Hi, I am Sara Stratton, founder of Purposely Rooted

Ever since I remember, I loved vegetables and exercise. My mom tells stories of how she would treat us to the Sizzler (remember that place!?!?) and I would fill my plate up with fruits and vegetables. I was an ultra-competitive kid in soccer and school athletics. When the P.E. teacher separated the girls and boys to run the 400 around the track, I would opt to run (aka race) with the boys. But at that time, I was rooted in fun and play. 

Somewhere in that transition from free-spirited youth to young adult my interest in healthy foods, exercise and competition deepened.

• I thought low-fat would help me lose the fat
• I skipped sleep for the 5 am workout 
• I stayed late and worked extra hours at work to prove my loyalty 
• I thrived in pressure 

I thought I was rooted in health, but I wasn’t being purposeful about it, and got the biggest slap in the face when I was diagnosed with Stage IIIC breast cancer at age 37. I asked myself, how could I get cancer? I was the healthiest person I knew! However, what I have learned since then from consultations with integrative medicine providers, health coaches, nutritionists and through my own studies, is that when your body is stressed by physical, mental and environmental toxins and isn’t given the right nutrients it can’t fight off intruders like cancer. Combine that with my leaky gut from chronically overextending myself and my insides were a hot mess. Sure, I didn’t eat refined sugar and my favorite food was broccoli. Yeah, I worked out daily. That should have mattered. But it didn’t.

I’ve spent the last two years on a journey to learn what I can do to keep my body, organs and cells at homeostasis so it operates optimally, and can fight off the bad guys. I want to share what I’ve learned and I want to keep learning: