It was in Suppers that I realized that I really am a coconut. My first stab at working the program was a dismal failure. I’m sure some members remember my being there, but I hardly do. I have been living in and out of serious brain fog and depression for years, a sane person in a crazy body. And while part of me recognized that this program was exactly what I needed, I didn’t have the wherewithal to pull it together.

Fortunately, the meetings went on without me, and were still going on when my friend drew me back in. One of the first meals we ate in my second round was a Thai coconut milk soup with salmon. Matching the discussion to the menu, we read some material about the therapeutic value of coconut for some people. It was very good news to me that coconut might actually be healthy for me, instead of bad because it’s fat.

I am now practicing nutritional harm reduction and well into the transition to a healthy diet. My body so wants to hold on to feeling well that I’ve developed an aversion to most junk food. The last time I had a fast-food burger, I got sick. I also feel repulsed by the sugary foods that I used to crave like an addict craves a fix. Fast food and sugar were my two big subtractions.

I also made some additions, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some supplements, including lots of fish oils and magnesium. And of course, coconut oil, which I take both internally and externally – I even use it on my face! Today, my eczema is practically gone and my friends say I’m glowing.

Some have asked why I am so hooked on Suppers. Well, who wouldn’t be excited by soaring energy! The brain fog and intense mood swings are gone, my debilitating PMS symptoms have disappeared, and I’ve had a dramatic decrease in allergies and inflammation. I also sleep much better. Joy and zeal are returning to my life!

The members of my group like the Thai dishes, but nobody else has pegged their recovery on coconuts as I have. It’s all about “biological individuality,” just as they say. I had to stick with the program long enough and observe my experience enough times to hear what my body was saying to me: I really am a coconut.