Anne from Geneva, Switzerland
2020
There are so many wonderful things to say about the 8 Week NOSH ROCKS Challenge that I truly don’t know where to begin!
Several years ago, after dealing with a stressful international divorce, financial difficulties, and raising my son alone in Europe, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto disease. My immune system was compromised and for many years I experienced pain throughout my body due to inflammation. I finally went to see a rheumatoid arthritis specialist about six months ago, because I wanted to get to the root of the problem, versus just taking ibuprofen to get through each day. Despite multiple tests and a trial run on medication, nothing helped. The doctor couldn’t figure out what was causing the painful inflammation… And then I met Rowana Statham.
We both attended a social gathering a few months ago and after chatting a bit, she mentioned this amazing 8 week course she’d been working on, which was about to begin the following week.
I was intrigued because I had been dealing with the above-mentioned challenges and was looking to make positive changes to improve my well-being and lose some weight. I had always eaten healthy nutritious foods, but wasn’t buying organic or bio products. I mainly ate fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. I had issues with gluten, so slowly cut back on that over the years. But I did notice I was drinking alcohol on a daily basis. Not too much, but a couple of glasses of red wine in the evening. So I decided to attend her course and see what I could learn. After all, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain if her plan could help me.
And now, after completing the 8 Week challenge, all I can say is “WOW!” What a life-changing experience. I feel like the universe aligned my path to meet Rowana for a reason. I started the course with an open mind and limited knowledge of what I was getting myself into. And the results went way beyond my expectations. We all met up at Ro’s lovely Flex Office location in Vernier once a week from 7pm – 9pm. I loved that each session started with a friendly apèro, consisting of delicious, organic, whole foods and innovative recipes that left us all in disbelief that such yummy, seemingly fattening treats could actually be “good” for us.
The modern open kitchen space allowed us to partake in an interactive demo, making nutrient rich foods using resistant starch, good fats and numerous products that tasted wonderful. Then we’d go into one of the lounge rooms to discuss what we ate, how we were doing, and to learn each week’s lesson via slide presentation, followed by an informative video relating to each week’s topic. The course outline and food guide were quite clear and easy to follow. I learned so much! Especially what a vital role controlling insulin plays on our overall health.
By week 5, I had made an amazing discovery, which I shared with the group after our apèro. I was now completely pain free!!! I couldn’t believe it! No more popping Advils every morning to get through the day. The bizarre inflammation had simply stopped. And it hasn’t returned. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am! It reminded me of a profound quote I had heard years ago when interviewing an Asian doctor from the American Heart Association. She told me, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And the NOSH ROCKS Challenge has genuinely proven that to be true.
Regarding weight loss, I only lost a couple of kilos so far… but now that I’m pain free, I intend to continue with my new way of eating and incorporate more activity into my lifestyle. So I have no doubt that I am on the road to achieving my desired weight and body shape. And I can’t thank Rowana enough for helping me find the right path to get there!