Testimonials

TrueNorth Navigators are people who have succeeded in navigating their way to improved health, and are now helping others to do so by sharing their personal stories.

Jason and Sarah Ramos: Lost Half Their Combined Weight on a Plant-based Diet

Jason and Sarah Ramos lost half their combined weight on a plant-based diet. Below, they each share their own experience with dietary change and water fasting—and how this lifestyle brought them together! JASON My story began in late 2012 when I learned that my 54-year-old mom had developed pre-diabetes. The news hit hard. I love my mom and want her in my life for as long as possible, and I knew that this condition could take her away prematurely. Shortly thereafter, my dad had a heart attack… read more

Chick Lewis: Expected and Unexpected Benefits of Water-only Fasting

Chick Lewis shares his story of incredible healing, throughout many parts of his body, some hoped for and others surprising, after fasting at TrueNorth Health Center for 37 days. My Lady-friend, Donna, her sister, Dianne, and I have been water-only fasting for 37 days so far, and are seeing big health benefits, and very few downsides. I came along for the journey mostly to support the ladies, as they have more serious health issues than I, but I expected to decrease blood pressure and weight.… read more

Mark Readinger: Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammatory Arthritis

Mark Readinger shares his story of being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis nearly 30 years ago, and how he turned it around, as well as inflammatory arthritis, after fasting at TrueNorth Health Center. My name is Mark Readinger and I’m 63 years old. I’ve been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and inflammatory arthritis, debilitating diseases that took me years to learn to manage. It’s been a long road with plenty of trial and error. I share my story with the hope that it helps you navigate your… read more

Robert Smith: Tackling Obesity Once and for All

Robert Smith tells his story of conquering obesity, as well as saying goodbye to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, prediabetes, depression, and asthma. I was skinny as a rail in my twenties; so skinny that I consumed special drink powders to help me keep the weight on. I guess I should have read the fine print to see if there was a “delayed reaction” warning, because I became overweight in my thirties and then obese in my forties. I developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol,… read more

Gabrielle Fennimore: Resolving Ulcerative Colitis

Gabrielle Fennimore tells her story of how she resolved her ulcerative colitis with a clean diet. I am a “foodie,” both by nature and nurture. Born with a passion for food, I’ve relished eating out in upscale restaurants, trying new creative animal protein-based creations, enjoying eight-course meals through the holidays, and treating myself to all-you-can-eat sushi weekly. For me it has always been about “living to eat” rather than “eating to live.” Food has been tied inextricably to… read more

Sarita Bhola: Finding Good Health after Losing 85 Pounds

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Health Science magazine, the member magazine of the National Health Association. Sarita Bhola tells her story of how she went from 21 different health diagnoses to feeling vibrant and alive! Above: Sarita met Robert Kennedy while her father worked at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. By Sarita Bhola In 1960, my family moved to the U.S. from New Delhi, India. My father was working in the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C.,… read more

Christina Gore: Resolving a Sixteen-year Headache

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Health Science magazine, the member magazine of the National Health Association. After exhausting all possible medical and drug therapies, Christina Gore discovered that water fasting was the key to resolving her 16-year headache. By Christina Gore, DMD, FAGD, CDC On July 3, 1994 I suffered a head injury. When I regained consciousness I had a headache. No one was surprised about that. The problem was that the headache didn't go away… read more

Steve: The Unhealthy Vegan

Steve Bernstein describes how he discovered at age 60 that there’s more to health than being vegan, after learning about nutrition and doing a 15-day water fast at TrueNorth Health Center. Thirty years ago, a friend of mine invited me to an animal rights meeting. I learned about the atrocities committed by humans against sentient beings for food, entertainment, clothing, and experimentation. I became a vegetarian that day and a vegan within one year. This led me to become an activist, a humane… read more

Ivonne: Changing the Course of Lymphoma

Ivonne Vielman describes how she reversed stage III lymphoma (cancer) through a 21-day water fast at TrueNorth Health Center. In 2012, at age 40, I had a hysterectomy and bladder suspension surgery, and ever since then my pelvic area had been sensitive and tender, so I would periodically massage it. Two years later, as I was doing this, I felt something hard in my right abdominal area. I wasn’t sure if it was scar tissue or something else, so I made a doctor’s appointment right away. On… read more

Jamie: Healing from 38 Years of Food Addiction and Bulimia

Jamie describes how after 38 years of food addiction and bulimia she gave up chemically addictive foods and went on to recover from bulimia (an illness where the feeling of lack of control in one's life can lead to compulsive overeating followed by vomiting in order to prevent weight-gain). I am a 52-year-old, married mother of three adult sons, and a recovering food addict and bulimic. I want to share my story so that it may give others hope in their struggle with food addiction and bulimia… read more