Phil Kiszie’s Health Journey
I grew up thinking that my family ate fairly healthy. We ate a variety of foods including meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, grains, and fruit. I had no idea of the depths of true healthy eating. This was partly due to my age, lack of education, false health information, and where the research currently was. As a child, I started out as a lean kid who was very active. Due to my poor eating habits, mostly overeating, and a lack of understanding of truly healthy eating, I became overweight at an early age. Going through school as a chubby kid lent itself to me experiencing teasing and feelings of inadequacy.
Once I progressed toward the last 2 years of high school, I decided that I was going to take control of my diet and my fitness. As a life time baseball player, I decided to play football my senior year. While playing football, I hit the weight room hard and started to see my body change. After that season, I got a job at the local gym and worked out all the time. I studied fitness magazines to learn the latest fitness and nutrition combinations, so that I could continue my transformation into the person that I wanted to be. At this stage of my life, I was more motivated by looking good on the outside. I had not begun to understand the intricacies of the human body and how important the aspect of internal health can be.
As I moved on to attend Penn State University, I continued my journey of fitness and nutrition. I had now made a decision that this was the lifestyle I wanted to pursue. I always made time for fitness and proper nutrition regardless of how busy I was with school and recreation. I even decided to major in Kinesiology, the study of human movement and movement forms with an emphasis in medicine. I really enjoyed learning about the human body, exercise, and nutrition. All of my friends and family realized this was very serious to me because I constantly shared my insights on health with them and encouraged them to make changes in their life. Some even thought I was crazy due to my serious mental shift and heavy focus on discipline in the gym and with nutrition. I had created a new me, not only physically but mentally.
I finished my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and decided to attend Chatham college back home in Pittsuburgh, PA. I wanted to further my education by getting my masters and doctorate in Physical Therapy. After graduating from PT school, I decided to do something new and exciting. I moved to Atlanta, GA. I got a job working in an outpatient PT clinic. I enjoyed working with athletes, post-surgical patients, and people who needed assistance with general rehabilitation. As I worked, I continued to study health and fitness.
During this time, I met my wife, Lauren, who was not as into health, fitness, and nutrition as I was. She accepted my madness and adapted to a lifestyle of shopping for specific items, cooking all the time, taking lunch vs buying it, and making time to work out. She took on this journey with me and we both became increasingly healthier than we had ever been. It was awesome to watch one another improve ourselves both physically and mentally as we both felt good and looked good. We started having children and it became even more evident how important a healthy lifestyle was. Our kids were very healthy and it was evident by their lack of MD visits due to sickness.
I continued to study nutrition and fitness while adjusting to the latest data that included consistent modification of our eating and exercise habits. While we were experiencing one of the healthiest periods in our life, I had an allergic reaction that resulted in major skin rashes, dermatitis, and eczema that caused problems for me for several years. I went to several MD’s, Dermatologists, and Allergists, but no one was able to help me solve the mystery. I did find out I had some sensitivities to chemicals/toxins in products we use and to certain foods. This helped, but it didn’t solve the issue, so I dealt with small and moderate breakouts for several years.
Lauren and I were learning all we could about the depths of nutrition and the sources of auto-immune and systemic dysfunction. We learned that many of the issues come from the gut, and a compromised microbiome can be the cause of many of these symptoms that plague people for years with no answer. Also, the information on diet and nutrition varies based on the source. You really have to dig deep to find the truth.
Finally, we learned about functional nutrition and went to see a Chiropractor who practices this type of medicine. We realized that traditional medicine doesn’t address the root causes of these problems, as they have a system-by-system approach. Functional medicine looks at the body as a whole and how all systems interact to create a properly functioning whole body unit. I am now doing much better and on my way to complete healing from internal dysfunction.
This has been a tough journey for me but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I believe that God was preparing me for what He has for me. I have learned so much through this process, and now I am ready to share my knowledge (anecdotal and academic) with anyone who is interested in true life change; health and wellness both inside and out. I believe Live transformed Co is an opportunity for me to apply the knowledge and understanding I have gained over the years to assist others on their health and wellness journey.
