By: Sara Foster
I grew up in the backwoods of Tennessee in a family of eight kids with a stay-at-home dad and a mother who is a physician. Dad was raised in the country on a farm, so our plates were filled with meat, dairy and lots of fried and processed foods. That was the norm, and I knew nothing different at the time. If we ate vegetables, they were mostly fried.
Beginning when I was 12 years old, I had very painful menstrual cramps. They were so severe that I had to take pain shots and narcotics on the days of my menstrual cycle, and I would often have to be checked out of school. One day when I was a little older, I landed in the ER and had to have morphine given to me through IV. That day the Elders of the LDS Church gave me a blessing. They blessed me that I would find a way that I would never have to take medication again for this. I took that blessing to heart and did not let up in a search for the reason why I was having such intense menstrual cramps. I knew there must be a remedy other than medications.
Some years later I found out I had endometriosis. This is a condition where the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (the endometrium) grows outside the uterus. It is often extremely painful and can result in infertility. This helped explain the problems I had.
My father also had significant health issues. I watched him struggle with weight and high blood pressure almost my entire life. His blood pressure eventually got so high it took his life. It was shortly thereafter that I discovered plant-based eating. By the grace of Our Father in Heaven, I stumbled upon a book about plant-based nutrition. As I was reading it, my mind kept drifting back to the Word of Wisdom. It sounded so similar. That led me to open the Word of Wisdom again and re-examine what I thought I knew. I started seeking out other authors of books that had similar views and decided to give plant-based eating a try.
I started by eating every other day as a vegetarian. I cut my meat and dairy intake down to 2-3 days a week. Just from those changes alone, my pain dropped by half, and I was off all narcotics. I was able to get by on just Ibuprofen and Tylenol for the first few days of my menstrual cycle. I followed that way of eating for 3 1/2 years until I got to a point where I was only eating meat about once a week and decided to try 98% plant-based. When I made that change, again my pain dropped to barely even there, and I was able to come off the Ibuprofen and Tylenol. For the first time in nearly 20 years I was medication free!
I have now been medication free for 6 months. Some additional changes that I have noticed:
- I feel really happy most days no matter what is happening in the world.
- My acne cleared up.
- My eyes are brighter.
- I almost never wear deodorant (that seems strange, but I just have no body odor coming out of me anymore. Not like when I was eating a lot of meat and dairy).
- I run faster.
- I have more energy.
- My cholesterol dropped by 30 points.
- My weight is easily maintained in a good range.
- I feel closer to nature.
I now feel a great love for life. I feel a close, sacred connection to God and feel extreme gratitude to Him for reaching out and giving me the answer to my situation. I’m also very grateful for having the sense to give plant-based eating a try.
Sara Foster (32 years old) lives in Redlands California and is a practicing nurse. To help more patients, she shifted her focus from working inpatient in the hospital to an outpatient setting working with lifestyle and preventive medicine. She now educates patients and employee staff on the benefits of plant-based eating and seeks to help patients get off medications. Sara is also an Army Reserve nurse and has served five years on active duty in hospitals around the country, caring for the brave service men and women. When she’s not working, she loves reading, learning, writing, singing, wholesome entertainment, socializing, and being in nature.
Sara is a modern-day heroine. She not only persevered under difficult conditions, she is using all she learned to bless the lives of others. Thank you Sara for your sterling example of faith, determination, and dedication!
Sara, earlier today I was working on resolving a fairly serious computer problem, but I’m grateful that it is now resolved and that enabled me to have the very special experience of reading today that which you submitted to my dear daughter, Jane, above where you told your marvelous experience in your having been very successful, in resolving more crucial problems than were my computer problems! Here is a special quote I took from what you sent Jane:
“I now feel a great love for life. I feel a close, sacred connection to God and feel extreme gratitude to Him for reaching out and giving me the answer to my situation. I’m also very grateful for having the sense to give plant-based eating a try.”
I’m glad that you are now able to say you “are giving plant based eating a try,” I’m sure that will turn out to be one of the things you will be so very very grateful that you ever began doing!” Eating that way has made some very significant changes in my now eighty five year old body. Previous to my beginning to eat the “Word of Wisdom Way” I had to see a good number of medical specialists very often over a good number of years!
Five years ago, my dear daughter, Jane, reminded me how the Lord wants us to eat as is described in Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, in verses ten through seventeen.Then in verses eighteen through twenty one, as you probably already know, He makes very wonderful and very sure promises that are always fulfilled when we live in full accordance with His instructions. Be sure you fully know what He suggests and then promises us in those very sacred and crucial verses’ to those of us who live in full accordance with them.
In years now long past, my visits with various doctors were very frequent and very crucial! Now I just have an annual check up,one of which I just had two days ago. At that time my and Jane’s step mother’s present family doctor actually had no medical issues to discuss with me other than to urge me to continue making sure my six day a week exercising is something I keep doing and doing well! He actually doesn’t very often bring up the subject of what I eat! However, he knows I eat in accordance with a whole food plant based diet!
There actually were no medical issues my good doctor had to cover with me because of my eating and exercising the way I have been doing these past five years since my dear daughter, Jane, personally reminded me how the Lord wants us to eat and because of that I was sufficiently motivated to begin living more fully in accordance with all of Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Just a few weeks ago I reached the age of eighty five. At this year’s medical check up, my and my present dear wife’s (she is not Jane’s dear mother) doctor, didn’t even bring up the subject of how and what I am eating.
Our Dear Lord knows each of us and our health needs much better than do any of our doctors. Even though our doctors are much needed by us! May you continue to enjoy the blessings that come from eating in the way our dear Lord and Savior,Jesus Christ instructs us in Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants! May you also look forward tot those very special blessings the Lord promises us in verses 18 through 21 of that section of the Doctrine and Covenants! Please pay particular attention to verse twenty-one.
Sara, just by looking at your photo I can see peace, joy and clarity. Thank you for sharing this amazing story of faith and perseverance. I was also interested to see that you gradually moved toward WFPB eating. I think I will share with others the every other day approach so that their attempts will not seem to overwhelm them. May you have continued improvement and success.
Hi Sara, I’m from Redlands too!! However, I moved to St. George in 1983. I went to Redlands High School until the end of my senior year. I still have family there and come to Redlands on occasion. I love being in St. George but Redlands will always be my home.
I love your story. Thanks so much for sharing!
I believe this too, Sara. Small world that we grew up in the same ward. Does your mom practice this as well?
I don’t wear deodorant either. Cool story and bio! My husband has been in the Army Reserve since 2003. I have many of the same interests that you listed.
I don’t wear deodorant any more either. Your story is inspiring. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thank you so much for your story.
I have been WFPB for about seven years. I love hearing the success others are having with this diet.
Very beautiful story, Sara. Like you, now after nearly 3 years having stayed away from meat of all kinds, I no longer need deodorants. I thought that it was just something unique to me, so I made no fuss about it. However, now that you and a couple others have also mentioned being deodorant free, I thought it would be a positive point to mention more openly and publicly as a side effect of not eating meat. One of our skin’s functions is to eliminate waste. So, if if we no longer have a need to eliminate negative toxins through our skin, then, obviously, that’s another *health* point to go DWFPB.
Hi Sara: Great story, thank you for writing and posting here. I only have a few minutes before an appointment, and wanted to post for those who might be interested an article I read yesterday (actually for the second time, the first was a month or so ago), that I came across while looking for research for one of my classes:
http://www.historytoday.com/erica-fudge/you-are-what-you-eat
Great Sabbath to all
Renée Berry
Nanny Renée