My Story
Indeed, our health is our greatest wealth. Whether we are trying to heal disease or trying to prevent it, we all want to live a healthy and happy life.
I believe that, deep down, I always had a strong feeling about our body's natural ability to heal, but I could never really explain it. For years, I was "on the fence", I was skeptical and questioned anything that had to do with both conventional and alternative methods of healing. Then, something happened. In the Winter of 2010, one of my daughters got very ill with gastrointestinal issues, later determined to be crohn's disease. At the time, she was prescribed a number of medications which seemed to create a roller-coaster effect, with no end in sight. After months and months of seeing her suffer with severe pain, we were told that the next step would be more "aggressive" medications. As I was not yet willing to take that route, we decided to explore natural medicine a bit further. We seeked the help of a respected clinical nutritionist, based in New York, and with his guidance and support, we adopted a nutritional protocol into her life. Within a few short weeks, she started getting better and her improved symptoms slowly became more consistent. We were overjoyed, but what astounded me most was how simple, everyday foods could have such a significant impact on her improvement. I had suddenly realized that, in hindsight, I didn't have to go very far - the starting point to her healing was right here, in my own kitchen.
Needless to say, this positive change and the work of this remarkable nutritionist inspired the journey which was to follow.
I knew that I had to somehow 'pay it forward' and help others too. But before doing that, I needed to learn more, and get equipped with all the knowledge I could possibly gather. And so I decided to take time off from a full-time career and went on to complete an intensive program at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. The strong education and training empowered me with a wealth of information on natural nutrition, holistic modalities and their evidence-based healing properties.
Years later, and I continue to learn. What I have determined for sure is that our brilliant body was designed to heal and when provided with the right nutrients, it will thrive. What I also know is that food alone cannot always compensate for high levels of stress or poor lifestyle choices. A negative mindset, for example, will have an enormous impact over our physical well-being. Through the years, both from personal experience and interaction with my clients, it has become quite clear to me that while an individual is having problems coping with chronic stress, no amount of fresh organic vegetables will bring him/her back to good health.
And so, today, I feel blessed to be able to provide my clients with the understanding and use of proper nutrition combined with appropriate lifestyle changes and stress-reducing techniques as a means to address health concerns and even, heal disease. I do believe that we all deserve to live a life of bliss and I know that, with desire, patience and perseverance, we all have the potential to make it happen.
Yours in health,
Leora
Leora Barak, BA, RHN is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist practicing in the city of Vaughan, Ontario. She fully acknowledges that each person is biochemically distinct with unique nutritional and lifestyle needs and, as such, her integrative approach to health focuses on complementary and customized Nutritional Therapy combined with sustainable lifestyle changes.
Leora has a special interest in sustainable weight loss, chronic disease, healthy aging and longevity. She has proudly developed the IBD Program, a Program which has been successful in bringing active Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and other inflammatory disorders, into clinical remission. She wholeheartedly believes that nutrition is the strongest weapon we have and the first line of defense against chronic disease.
FEATURES, MEMBERSHIPS & ACCREDITATIONS:
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition
Featured as one of Canada's Women of Influence. She was acknowledged for her efforts and impact on the growing field of holistic nutrition. Her inspirational story can be found here.
CAHN-Pro (Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals)
CSNN's Alumni Association
Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition
NIBDinKids (Foundation for Nutrition & Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Children)
BREATHE™ Certified Coach under the guidance of Dr. Belisa Vranich
