A Mother-Daughter
Makeover Story
Our Redo YOU! ‘09 Contest winners are a
busy family of four whose transformation
may inspire you and your family to make
healthy changes in 2009.
Meet the Olivera family—mother Susie,
father Jorge, and daughters Kendall, 15, and Jordan, 9.
This Phoenix-based family has made a name for themselves in the world of dog shows. In fact, they boast more
national “best in show” awards than any other family in
the business. But the grueling life of dog handlers was
starting to take a toll on the family’s health and nutrition.
Recently, Susie realized her daughters were gaining
weight and developing a skewed perception of food and
body image. Having secretly battled an eating disorder all
of her life, Susie became frightened that her daughters
would share the same fate. On top of that, Kendall was
diagnosed with ADHD. Susie wanted to find a more
By the Editors of Better Nutrition
BETTER NUTRITION
natural solution to conventional prescription medication.
Photographs by Ric Peterson
“Before” photos of Jordan and Susie
JAN 2009
33
Living to Eat, not Eating to Live
“ For most of my life,
food controlled me,” says Susie, who
used to wake up every day feeling
hungover from the previous day’s binge.
“I’d promise myself that today I
wouldn’t devour junk foods, but the
food always won in the end. I would
often drive quickly to get my secret fix
and eat it in the car alone.” The compulsion was overwhelming and shameful
for Susie, who would have occasional
breaks in the bingeing cycle, only to do
crazy starvation schemes. “I lost weight
very rapidly following a 500-calorie-perday diet that involved injections of a
fertility drug, but I also started losing
handfuls of hair.” Susie knew the diet
was ridiculous, but she felt desperate.
When Susie came across Kat James’s
The Truth About Beauty at an airport, she
could immediately tell the diet it
described wasn’t a self-destructive one.
“My one fear was that I would not lose
weight fast enough,” she says. Susie
dabbled with the nutritional plan
outlined in James’s book, but never
fully committed to the program for one
reason or another. When she learned
about James’s retreat near Asheville,
N.C., however, she decided to attend
with her two daughters and really
commit to a new lifestyle.
Raising Healthy Girls
Editor’s note: A full description of Kat
James’s eating plan, including recipes,
specific product suggestions, and daily meal
plans, can be found in her book, The Truth
About Beauty.
to do something more about the
family’s health. What was missing was
the opportunity, she says. But then a
terrible fall forced Susie to take time
out. During her recovery, Susie realized
she could use her time off work to
attend James’s program with her
daughters. “I wanted them to hear
James’s story, which began when she
was a young girl. I also wanted to
change my daughters’ notion that
health foods only taste like cardboard.”
The Makeover Begins
One of the first things Susie wanted to
do was get her girls off sodas. “When
James made a delicious sugar-free root
beer using natural ingredients, such as
stevia, Jordan took a taste and
exclaimed, ‘I can do this!’ I thought to
myself, ‘so can I, ’ ” Susie says.
Kendall—who was always ravenous,
particularly on the Adderall, craved
bread and chips at first, until James
came to the rescue with homemade
cheese crackers and breads made from
coconut flour. “By the time the ice
cream, volcano cake, candied nuts, and
much more (all surprisingly sugar free)
had been served, the girls were sold,”
Making Changes at Home
After another week back home, Jordan
and Susie’s cravings were still completely gone. “My weight was melting
off,” says Susie, who lost about 10
pounds in two weeks. Susie also noticed
that Jordan was eating much less food,
or “little-girl-size plates,” as she calls it.
Susie immediately purchased the
nutritional supplements that she had
learned about at the retreat, including
omega-3 fish oils, blood sugar–control
nutrients, an antianxiety formula, and a
neurotransmitter support product. New
oils, organic spices, nut flours, and
other staples completed the Olivera’s
kitchen transformation.
Susie admits that the initial expense
was substantial. But after she and
Jordan started eating less and cooking
more, she knew that the investment was
more than worth it. “What thrilled me
Saving Their Skin
“I have always struggled with acne, even
at age 42,” says Susie, who thought acne
control came down to oil control. Daily
applications of drying treatments left
her skin more wrinkled. After only a
few days on James’s program, Susie
could actually see her skin tone
improve and facial swelling lessen. Even
more amazing, she has not had a
breakout since. “I’ve tried tetracycline,
Accutane, microdermabrasion, and so
on, but nothing has helped my skin
more than changing my food,” she says.
