I had the pleasure of meeting Elissa Goodman at a recent wellness event I attended and knew I had to interview her from the moment I met her. She is a holistic nutritionist and lifestyle cleanse expert and has an incredible story to share. Enjoy ♥
1. Were you interested in holistic nutrition before you became diagnosed with cancer?
My interest was piqued from visiting the Rancho La Puerta health ranch with my mom in my teen years (she was asthmatic and these yearly visits transformed her life). In the 70’s, my mom took sugar out of the house and she was a bit ahead of her time. Although, I hated it, these things certainly stuck with me. You don’t want to have to think about those things, but ultimately they come back to you when you need it and that’s really what it was for me. This foundation was laid in my youth and came back into my life when I was ready to receive it.
2. Once you received your diagnosis, what steps did you take to explore holistic alternatives that you thought might help you?
My diagnosis really changed the course of my life. Up until that point, I was living a fast-paced life, existing on takeout, sushi, and stress was the daily norm. It didn’t take a lot of time after I was diagnosed with cancer to get into juicing, plant-based diet, therapy, yoga, colonics, and acupuncture. These felt more natural and healing then chemo and radiation (I opted out of chemo and did a shorter version of radiation). I went full speed ahead with these practices and continue to do so to this day. I was lucky to have a fresh juice shop in my area which is still is there today. I started drinking straight carrot juice and in time, gradually expanded to adding greens and other nutrients to my juices. I loved how I felt after yoga and getting into therapy for the first time in my life was a hard process, but really changed my life.
3. What was your biggest takeaway after beating cancer?
You can heal anything. Cancer was a tap on my shoulder telling me that the way I was living wasn’t working. If you provide the right environment, the body CAN heal and wants to heal. I became a seeker of knowledge and still commit myself to getting to the root cause of any health issue so I help others to do so the same.
4. What do you eat in a typical day now?
I start my day with a Bulletproof Matcha or Coffee (depending on the day and the amount of caffeine I want!), next is a green juice (with no fruit) and flax seeds. Lunch is typically a raw salad with leafy greens lots of veggies, seeds and a vegan protein. I like to eat dinner with my family and have something warm and seasonal with either another vegan protein (tempeh is a big hit in my house), lots of green veggies, and a gluten free whole grain or 5 oz. piece of wild salmon. I stick to the rule of adding fats, greens, lean proteins, and complex carbs to make a complete dinner.
5. What is your favorite wellness trend right now?
Mindfulness. We’re all moving a million miles an hour. I’m continuously reminded how much I need to slow down and I think we all need to be a little more mindful. It shouldn’t be a trend, it should be a timeless habit, but I’m happy to see a focus on it!
6. What podcast or book are you loving lately?
I like Mind Body Green’s Podcast, That’s So Retrograde, and Lewis Howes’ “The School of Greatness”. I go through phases of reading, looking forward to The Medical Medium’s next book release on Thyroid Disease and just finished Dr. Aviva Romm’s book on Thyroid Health and it was fascinating!
7. What is your favorite mantra right now and why?
Everything happens for a reason.
8. Do you have any morning rituals you consistently stick to?
I wake up and drink 16 ounces of water religiously (I keep it by my bedside to make it really easy to do so). I like to read my friend, Ryan Weiss’s “Waking Up with Ryan” emails to set my intention for the day.
9. How can people work with you to cleanse their own bodies and lives?
I want information on to be accessible to everyone, if you can’t come in and see me in-person for a session or don’t live in Los Angeles and can’t participate in my cleanse program, I post endless healthy recipes on my website www.elissagoodman.com as well as all the latest wellness topics. I also use my Instagram as a platform to share all my favorite products, recipes, health tips, supplement recommendations. You can also find my show The Elissa Goodman Show on YouTube, this is where I interview “wellness warriors” about how they’ve healed (lots of great tips for everyone in these interviews!).
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You can follow along on Elissa’s journey on Instagram at @elissagoodman and visit her website at http://www.elissagoodman.com.
This interview is part of Happsters Happy Questions, an ongoing series of interviews that take a peek inside the lives of inspiring women around the world.
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