5/29/2017
I am a wife and mother of two grown up kids. In January, 2012 I was diagnosed with S.L.E. (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus). My hip and shoulder joints were so inflamed that I had troubles walking and could not lift up my arms. I had been very active all of my life; my favorite activity had been hot yoga at least 3 times a week. I was seriously shocked that this could happen to me! I decided to put off taking medication and to try and heal myself through diet. I was a strict vegan for 8 months, which failed to make any improvements in my health and did not provide any relief. At this point I decided to start on prescription anti-inflammatory medication to get some pain relief and mobility back in my life. I was 45 years old and felt like I was 100. To say that I had hit bottom was an understatement.
I floundered like this for two years, slowly increasing my meds to the maximum allowable dosage, and trying out different types of expensive physiotherapies, chiropractors and massages. I just wanted relief! One of my doctors did a blood test and found that I was gluten-intolerant to the point where I was borderline celiac. The only advice I was given was to “just eat gluten-free”.
This launched another round of online research which lead me to the Paleo diet. I was very interested in this because it was about as far in the opposite direction of what I had been doing diet-wise, and I was desperate. But the auto-immune version of paleo is a complicated diet and hard to implement. So, I joined an online support group and that is where I found Kelly Garner. I can honestly say, without exaggeration, that at that point my life changed.
Autoimmune issues are complex and I was pretty fearful. Kelly set my mind at ease. She assured me that I didn’t have to go off the drugs right away; she felt the right time would present itself once a certain amount of healing had been accomplished. With Kelly’s help I was able to understand the many Paleo diets out there, such as Whole30, AIP, Wahl’s Protocol, and Keto, and to see which of these diets (with her specific modifications) would suit me. She is an expert in all of them and more. She has gone through her own personal experience with healing autoimmune disease, as well as achieving the successful remission of many of her clients’ diverse auto-immune diseases as well. She took the guess work out of all of it, analyzed my medical history, blood test results, food intolerances, lifestyle, and took into account my own preferences, and specifically tailored an eating protocol to fit my needs -right down to the micronutrients. I could not have been in more capable hands.
Kelly understands the pressures of a busy life, whether it’s with a family or career, she knows how to navigate the pitfalls of living a full, social life. She does her best to mitigate any potentially awkward circumstances by calling restaurants ahead of time and speaking to their chefs on your behalf. No more uncomfortable conversations with waiters in front of the people you’re are dining out with! And when I failed to adhere to her advice, she was kind and understanding – no judgement! We’d just get right back on track and keep going!
I’ve been to some of the best (and most expensive) medical clinics that Los Angeles has to offer and I’ve done a ton of research. I have never come across anyone who gave as much time and cared as much as Kelly. She will listen to you, educate you, and heal you. In today’s busy world, who is able to provide that kind of personalized care?
I can’t recommend The Holistic Plate and Kelly Garner’s services enough. I have been in full remission, pain free, and off all prescription medications since 2015. I got my life back! And I have Kelly to thank for it.
Naomi Johnston
Los Angeles, CA
6/24/2017
When I turned 50 in 2014 I decided that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had been a runner for many years and tried to keep going despite pain and lack of energy. I finally gave it up. That was the final blow. I then began a personal quest to find answers to my many and varied health issues. At the time I had no official diagnosis for what I struggled with but knew my constant physical exhaustion, increasing chemical sensitivities and environmental allergies, digestive issues, insomnia, weight gain, and joint pain and swelling were not normal. I sought out traditional doctors who only wanted to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs. I knew that wasn’t what I wanted so I began the process of trying to figure out on my own what was wrong with me. I began a Paleo diet that did help me feel a bit better for awhile, but did not come close to healing all that ailed me. I also began seeing another holistic practitioner and chiropractor who, along with almost weekly adjustments, prescribed many, many supplements that were “guaranteed” to heal me. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. In fact, my symptoms worsened and others were added. I was desperate for answers.
When I met Kelly Garner in 2015 I was immediately drawn to her. On top of being a kind and sensitive person she was a wealth of knowledge and always made time to answer my questions and offer advice as I seemed ready for it. I grew to trust her and as it became abundantly clear that what I was doing on my own wasn’t sufficient, I asked if she’d be willing to take me on as a client in the spring of 2016. That is when my life literally began to change.
Kelly recommended some very specific blood work and other tests to help determine the root causes of my problems. She also reviewed the very long list of supplements that had been prescribed for me and went so far as to research the individual ingredients in each one. After doing this she advised me to wean off of them slowly as she suspected they might be adding to my problems rather than helping to solve them. I chose not to heed her “slowly” advice and stopped all of the supplements cold turkey. Wow! What a revelation that brought. Even though the supplements were “whole food” and “natural,” I went through an awful detoxification process that showed just how hard my body had been working to metabolize all that I was putting in it. Kelly stuck with me and prescribed a diet that would help me through the detox process and would give my system a chance to rest as we waited for my test results.
When my results came in, Kelly worked closely with my naturopathic doctor in interpreting them and determining which three or four supplements were most necessary to support the issues that could not be healed with food alone. Kelly then eased me into a diet that was tailor made for me, and even had me begin testing my glucose so we would have quantitative evidence of how the diet was working for my body. Because I felt like I needed the extra support for the first few months, Kelly sent me easy to follow weekly menus that included recipes and nutritional information. When I was going to be out-of-town for a few days she went so far as to research several restaurants in the city I was visiting and called each one to talk to the chef about my dietary restrictions and find menu items that would be good for me. I was blown away by this level of care and my trip was much more enjoyable as a result of it.
Within a very short period of time I began to lose weight, my skin and allergy issues began to ease, and the digestive problems I’d struggled with for years began to disappear. At about the four month mark I began to sleep well for the first time in over 10 years! To say I was blown away by my results is an understatement. Throughout the process, Kelly monitored me closely through weekly phone consultations and also through food and glucose logs I was keeping. As I began to be more comfortable with my new way of eating, Kelly slowly turned more and more of the maintenance and meal planning over to me, but remained available when I had questions and concerns. It has now been a little over a year since I began formally working with Kelly and I am eternally grateful for what she has done to help me get my life back. And speaking of getting my life back, so far this year I have run two half marathons! I will be forever grateful to Kelly for the vital roll she played in my healing. Thank you, Kelly!
Kei Laliberte
Poway, California