Susie now cleans her skin with
nonfoaming products. One of her
favorites is Cleanse & Balance Organic
Cleansing Milk from Sunshine Botanicals. “I also love Make Up Fluid
foundation from Lavera and MyChelle
Dermaceuticals Lip Plumping Treatment, which worked as well as more
expensive synthetic brands,” says Susie.
Kendall also reported a huge
improvement in her skin. She used to
come home from school with pimples
that surfaced during the day and say,
“Yuck, that was showing on my face all
day?” Today, these breakouts are mostly
a thing of the past.
Calming ADHD Naturally
Susie believes that Kendall didn’t stray
from the plan, even at school. But
inexplicably, Kendall’s cravings
remained. Because Kat had mentioned
that it is unusual for cravings to remain
once you eliminate things that spike
blood sugar and are eating lots of good
fat, fiber, and nutrients, Susie felt
Kendall’s continued cravings might be
related to Adderall.
35
JAN 2009
JAN 2009
34
When asked if she could communicate one
thing to parents everywhere, Susie replies:
“If you have the chance to free yourself and
your kids of food and sugar addiction, your
lives will be forever radically changed for the
better.” She believes it is the best gift she
could have ever given her daughters. “The
principles James taught me have spared my
children and me—and maybe even my future
grandchildren,” says Susie.
says Susie, who was pleased that her
daughters were able to help make many
of the dishes.
Susie, Kendall, and Jordan were
introduced not just to more healthful
foods, but also to nontoxic personal
care products. “Our room at James’s
retreat was stocked with pure olive oil
soap by Kiss My Face, shave and sun
products by Aubrey Organics, shampoos by Giovanni—which I fell in love
with and still use today—Redmond clay
and seaweed bath powders, and
essential oil–based toothpaste by Young
Living Essential Oils, to name a few,”
says Susie.
By about day three of the program,
both Susie and Jordan reported no
cravings for sweets or unhealthful carbs.
“Most of us were no longer having the
afternoon energy slumps. Many people
attending the program expected to gain
weight because there was so much food.
But all of us were excited that our
clothes felt looser by the end of the
retreat,” says Susie.
Redo You! coach Kat James, shown
below with the family, helped address
the following health goals:
• Ease anxiety and increase energy.
• Find a natural solution to ADHD.
• Learn to eat more healthfully at home
and when traveling.
• Overcome food obsession
and addiction to sugar
and unhealthful carbs.
• Treat acne and
improve skin tone
• Lose weight
BETTER NUTRITION
BETTER NUTRITION
Last year, Susie noticed that her
daughters had become junk food
junkies and their health had started to
suffer. According to Susie, their diets
were about 90 percent carbohydrates.
Kendall always had a weight problem.
Up until a year ago, Jordan could eat
anything without gaining weight. “I
have been careful not to focus on the
girls’ weight, but their binges and sugar
crashes were looking too much like the
pattern that enslaved me for most of my
life,” says Susie.
When Kendall was put on Adderall
for ADHD, Susie felt a sense of urgency
Advice for Parents
Everywhere
most was that Kendall stopped eating
junk food altogether,” says Susie.
Today, Susie has continued to adjust
her and her daughters’ supplement
regimen. She’s continually learning
more about natural products through
James’s follow-up teleseminars and from
a naturopath. Recently, Susie’s naturopath put her on a low dose of natural
thyroid replacement, as well as progesterone cream for hormonal balance.
Natural Mood
and Brain Boosters
Kat James recommended the
following supplements for Kendall.
Most of the following nutrients can
help teens and adults alike.
• L-Theanine: a calming amino acid
• Multivitamin/mineral: for
well-rounded nourishment
• Probiotics: to improve
digestion and bloating
• Fish oil, especially DHA:
a proven mood stabilizer
• N-acetyl-cysteine: for liver
support in the aftermath of
prescription drug use
• Phase 2: to reduce blood sugar
spikes, in case weaning off
Adderall increases appetite
• 5-HTP: to raise serotonin
levels naturally
Editor’s note: Two specific
products that have helped Kendall
are New Chapter Neurozyme
w/Gotu Kola, which is an
advanced brain-supportive
complex, and LevelRight, from
NuNaturals, which has helped
support blood sugar balance.
