Nutrition Is Medicine!

When you read the above title, what comes to mind? Do you think, "Of course, another person talking about the importance of nutrition," or do you pause and wonder what the author really means by it?

When I first encountered this concept, I felt deep down that there was truth to it. I knew I needed to educate myself and take responsibility for making better choices. The word "inflammation" kept appearing again and again. I was living with chronic pain every day, and now, with lymphatic issues on top of it, my body felt overwhelmed. I knew I had to start experimenting. What did I have to lose? I was filled with hope and curiosity, understanding that this wouldn’t be a quick fix, but rather a journey of self-discovery to find what might work for my body.

I recognised about how food impacts general health, but I didn’t realise just how deeply it could affect my lymphatic health—and my overall well-being.

For years, I struggled with feeling sluggish, dealing with constant frequent infections, and just not feeling my best, it was always an everyday battle, I had no idea that the foods I was choosing—or more importantly, the foods I wasn’t choosing—could be playing a significant role in how my body was functioning. It wasn’t until I started addressing my diet more intentionally, focusing on foods that supported my overall health, that I began to notice a profound shift.

By incorporating certain anti-inflammatory foods, staying hydrated, and focusing on nutrient-dense choices, eliminating processed foods, cutting back sugar intake with the goal of eliminating as much as possible, eating whole foods, I felt the difference in both my energy levels and how my body was functioning, this waxed and waned as I learnt what worked and what didn't!

I realised that food isn’t just fuel—it’s medicine, it was time to start looking at my meal times as powerful tools for supporting my health, particularly the lymphatic system, which plays a key role in detoxification and immunity. I suppose on reflection, I always considered my health as a whole body issue, it was a mind body connection thought, even in the early days, I awakened to how stress, sleep, exercise, relationships, nutrition all encircled my health, it felt overwhelming because to create the change within the current circumstances meant I had to change, but I was one person in the thread, it was a much larger picture but I took very small baby steps, one moment at a time with what I had, by this I am meaning what I could afford to do.

"Every organ and system in the body requires healthy lymphatics to function properly, and to such an extent that in the future we may be treating a wide range of diseases by treating the lymphatics"

Dr Stanley Rockson, NLN Conference, October 2024.

My first beginnings

What ignited me was when I recall watching a commercial on TV on Jack LaLanne who was an American Fitness Coach, he had created a juicer and it was my first introduction to juicing and how valuable it was in providing your body with nutrients, I was desperate to find myself again, to feel better in anyway possible, I eventually purchased one and was so excited when it arrived, I don't even think I read the recipes, I just juiced what I had in my kitchen, oranges, lemons and apples, WOW, I thought this is not very nice!, the bitterness put me right off and then I realised you have to take the skin off the citrus!!!!!!!, its the plinth that holds the nutrients in citrus, I had to giggle, this was hilarious :)

So it began, juicing was placed as of vital importance, all those around me were given a juice when they came to my home, I even had juicy evenings, in normal Judith style I wanted everyone around me to benefit and understand how juicing positively affects your health and wellbeing, my Dad would always have a juice on his visits, he was an encourager for an holistic approach, I appreciated that about him, so I was hooked on it, but I had a lot to still learn and understand, remember this was just the beginning of my health journey.

Another area that came into my focus was Dr Sandra Cabot, an Australian doctor who specialised in Liver health, I purchased her book and attempted to implement her recommendations, it was tough having to eliminate foods I loved, I was searching blind in all these areas but my thought was to just understand the importance of liver health and more importantly what I could do to help myself, I had been diagnosed with a fatty liver, unbeknown to me this also connects to the lymphatic issues and I knew it had to be addressed.

Moving forward to our big move to Australia, I came across the incredible Jason Vale, Super Juice Me Documentary here is a link to his website, his energy, knowledge and humour is infective in such a positive beautiful way, his passion and drive to motivate and encourage you is priceless.

