About
They say thereʼs a silver lining to every cloud. In my personal journey, my familyʼs battle with disease was the cloud that led me to become a natural medicine practitioner and nutritionist. Within a yearʼs time, my dad died of colon cancer at 52, my nana died of Alzheimerʼs and my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I left a business job to care for them and to discover a career that could positively impact people, the environment, and my own health out of fear that I would become sick one day too.
While my dad was undergoing chemotherapy, I read everything I could in search of a cure. In my dadʼs shakes, I would hide shark cartilage, fish oil and other supplements I read inhibited cancer cell growth. I became a vegetarian, then a vegan and then a macrobiotic eater, all in the hopes of fine- tuning my health as well.
At my momʼs nutrition appointment at the MGH Cancer Center, I presented as the typical fearful patient – someone with hundreds of questions and bags of supplements desperate to reverse disease, yet overwhelmed with inconsistent health advice and studies. Determined not to lose my mom too, I bombarded my momʼs oncology nutritionist with questions. Soy or no soy? Meat or no meat? What supplements are optimal – shark cartilage, essiac tea, antioxidants, herbs…? Whatʼs the best detox? Does sugar feed cancer? The nutritionistʼs only response other than discouraging soy for someone with breast cancer, was that no medical research was available to recommend any supplements or meal plan beyond the standard protocol of a multivitamin and moderate diet of fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Baffled that one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world had no other proactive advice for us, my mom turned to me and said, “you seem to have an interest in natural remedies, do you think you would want to be a nutritionist so you can one day help people like us?” Days later, I started on my search to find real solutions to health problems.
I went to graduate school for nutrition and interned at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Center. Before graduating, I was asked by MGHʼs Director of Outpatient Nutrition to head up the MGH Cancer Center Nutrition Department, the same place where both of my parents had been treated.
Iʼll never forget the feeling touring the Cancer Center. I asked the Director when the waiting room of my dadʼs oncologist had been renovated. It was really bright with tall windows and ceilings. She said nothing in the room had changed. I realized then what had changed was my perspective on cancer. When waiting with my dad to see his oncologist, I was scared to death, so my perspective of the world and that waiting room was small and dismal. Now as a knowledgeable and empowered practitioner with a healthy mom, the room looked very different. My journey came full circle when I accepted the position to run the nutrition program at the MGH Cancer Center with a personal approach of integrating natural solutions with standard care.
Through my education with both Eastern and Western Medicine, the practitioners with whom Iʼve interned, and the patients Iʼve helped reverse disease, I now know that outlook on life makes a big difference in the ability to recover from illness. Iʼve been on both sides of the table. Feeling empowered to determine oneʼs own best solution for the path of cure is a critical part of finding inner peace and that peace is the first step to healing. This website, my private practice and my radio show The Natural Medicine and Nutrition Hour are part of my personal mission to uncover the best natural medicinal approaches from around the world with scientifically validated research to empower all of us to heal and live healthy, happy lives. Hereʼs to finding that silver lining!
Peace,
Suzanne
Meet my Fabulous Intern!
Amy O’Regan is my new intern! She is a 20 year old public health student at Umass Amherst. She lives full time in Amherst and works as a nanny. She has taken the role as Director of Everything to help me with my radio show and blog. Amy has been inspired by her sisters to start her work with food allergens and holistic medicine.
“My two sisters both have severe allergies to a variety of things including gluten, dairy and nuts. Treating their health problems by looking to their food allergies has proved a much safer and more efficient way to heal. I have incorporated my interest in sustainability and nontraditional medicine into my coursework at school. I hope to someday combine my skills in communication and academia with my interest in holistic medicine to help me in my career and everyday life.”