BETTER NUTRITION
Susie decided to ask
their doctor for support in
weaning Kendall off the
medication. Susie had heard that
getting off Adderall would be rough,
and that Kendall might even gain
weight. Nevertheless, Kendall began
decreasing dosages during the following school holiday with success. She is
now off of Adderall, and her moods
and behavior are gradually improving.
[Editor’s note: weaning off Adderall can
be very difficult and shouldn’t be
attempted without medical supervision.] Susie says that Kendall sometimes feels “scattered.” But that is
unfortunately part of a necessary
withdrawal process that Susie believes
would likely have been much worse—
or impossible—had she tried to wean
off of the drug years from now. Kendall
has also lost five pounds and a lot of
inflammation, and her hair also seems
to have stopped thinning. “I am
convinced that Kendall being able to
JAN 2009
36
wean off Adderall relatively
smoothly could never have
happened without the
complete elimination of
sugar and starch, and the
dramatic increase in
nourishing fats (literally
brain food) and nutrients,” says Susie, who
recently reported that
Kendall now has
consistent energy and
is no longer
hyperactive.
“The other day
Kendall was changing
out of a pair of jeans
she’d put on for school,”
says Susie. “When I asked
why she was changing
them, she said they were way
too big!”
No More Junk
Food for Jordan
Jordan is no longer a slave to
sugar highs and lows. She
makes her own “tapioca
pudding” from James’s recipe
with Salba. Additionally, she
has lost almost 15 pounds.
Susie’s Success
Susie is also a big winner in the
weight-loss arena. She has lost 20
pounds, and says she wakes up early
and refreshed, free of the ball-andchain, hungover feeling. “The biochemical change James talks about
when you get off sugar and start
getting enough good fat is profound,
and has happened fully in each of us,”
says Susie. “It is very calming and
energizing at the same time. When
there’s no more need for portion
control or willpower, it is no longer a
‘diet’—you are no longer whiteknuckling it.” As a bonus, Susie says
that her skin is the best it’s been in her
adult life, and that the areas on her
scalp with thinning hair she’d had
prior to the program (as a result of
starvation diets) have all but disappeared. She is also finding relief from
lifelong anxiety with the help of
nutritional supplements, including
L-theanine.
A New Lifestyle
Susie and her daughters stay connected
to James’s program through online
teleseminars, where they exchange
school lunch ideas. Recipes from James’s
program, such as Portobello Mushroom
Pizzas, Thai Chicken Stir-fry, Turkey
Fennel Sauce over Shirataki Noodles,
and Chiles Rellenos are favorites in the
Olivera household. The girls also love to
make their own recipe of chocolate cups
at home. They melt xylitol-sweetened
chocolate, mix in nuts, pour into mini
muffin cups, and refrigerate until set.
Having healthful food on hand for
travel has been a big part of the Olivera’s
success. The refrigerator in their show
truck is stocked with Greek yogurt, nuts,
goat cheese, nut butters, grainless crackers
(such as Lydia’s Organics), hemp and
Salba seeds, lettuce and other salad
ingredients, hard-boiled eggs, roasted
pumpkin seeds, organic deli meats, and
sugar-free baked goodies.
“My husband is the one who really
notices the differences in me and the
girls when he sees us,” says Susie.
“He is very happy about the changes
in the girls’ health and behavior. When
he saw me only a few weeks after Kat’s
program, he said, ‘Wife, you’re looking
good!’ I know he is even happier that I
feel good.” F
Kat James is the author of
the completely updated The
Truth About Beauty. She
transformed her own body and
skin after a 12-year eating
disorder and liver disorder nearly took her life.
A powerful motivator with a passion for creative
strategies that deliver tangible and sustainable
results, James has been featured on the Today show,
MSNBC, PBS, and in numerous national magazines.
She regularly lectures and conducts workshops on
healthful lifestyles.
