I USED FOOD AS MEDICINE
So Can You!
I used food as medicine to save my life. I believe everyone should experience how great they can feel when they discover how to eat right for them. Join me on my mission to make one million lives better starting with yours!
Sue Levy (founder of Savory Living) tells her story about how food saved her life. And how you can turn your health and your life around just by making some small changes to how you eat. Her goal is to make 1 million lives better by helping people use food as medicine, eat to take charge of their health, and turn it into an easy and delicious way to live.
From Food Marketer to Health Educator
I began my career working with clients like Pepsico, Procter and Gamble, and Pizza Hut developing marketing and advertising campaigns for Pepsi, Mt. Dew, Baked Lays, Fat-Free Pringles, and Stuffed Crust Pizza. I worked on glitzy campaigns for blue chip companies and household brands.
Then came a great opportunity, and a shift in direction: I joined the management of the truth® campaign — a nationwide social marketing initiative to help reduce youth smoking. The work was smart, it was irreverent, it was fun. But more than that, it was profoundly satisfying: the truth campaign reduced teen smoking rates by 30%, just by educating youth on the honest facts about tobacco use. My involvement remains one of my proudest achievements.
That was my entrée into health education behavior change initiatives. The next nine years I worked on campaigns for chronic and “orphan” diseases as a partner at a communications firm, creating programs for patients, families, and doctors addressing cancers, diabetes, and thyroid conditions.
My Path to Savory Living - Using Food As Medicine
Soon after my professional focus turned towards healthcare, so did my personal life. I found myself struggling with infertility, debilitating digestive disease, and then was diagnosed with a rare potentially fatal lung disease called LAM (lymphangioleiomyomatosis). I was told I might have 10 years before I needed a lung transplant. And only 50% of transplant recipients are still alive 10 years after the surgery. So to hear at 34 years old that I might only live until 54 was show stopping. For the first time in my life, I stopped taking my health for granted.
The connection between how we manage everyday life — balancing diet, exercise, family, and career — and our health is undeniable. Healthy living takes intention, a plan, and practical skills and smart strategies put into action.
I looked closely at my life, and set out to educate and heal myself. I went back to school to study nutrition and healthy cooking. I learned how to use food as medicine. Figuring out how to customize the recommendations to work for my unique needs and lifestyle, and learning which seemingly “healthy foods” were causing problems for me took time and practice. I created Savory Living to make that process easier and to put it in more people’s hands.
I am 48 years old and I feel like I’m 30! I no longer experience any of my digestive issues and my lungs have been holding firm and strong (it’s been over 14 years). My life is rich and savory and I love teaching others the skills they need to eat well and feel better every day.
If you’re reading this, my guess is something is telling you that you need to make change. I would encourage you to take action. I know how hard that first step can be – but please know that you are WORTH it and DESERVE to live a happy and healthy life. The power is in your hands.
I’m here and would love to help (however you see fit). Drop me a line – I’d love to hear from you!
Take care and be well,
P.S. See my personal story that ran on NPR > “Life lessons from an ultra-rare and potentially life-threatening disease – my path to Savory Living”
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