Dr. Lisa Acocella is a clinical administrator and chiropractor at TrueNorth Health Center. She is passionate about health and wellness, continuously adding to her knowledge and expertise, studying topics that include the science of fasting, methods of extending health span, and the benefits of consuming whole plant foods for optimum health. One of Dr. Acocella's key aims is to support patient empowerment and education on these topics. For her, the story began in her own personal experience.
Since childhood, Dr. Acocella had suffered from low energy and poor immunity. She started gaining weight when she was in third grade and continued to do so throughout high school and college. By the time she was in her twenties, she suffered from obesity, chronic migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia. She stopped weighing herself when her weight hit 196 pounds but knew that she was continuing to gain weight past that number on the scale. Tired of feeling sick and tired, and tired of taking medications, she began searching for a better way.
That better way involved reading a book in 1991 entitled Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. At the end of the book, the authors suggested contacting the National Health Association for more information. She did just that and has never looked back. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Acocella transitioned to a whole-plant food, SOS-free lifestyle. Utilizing a food-as-medicine approach in combination with water-only fasting, Dr. Acocella lost over 80 pounds and recovered from her previous ill health. Through multiple fasts, she regained her health and vitality and became able to stop all medications. To this day, she still fasts periodically to maintain optimum health and functionality.
She turned her own personal victory into a career. Being very inspired by chiropractic care and whole-plant-foods nutrition, and wanting to share the power of these methods with others, she left her first career in information systems and began chiropractic studies at Sherman College of Chiropractic. In March 1999, she graduated summa cum laude with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, serving as valedictorian for her class.
Dr. Acocella says that she feels very lucky to have started this new chapter of her life working at TrueNorth Health Center. "I first heard Drs. Marano and Goldhamer speak at my first National Health Association conference at Georgetown University in the summer of 1995. Long story short, I eventually arrived at True North Health Center in July 2023 for a restorative one-month stay to fast and refeed. I joyfully departed in August having secured my dream job—right here at TrueNorth."
Today, Dr. Acocella enjoys her wellness-oriented practice at TrueNorth, where she offers light-force and non-force chiropractic care as well as whole-food, plant-based, SOS-free nutrition consultations. She excels at motivating her coaching clientele to find wellness in good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
Beyond her interests in health, she enjoys movies, being out in nature, and yoga, as well as spending time with friends.
