I've been singing your praises to my family and friends. I have a story for you! Last night was my brother's graduation ceremony, and we had a lot of family come into town, so there were ten of us planning to have dinner together afterwards. My dad was talking about taking us all out somewhere, but I've already suffered several difficult restaurants this week and couldn't bear the thought of shelling out $10 per person on food we didn't even know the real contents of, so I volunteered to cook if he would pay me back for the ingredients. I planned a menu around what's in season, added a few things to round it out, and came up with the following (I prepared all day so that the evening would require minimal effort, just heating up a few things):

-additive-free bratwurst
-organic sauerkraut
-local pickled beets (I pickled them awhile back, and planned this German meal around serving them)
-local salad with homemade vinaigrette (with Texas olive oil and basil!)
-local vegetables stir-fried in olive oil (squash, carrots, red onions)
-German potato salad (local potatoes, onions, and parsley)
-deviled eggs (local and free-range, of course)
-chocolate cake (no flour, just organic garbanzo beans and black beans; organic fair-trade chocolate and Florida sugar)
-pecan pie (sweetened with local honey and edged by a gooey almond-meal crust)
-sliced local peaches
-sun-brewed hibiscus-mint tea with local honey

I know the meal was vinegar-heavy, but oh well. Everybody loved it, and applauded when I announced afterward that it was grain-free, dairy-free, over 80% local and over 90% organic. ("Why wasn't it meat-free?" asked my vegetarian aunt, who had foregone the sausage. "Because meat is an important part of the human diet!" I answered happily, and everybody else cheered.) Nobody had even asked for ice cream to top their desserts, which shocked me...my family can be hard to please, being from a heavy-food southern/German/Cajun tradition. They even liked the bean cake, since I didn't reveal until afterwards what it was made of! Mostly I wanted to prove to my family that my crazy high-minded nutritional standards don't actually equal the deprivation they seem to at restaurants or mainstream grocery stores. Although it was a lot of work (and a way more ambitious meal than I would have made for just myself, but fittingly because it was a special day), it was totally worth it to have food I trusted, share the experience at home with my family (several of them pitched in with setup and cleanup even though they didn't have to), and be lavished with praise for feeding everyone on better food for half the cost of a restaurant, plus leftovers! It felt like, if you'll excuse the academic metaphor, the capstone project for my diet's credibility in the family.

Thanks for everything, and feel free to share this anecdote/menu with any other clients who are worrying about going grain- or dairy-free, because decadence is still well within reach.

-M.O.

When I first started working with Charlotte I had terrible abdominal pain. Nearly every one of my joints ached (from neck, back, and ankles, and everywhere in between); my skin was flakey; and I often had varying bouts of constipation and diarrhea. My asthma had gotten so bad that I remember standing in the rain in a parking lot while waiting for a table at a restaurant, and I was coughing violently to cigarette smoke from someone I could not even see. Over the past 5 years I have seen many physicians, including but not limited to, family and internal medicine, dermatologists (who found 4 different unknown rashes on my body), gastroenterologists, a neurologist, and had made multiple visits to the ER for pain and or bleeding from the bowels. I have had multiple CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, an MRI, 2 endoscopies, and a colonoscopy. Over the past 3 or 4 years I had become accustom to taking a Claritin every day (March through at least October) and several different pain medicines (Aleve, Advil, Tylenol, even Lortab occasionally). I also had a daily routine of caking on at least one or two lotions to stop the flaking and itching. The pain in my joints was by far the most unbearable, and this past winter brought pain that I cannot even describe. I thought I was going to die. I had given up exercise completely, including biking, which even last summer I was able to perform regularly. In addition to all of the other ailments, I had actually given myself an ulcer by taking too much pain medicine; of all my doctors exams and tests, this was the only solid diagnosis I was ever given. All of this trouble had occurred before my 28th birthday.

