was really struggling with—my skin and even psoriasis. And that’s kind of what prompted me to see Dr. [Uthman] Cavallo.

 

Although it wasn’t something that cleared up overnight, I’ve noticed that I have far less breakouts and I haven’t had many psoriasis outbreaks at all. I’m hoping that over the long term my skin issues will completely resolve, and I’ll be able to continue to look and feel healthy. I have even lost a significant amount of weight since starting the diet.

 

Dr. Susan’s class series enabled me to be more mindful about nutrition, chemicals, and products that I buy. So it transcended to a lot of different parts of my life, other than just diet.

 

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And then the last part of the package was the Next Steps Coaching Session.

 

 

I met with Mary and we talked a little bit initially about the classes and then because I wasn’t having problems implementing it—I was pretty motivated and really trusted the process—we mostly talked about stress… learning that it’s not just diet that’s going to either hinder or help improve things with my body, but also stress and the way that I handle stress…

 

I found it helpful because we didn’t just talk about it, but she was able to share some techniques with me, too, and some information about how to manage stress…We talked about how, on average, Americans have a great deal of stress triggers and learning how to move through those in a way that isn’t harmful to your health.

 

And I learned new things—not just that stress and sleep are important factors of daily life…but, like, one step further—how you can manage it.

 

 

I was actually able to take away some tips and tricks for how to decompress and manage the inevitable stress and experience it in a healthier way.

 

 

Many people in my life are aware of the fact that I’ve been having health issues and have wanted answers for a long time.

 

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So when I started seeing Dr. Cavallo, went through this workshop, and changed the course of my health, people have remarked about how good I look or how happy they are for me.

 

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I think seeing my results makes people around me think a lot more about what they’re even doing with their own health. Especially around the holidays, with the food, desserts, and alcohol, because I had the self-control not to indulge in all of that, it made people think about themselves and their own resolutions or nutrition goals.

 

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If you’re debating whether or not to do this package, I would say that it won’t hurt and there’s so much to gain.

 

No matter what, if you take the classes, you’ll leave with knowledge about how to take your health into your own hands.

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And you’ll be empowered to do it without numerous doctor’s visits and things like that. I think that the class is just perfect.

 

People are busy but they do want advice, help, education, or just to be pointed in the right direction. I think many people hesitate to make that doctor’s appointment or get the lab work done, but...

 

 

...This is something you can do two evenings out of your life and leave with enough information to do it on your own.

 

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I just—I think that it’s definitely worth it just for the education, just to be empowered a little bit; and to decipher through some of the misinformation about what you should eat and how you should eat.

 

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This class is right for anyone.

 

 

Even if you aren’t having the same issues as me, or other patients, or other people, it would still be beneficial. You don’t have to have a diagnosis to be educated about nutrition.

 

People might be hesitant, thinking this only relates to certain medical issues, but really this is vital information for anyone to have no matter what issues they’re having healthwise.

 

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~ Traci, young working professional

Past Integrative Nutrition Package Participant