Today we’d like to introduce you to James & Dahlia Marin.
Hi James & Dahlia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The story begins as sick and very unhealthy teenagers, we were on a trajectory for lifelong chronic disease. In one day, I (Dahlia) was diagnosed with pre-diabetes, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, PCOS, and was very much overweight. I was given three prescription medications and told I would have to take these for the rest of my life. At this time, I was 17 years old. This scenario is becoming more and more common and it is a guarantee you know someone with a similar story.
At the same time, I (James) was on a low-carb diet and eating tons of animal products in an effort to be “healthy”; suffering with asthma, constantly getting colds, the flu and any virus that came my way. Despite our efforts, we were not healthy and not feeling good. This unhealthy lifestyle was set in motion well before we ever became aware of the situation. We both grew up on a very refined sugar laden and animal product heavy diet, which little did we know was setting us up for these surprises later in life. Over time we both realized through different books, research, frustration and experience that conventional wisdom was not the only way.
We met early on while we were both on our journey trying to understand how to truly be healthy as both of us decided to study Food and Nutrition with an emphasis in Dietetics at Cal Poly Pomona. It was the one year that we had three classes together where we met, became friends and then became more. We realized we were better together than separate, and our healing journey amplified that much more as we became each other’s support. Fast forward: we’re both working for non-profits, fighting for genetically modified food labeling, becoming 100% plant-based, finishing college, getting accepted into an extremely competitive dietetic internship, getting married, working professionally in various capacities, having a 100% plant-based pregnancy, to now being partners in our own practice doing what we were called to do (this was a big fast forward). Frustrations along the way with our own health, the lack of knowledge from other health professionals, the red tape and reductionist mentalities from employers have led us to design a practice and approach that does its best to look at each patient as an individual and use the most holistic healing modalities they have at their disposal.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When you are part of a small group of people trying to do something that is extremely different from what others are doing, you are bound to get pushback, this was no exception for us. In our undergrad education, we were some of the only Vegans in the entire department, during our internships we were the only Vegans as well, and even in professional settings it was the same story. Our take on health needing to be an integrative approach focused on prevention was not something shared by everyone in our profession. Obstacles in life can be seen as something bad, but we took these opportunities to grow, share knowledge as to why we made this lifestyle choice, and facilitate meaningful dialogue whenever given the opportunity.
Our approach with patients is to take struggles and turn them into wonderful opportunities to grow and strengthen in the goals patients set. For example, a common question, and one of our specialties is helping patients incorporate and tolerate more plant foods. Many of our patients can have a variety of starting points when it comes to lifestyle and diet, but the overall goal is to get the digestive system thriving and for root causes to be unearthed, so symptoms can be eliminated. This can be done by including more plant diversity. Our approach involves a mix of homemade recipes, whole ingredient products like the yellow pea offerings at ZENB, as well as leftovers from eating out at healthy establishments. Luckily, there are many more ways in 2022 to incorporate nutrient rich, plant-based options than in 2010 when we started the plant-based journey. As members of the Plant Council at ZENB, a plant-based food brand that uses whole veggies and fruits in all of its products, we have more opportunities to continue to identify ways to make the plant-based journey easier for anyone.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The team at Married to Health specializes in setting the record straight when it comes to eating plants, eating more fiber, and having chronic disease symptoms resolved. Patients are constantly blown away when they are able to eat more beans, peas, lentils, etc., while decreasing their GI issues, specifically by utilizing the first-ever 100% plant-based approach to SIBO and IBS. We have been fortunate enough to guide hundreds of individuals to healing their gut and re-incorporating many plant-foods into their diet. Although we are solely plant-based, we consult those with all different types of diets and encourage a plant-forward approach!
Married to Health also prides itself on collaborating with the very best and innovative community partners, including food companies like ZENB, which is leveraging our gut health expertise as members of their Plant Council to educate and inspire the public about the power of plants. Using more of the whole plant, ZENB makes it easy to get delicious plant-based products that impact our bodies and the plant, delivered right to your door. We also partner with educational organizations like the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, which collaborates with eCornell to produce the best plant-based nutrition certificate in the country.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My (James) favorite childhood memories come from being a Boy Scout. Community, nature, camping, campfires, hiking, learning new skills, helping the environment, and much more set the stage for me to continue these passions later on in life. I still see what I do today through Married to Health as ensuring that our daughter has the opportunity to experience these things for generations to come, as gut health is the nexus of all global health, and without consciousness in what we consume on a daily basis we will not have the natural beauty that surrounds us.
Pricing:
- A 75-minute initial consultation with any one of our Registered Dietitians is just $175, and a 60-minute follow up appointment is $150. The best part about Married to Health is that they do not follow strict packages that cost a small fortune up front and they do accept select PPO insurance plans. All of the Registered Dietitians at Married to Health use the initial visit to truly tailor an individualized plan that could range anywhere from weekly visits or a check in once every 3 months, they do what is best for the care of their patients mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially.
- For their patients with SIBO and/or IBS or those patients just looking for extra support, Married to Health also has a “Good Gut Membership” for $9.99/mo which offers some amazing perks for support and guided care through your journey: -Private Facebook Group Access -Unlimited Portal Messaging -Discounts on Married to Health Products and Events -Access to Dietary Nutrient Analysis Software
- James and Dahlia also released their brand new “Good Gut A-Z” e-guide! The #GoodGut A-Z e-guide is a digital resource filled with carefully curated gut-focused recipes, tips, and benefits of over 100 plant-based foods and can be purchased on their website www.MarriedtoHealth.com for $24.99!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@marriedtohealth.
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Image Credits
James & Dahlia Marin