To learn more about The Truth About Beauty, James’s
Spring Break Total Transformation Mountain Program,
and her current winter 2009 teleseminar, visit
informedbeauty.com or call 877-54-TOTAL.
Redo YOU! at Home
Kick off the New Year with your own version of a natural makeover. To help, we’ve put together
the following chart of natural products, all from our Redo YOU! sponsors. We’ve included suggestions on
how to use and benefit from them. Many of these products have helped the Olivera family optimize their
health and wellness, and we hope they can do the same for you, too.
Blood
Sugar
Balance
Product to Try Notes & Tips
Product to Try
Notes & Tips
Almased Synergy Diet
with soy, milk protein, and
honey
This low-glycemic protein shake is a
tasty blood sugar–balancing breakfast
or lunch option.
Blood Sugar Balance & Weight Loss
Wakunaga Kyo-Dophilus
probiotic
James recommended probiotics to the whole
Olivera family to ease digestive distress,
support immunity, and reduce bloating.
Pomme THIN from
EuroPharma, with apple
extract and apple fiber
Helps tame appetite and promote
blood sugar balance.
Peter Gillham’s Natural
Vitality Liquid Organic
Life Vitamins
These single-serving pouches make it easy
(and tasty!) to get in your daily nutrients;
great for frequent travelers.
Nature’s Answer Slender
Tone with Slimaluma,
yerba maté, green tea,
and other ingredients
Helps control appetite, raise
metabolism, and boost energy.
Maximum Living
MineralRich
Most people don’t get enough minerals in
their diets; shore up your mineral status
with this comprehensive liquid.
Natrol Carb Intercept
with Phase 2
Kat James recommends this for
appetite control, blood sugar balance,
and to help absorb excess starch
from meals.
Carlson Ddrops (2,000 IU)
All you need is one drop (on food or on your
tongue) to get the many benefits of vitamin
D, including stronger immunity and bones.
OxyLife PHENOCANE,
with curcumin and DLPA
Keep in your medicine chest for
all types of pain, inflammation,
and injuries.
Mucos Pharma
Wobenzym N
Helps with pain (including arthritis),
inflammation, immunity, and also digestion
if taken before meals.
NOW Foods Certified
Organic Non-Bitter
Stevia Extract
The Olivera family is using stevia exclusively
to meet their natural sweetener needs; try
in drinks and desserts.
Barlean’s Lemon Zest
Omega Swirl
One of the Oliveras’ favorite tricks is to mix
Barlean’s Lemon Zest with Greek yogurt for
a creamy, dreamy dessert-style treat. Jordan
compares the taste to lemon chiffon pie.
Nordic Naturals
Omega-3.6.9 Junior
Essential fatty acids have played a crucial
role in helping relieve Kendall’s ADHD and
nourish her body.
Nature’s Gate Pomegranate
Sunflower Body Wash
Replace any conventional, drying body
washes with this moisture-rich product,
which smells fantastic.
American Health Ester-C
Keeps your immune system humming
with Citrus Bioflavoall winter long.
noids, a nonacidic form
of vitamin C
Better Immunity, More Energy, Less Anxiety and Stress
BETTER NUTRITION
JAN 2009
38
American BioSciences
ImmPower with AHCC
Offers powerful immune protection for
the entire family, and it can also help
ease stress and anxiety.
North American Herb &
Spice Oreganol
Oregano Oil (liquid)
Great for treating and preventing
bacteria and viruses, and safe for
the whole family.
Natural Factors StressRelax Suntheanine
L-THEANINE
L-theanine has helped ease Kendall’s
ADHD, as well as Susie’s stress,
tension, and anxiety; also great for
emotional overeating.
Heel Neurexan
homeopathic medicine
Anxiety can easily lead to insomnia or
restless sleep; Neurexan is a safe solution
to anxiety and can be given to kids.
Essential Formulas Dr.
Ohhira’s Probiotics
12 PLUS
Original Formula
These tiny capsules are based on a
proprietary fermented culture and are
great for traveling.
Everyday Basics for the Whole Family
Beauty Boost
Natrol Shen Min Hair
Nutrient, Advanced
Women’s Formula
Part of Susie’s makeover included a little
hair therapy; grow healthier hair with this
combination of hair-strengthening nutrients.