During a consult, Charlotte asked my wife and me if anyone had talked to us about what I was eating and as she suspected, no one had. With her assistance, I did an elimination diet, where I removed the most common food allergens. I discovered that wheat was the culprit. I have now been gluten-free since June and what a difference that has made! My stomach no longer hurts, and I have regular bowel movements. My skin has cleared up completely. A couple of weeks ago, I waited for a bus in one of those enclosed bus stop shelters while someone (sitting right beside me) smoked. I felt great and didn’t cough once-my lungs didn’t burn at all. I no longer have any need to take Claritin, as my allergies have all but gone away. I no longer wake up with pain in my joints; in fact, I have actually been going back to the gym and was able to get there 6 days last week without pain or the need of an inhaler. I feel normal. I can’t remember ever feeling as good as I feel right now, especially because I was diagnosed with Asthma at age 13 and have had rashes and allergies as long as I can remember. I can’t thank Charlotte enough for just taking the time to listen and for actually looking at the whole picture. Conventional medicine is so compartmentalized that physicians, whether out of fear or lack of training, only look at one piece and expect to solve the puzzle.

Thank you again

J.N.

My husband and I went to Charlotte and she put him on a food elimination diet and we discovered that he has a gluten intolerance. He cannot have wheat, barley, oats, or rye. Yeah, had to get rid of the 100 pounds of wheat I bought for our food storage in February. Charlotte was just Great! J is feeling a lot better. It has been a little miracle in our life to figure out what has been wrong with him. No doctors, by the way, ever suggested a food elimination diet for him. So after the hundreds of dollars spent out of our pocket to run medical tests to find out that NOTHING was wrong with J—who knew we just needed to see Charlotte and she would help solve all our health issues?

-S.N.

Charlotte Skiles has been an excellent facilitator in helping me to take charge of my wellbeing. Charlotte knows her physiology and at the same time is able to recognize underlying constitutional patterns which make her dietary, herbal, and lifestyle recommendations unique to the individual and therefore incredibly effective. Within a few weeks after my first visit, I went from taking 3-12 doses of asthma medications every day, to taking an herbal tincture daily, and one dose of a med every other day. I am even more active now that I can breathe!...I also appreciate how Charlotte was able to find appropriate dietary substitutes for those foods that weren't appropriate for my constitution, but that nevertheless I still craved. Who knew "coffee" made from dandelion root could taste and be so good for me?!

-L.S.

Charlotte Skiles has been a blessing. She has taught me the value of nutrition and herbs in my personal life. Her wealth of knowledge has enriched my eating habits and well being. Since working with her, I have more energy, positive thinking, and feel healthier all around. I recommend anyone, including friends and immediate family, work with Charlotte.

-D.G.

I have known Charlotte for 6 years now, long before she became involved with the healing arts. I have witnessed Charlotte’s transformation into a physically and emotionally healthier and happier person. I share this because I never realized the effect that food, herbs, and lifestyle could have on our bodies. Her positive changes have inspired me to live more consciously. She practices what she preaches, making it easy to trust her guidance.

-M.S.

I've never felt better and I have Charlotte to thank! She offered me warm and friendly consultations to help get my health back on track. She is so confident with the knowledgeable that she has that I was completely comfortable confiding in her and following her advice.

-J.D.

Charlotte displays the perfect combination of knowledge and compassion. During her seminars, I was impressed by her seemingly effortless grasp of science – both in terms of nutrition and physiology. The honesty and empathy that comes from her personal experience made me feel very comfortable with her advice.

-K.L.

Charlotte is one of the best people I found to help me with my chronic health problems. She takes the time to make sure that I understand everything she’s teaching. I was suffering for so long, and I finally have a lot of improvement with my health. I feel that her herbal and nutrition recommendations have played a huge role in my recovery. Also, being funny and easy to talk to, I highly recommend her to anyone who is in need.

-T.R.

Trips to buy groceries are a little bit different when you’re eating vitality style.  At first, I was worried about how many things I wouldn’t be eating—but the categories of food that I can and do eat allow for a ton of kitchen creativity.  My mom and I decided to embark on this way of eating together. I think it’s helpful to have someone with whom you can take turns cooking and trying out new recipes on.  Now that I have bookmarked a couple of favorite recipes and am truly feeling the benefits, I can’t imagine ever eating differently.  There is a noticeably positive difference in the amount of energy I have (mom, too) and my body composition.  Thank you, Charlotte!

-J.B.