I have a couple of his juicing and blending apps on my phone, very inexpensive to purchase, but hold a wealth of beautiful well balanced recipes with a focus on using so many vegetables along with fruit, we love them and make them ahead of time and freeze them straight away to use. Jason bought an awareness and balance to how to make delicious juices that targeted specific areas, he had cool names for his juices, such as anti-inflammatory blend, anti-oxident king, calcium refresher, chlorophyll cleanser, the dieuretic one, energy explosion, mineral medicine, green zesty super smoothie, protein rich powerhouse and many more, the two shots of ginger and apple which blows your socks off, and the cucumber and celery were an important daily addition, we still incorporate juicing regularly into our lives.

So my husband and I were very brave and decided to do Jason Vales 28 day super juice me challenge, it was a world wide event over facebook, YES you heard me correctly, just 4 juices and 1 shot every day for 28 days, this was life changing for me, for I realised the true power of nutrients, we were invested in giving this a go, we encouraged each other all the way, the importance of how much my body needed these valuable nutrients became very apparent, even my GP at the time, after a check up said, keep doing what your doing!

So how did the juicing impact my health - what did I realise?

1. I felt more energised

2. Had more clarity of mind

3. My body felt less inflamed, calmer

4. I lost 10 kilo

5. I craved vegetables and fruit, cleaned my palate, even corriander looked and smelt amazing :)

6. Mindset and realisation of its benefits for overall health and wellbeing

7. Decided that this was a tool for nutrition to add to my basket

8. Eliminated processed foods

9. Cut back on sugar

10. A new beginning

11. Felt proud that I had set a goal for myself and achieved it!

This was our first shop to start our 28 day Super Juice Me alongside Jason Vale

Food Matters , James and Laurentine were another strong contender for me, I watched their documentary 'food matters, you are what you eat' and I was blown away as it made me so aware of what was happening in our food chain, how our food was produced, the pesticides and sprays on our vegetables and fruit, the processed foods we were consuming and how detrimental they are for our health, I was like a child absorbing all this new knowledge, I focussed on good sources of information that I trusted hence why I am sharing the links with you so you can check them out too.

'No doctor comes into a checkup and says, "How's your lymphatic flow?" Sure, a doc may feel for swollen lymph nodes to detect an infection, but the reality is that the lymphatic system is a medical mystery to most people, patients and physicians alike. Yet it holds the key to your health, your longevity, your ability to fight disease, your energy, your wellness.'

Lymph & Longevity, The untapped secret to Health, Gerald M. Lemole, MD

Early Reflection

This marked the beginning of a deeper awakening for me — a realisation of how crucial nutrition truly is. I've always viewed the body as a whole because my chronic pain and lymphatic issues affected me on a systemic level. Everything was interconnected, and that’s why it made sense to approach it holistically. Even when managing lymphoedema, simply treating the swollen limbs only pushed the fluid upward into my abdomen. It wasn’t just one isolated area that needed attention — the entire system was out of balance. I could feel it, I could see it, and it had become a part of who I was. My life had to adjust and adapt to this new reality but the way I viewed it was how best can I take care of my health, my body, my mind overall as one.

Judith and her beetroot juice x

Nutrition is medicine — at least, that’s been my experience. It’s about taking a step back, becoming more aware, and prioritising self-care. It’s about recognising that the food you consume daily has a direct impact on your body, mind, and overall wellbeing. If the beginnings of my journey has inspired you in any way, this is where health coaching can support you. The coach approach can guide you in understanding how food affects your body, your lymphatic system, and ultimately your swelling. Even a small improvement in these areas can make a big difference. You’ll feel better, more energised, sleep more soundly, and move with greater ease, lets get exploring this together on your agenda, look forward to walking alongside you, supporting you to be the best you can be!

'Explore what matters, living your life, loving your lymph'

J

Here is a photo of the changes in my swelling from nutrition and other things which I will share in my blog but a 'little wrinkle' is an exciting moment!