Our Story

B E T H A N Y ‘ S    J O U R N E Y

My health journey began in 2014.  I was an active 23-year-old new mom, healthy, and able to run 6 miles a day when suddenly I became disabled.  My husband had to become my full-time caretaker.  I was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions, suffering permanent damage in the first year of my illness.  To make a long story short, I found the article, Diet: Only Hope for Arthritis, by Dr. John McDougall, which changed my life.  I underwent water fasting and the Rice Diet which enabled me to walk again.  I regained most of my functioning.  I still needed my husband’s assistance to perform some daily tasks, but the improvements were remarkable and I felt like the happiest person on earth.  As a bonus side effect, in just 4 months I lost the 90 pounds I had put on during pregnancy. 

After following the Rice Diet exclusively for many years, my health took a turn when I stopped following the diet. To explain everything would fill a book so I’ll share just a few details here.  Firstly, as the stresses of life were ever compounding, I decided I would have “cheat days”.  This caused my condition to worsen.  I then reacted negatively to some medical treatments.  I developed severe POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia), leaving me unable to stand for the majority of 3 years.  I was put on a high-salt diet for POTS and stopped following the Rice Diet altogether which worsened my arthritis tremendously.  I gained over 130 pounds.  I was prescribed a dozen medications, and although I followed doctors orders, my life was not better it was worse.  I’ve lived with daily migraines, tremors, nausea, joint pain, joint stiffness, fainting spells, and the inability to walk.  For much of 3 years I was unable to go from a lying position to a sitting position.  I would lay flat all day and use a bedside commode or a power-wheelchair to transfer to the bathroom.  

Finally, when all else failed, I went back to the diet that changed my life one decade ago, the Rice Diet.  Knowing this is something I must do for the rest of my life, I searched for a community. Realizing there were no longer any Rice Diet specific programs, I decided to start one of my own.  With my background in business and project management, together with my husband’s marketing skills, we’ve created this website and platform.  What began as a one-month-challenge to involve a few family and friends, our private group has grown to over one thousand members. Together we’re getting healthier and losing weight, one plate at a time! Oh, and my husband decided to try the diet with me and he lost 40 pounds in 50 days!  I reversed hypertension in the first 14 days, lost over 100 pounds, and my overall mobility and health have improved. My life is not perfect. I am just trying to achieve the best quality of life possible.

What’s next?  When possible, I would like to continue giving public presentations. I published the diet protocol in a book titled ‘How To Rice Diet,’ which is available world-wide on Amazon. It is a small size guidebook for beginners! I am working on an annual magazine, a passion project offering inspiration and team building through full color recipes, articles related to healthy living, plus our group member tips and transformations. But the most rewarding part of my journey is hearing from you. Sometimes all you need is to know that you are not alone.  Diet won’t cure everything, but, the number one way we can influence our physical health is with the foods we eat. Medicines may make you a little less sick if you’re lucky, but only you can change your life. If you haven’t yet started your journey towards healthy eating, let’s take the first step together!

T H A N K    Y O U

Sincerely,

Bethany Russell