Isabel Hunsinger

I was born on Dec. 26 1959 in Washington DC. Now I don't tell everyone my birthday, however because you have decided to read this, I thought it best that you get to know how I became a doctor.

The decision to become a doctor was planted in my mind when I was 5 years old. My uncle, who was an anaesthesiologist, Dr. Julio Perez, has this amazing way about him. When he would walk into the room his smile, his positive attitude, would light up the room. He would just make you feel happy, and you would start smiling.

It was at 5 years of age that I decided, and said to my mom, "I want to be a doctor like Tio Julito (uncle Julio in spanish)"

At 18 , after graduating from high school I was looking through a Mother Earth Magazine and saw that there was an organic farm in Pennsylvania that needed help. A few weeks later I was working at the Lefevers Organic Farm in Spring Grove Pa. That was an eye opening expierence. Not only did I learn how to grow our own sprouts on the windowsill of the kitchen, but was exposed to mulching, running a health food shop, and organic farming.

Winter came and there was no work at the farm, and I was referred to two ladies that were opening a Health Food Restaurant in York Pa., called The Sproutery. The owners Paula and Cindy were really into fresh vegetable juices and I was the "Juicer girl". We were juicing wheatgrass, carrot, celery, and beetroot, by the glass. It was new, fun, and exciting.

In 1979 I decided It was time to get serious and go to college. After all the exposure to organic farming and eating, I naturally decided to major in Agriculture and become an Organic Farmer. I thought Colorado would be a good place ,so I applied to Colorado State University (CSU), got an interview, and hopped on a bus with my 3 liter bottle of organic apple juice and fasted the whole way (3 days to be exact) until I was deposited in the Fort Collins, Colorado, bus depot.

The acceptance letter came in the mail and I was off to CSU to become an organic farmer.

There was just one little problem I encountered in my first year of college.....I soon realized that plants don't talk to you and I am a very social being. So, I decided again that I was going to become a doctor.

I withdrew from Agriculture and headed to Boulder Colorado to start my new major, this time as a pre-med student in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology. I absolutely loved-loved-loved this major, because it taught me how everything works from the DNA level, all the way to the completed picture of the human being.

During the middle of the 4 year degree I was having thoughts of becoming a naturopath. The rationale was it was more holistic and I would learn about taking care of the root of the disease. I really wanted to take care of people without drugs. I mentioned this to my anatomy professor Dr.Tom Swain. He shook his head ,smiled that gorgeous smile that he always had, and recommended for me to go the MD way. His philosophy was, you can make more change in medicine once you are on the inside as an MD. He knew I was already unhappy with the medical system for its lack of treating the root cause of the disease, and instead treat it with medication. I wasn't even a doctor yet, I was still in pre-med....but I knew I needed to become a doctor.

There are times in my life that I become pensive and wonder what my life would have been like if I would have become rebellious and prideful and not taken Dr. Swain's advice. To this date, I am so greatful he cared enough to mentor me into medicine. Thank you Tom.

I made it through medical school and found it very unfair and cutthroat. The amount of minutia we had to memorize seemed and still seems pointless. The whole system would benefit with an overhaul.

After 22 years of being a doctor now I have seen my patients become more unwell and more overweight. They just aren't getting any better. So over the last 10 years I have been studying Functional Medicine, which focuses on the root cause of disease and its treatments. One passion of mine is weight loss because I know how distressful even an extra 5 pounds ( 2.2 kg) can be, let alone 100 pounds (45 kgs).

Let me give you and overview of my previous health. During my medical training a typical breakfast was a packet of skittles and coffee. Then throughout the day just to stay awake I would have at least 6 cups of coffee . When there was time I would eat a meal. Then when work was done and I didn't have to sleep in the hospital, I would go home. To me 5 o'clock meant wine o'clock, and I would have a glass or two to wind down from all the caffeine.

Not only was I hooked on caffeine and sugar, but also a nighttime wine to wind down. I also parttook in cigarette smoking. Yes, I was a model child for health. It took me 41 times to quit smoking but I finally did it. From that comes my motto to my patients " Never,ever,ever give up, Giving up!"

With my second child, I went into the hospital weighing in at 198 pounds ( 90 kg) and came out at 189 pounds. I am only 5 feet 6 inches (166cm) ! It took me 16 years to get down to 160 pounds (73 Kg) and I did every diet possible except take diet pills. I was deeeeeesperate. Now over the last 2 years, from all my studying, I am 61 kg (135 lbs) at 53 years young and I am so excited to share with you how to get rid of excess weight safely and keep it off.

My conversion to the other side of the medical spectrum happened gradually, and hit it's stride when I had my 50th birthday. I just realized that I really wanted to be healthy and walk my talk. And so here we are together. Let's start walking together, and I'll share with you what worked for me and can also work for you. I want to give you hope.

"Hope is not pretending that problems don't exist. It is the hope that they don't last forever. That hurts will heal and difficulties overcome. That we will be led out of the darkness and into the light".

-The Optimism Revolution