Becoming Health

Marnie is a wonderful person is so great to work with--kind, knowledgeable, and supportive! She's the best, and if you're looking for a nutritionist to work with in the Bay Area, you've found her.

A friend of mine recommended Marni and her Becoming Health cleanse. She felt that it changed her life and the way she eats. (Her review is right below this one!) I've done different food cleanses and I knew it was time for another. A couple of things about how Marni does hers that were different from other experiences I've had and that I feel contribute to creating significant change.

Marni has such simple and healthy recipes that you begin to realize how easy it can be to take control of your meals and what a difference it makes to stay home, cook dinner, light a candle (even if it's just you & yourself for dinner) and get to bed early. It's a whole routine of self care that encompasses much more than just your diet.

She also has a great attitude that this is not about being perfect. It's about creating lasting change. "Progress not perfection" is what it's all about. She has a great support system so you always feel like you can do it. There's a gentle ramping up and transition time at the end.

Her support system includes creating a morning routine, pampering yourself while you're on the cleanse and getting enough sleep and exercise. Basic things we all need to do and just don't make the time for.

Thank you so much Marni for creating such a dependable program that we can all benefit from!

Last week I completed the 13 day Pura Vida Cleanse with Marnie and Becoming Health, and I am amazed at the awareness I gained about food and what it does for my body in that period of time. Everyone knows if they are a healthy eater or not, and most of us could eat a lot better. But actually doing that, knowing how to find what foods work for you and how to realistically incorporate those practices into your daily life is a whole other ball of wax. Marnie's method captures a wealth of nutrition knowledge and offers it to participants in a really welcoming way.

One of my new year's resolutions was to become a more attentive cook. I have a staple of good dishes, but my connection to the food I eat is either
a) something thrown together in 30 minutes with a casual eye toward its healthiness
or
b) from a menu.

I know people hear the word cleanse and think its some weird spicy juice thing that celebrities drink for weeks to prepare for a movie role or the Oscars, but this is a whole food cleanse where you shop for, prepare and eat three meals a day. The experience is about replacing some of the toxic foods we eat far too often with healthier things, just to see what happens. Maybe your skin clears up or you realized those sinus issues are actually related to dairy consumption (both were true for me)

For me, the cleanse helped me reset my desire for bigger portions and showed me I can actually function quite well on less food. I also have greatly expanded my staple dishes with healthy smoothies, salads and whole grain dishes. The 8 pounds I lost and the fact that my skin is clearer and brighter than its probably ever been are happy side effects.

Marnie is also an incredibly genuine person. From our first meeting I got that she is guided by a desire to help people live healthier and happier lives. The support she offers during the cleanse and after is testament to that.

I am generally of the thinking that there is a book for everything. When I initially heard about Marnie's Pura Vida Cleanse, I was intrigued as I had been thinking periodically about trying a cleanse out. I also thought... I'll just got to the library, get myself a book, and do it on my own.

As fate would have it, I was gifted the Pura Vida Cleanse for Christmas. Fast forward three months forward to where I am now. I completed the Pura Vida cleanse approximately two weeks ago and cannot say enough about Marnie's program. Her sub-title for the cleanse is "A mini-vacation from your normal routine" which sums it up nicely. Everything (except perhaps for the one day juice fast, which was more a personal goal, and is also optional) during the cleanse truly felt like a break for me mentally & physically. My energy and clarity of thought were noticeably improved with the foods that Marnie laid out for us in her daily menus. I tried all kinds of foods that I had not tried before and now feel excited about what I am cooking and putting into my body on a daily basis.

Suffice to say, there is no book that can provide this kind of experience. Marnie is a great source of information and inspiration. She boils down everything to a comprehensible & implementable level. I will say, that for me, timing was of the essence. I choose a time where I was able to slow down a little bit and be intentional with the experience. You will be cooking a lot and there will be a lot of dishes. But you will learn loads and your relationship with food and what you put into your body will very likely change immensely.

Two-weeks post cleanse I am stil enjoying the recipes that Marnie shared, as well as improved energy levels and over all just feeling better. I am already looking forward to repeating the experience in the future.

Since beginning to work with Marnie three months ago, I can hardly recognize myself in the mirror. I'll admit, my lofty speeches about wanting to be healthier & eat better was really motivated by the bathroom scale & my reluctance to go shopping for the next size up.

But what I've, well, Become, is someone who has completely changed my relationship with food. I am still a San Francisco Foodie, but my approach to restaurant menus, farmers markets, and my own kitchen has gone from convenience, indulgence and guilt to mindfulness, gratitude and pleasure.

I kick-started with her 13-day Pura Vita cleanse. Marnie suggested I treat like a "vacation" from my regular routines, and that's what it felt like. Her delicious recipes kept me satiated while reprogramming my taste buds & cravings. I never thought it would be as easy as it was, thanks to her detailed instructions and daily support. I kicked my sugar/salt habits, and started celebrating as the pounds came off. What I didn't expect was its profound effect on my insomnia, my complexion, my mental focus, my emotional happiness.

The Pura Vita cleanse was a sea change. Unlike other detox regimens I've done in the past, I've been able to maintain momentum. She's helped me change my conscious and unconscious patterns. I have much more energy to sustain me through the days & make good choices. Her approach has affected other aspects of my life too. Now I pay attention to what my body looks like on the inside, not just the outside.

Other people have used the word "transformative" and I could not agree more. I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Marnie is a goddess because she is human. She "gets it" and her joie de vivre is infectious. She has encyclopedic knowledge and a wicked sense of humor. Working with her, there are no feelings of deprivation, no guilt, no cheating, no punishment, no calorie counting, no special formulas, no hidden agendas.

Her philosophy is "progress, not perfection", and she will meet you where you are - accommodating carnivores, caffeine addicts and those who don't consider themselves health nuts. She can relate to everyone's patterns with acceptance and grace.

If you're thinking about the Pura Vita cleanse and (even better) her Coaching services, do it. It's a great gift to yourself that can last a lifetime.

I recently completed the 4-week Jumpstart to Juicy Living program with Marnie Northrop. For over three weeks I drank no coffee and ate no sugar. It was challenging but I DID IT! Marnie was so supportive. Not only did I learn what to eat ... I learned HOW to eat. Not only did I get great recipes to fix healthy meals ... I received shopping lists for all ingredients I would need.

Marnie's program is unique. It is not a "diet" program. It is a "eat well and save your life program!"

I lost 5 pounds and am on a whole new eating regime. Marnie is the sweetest and most supportive coach anyone could hope for! I want to review the program because I loved Marnie's support so much!

If you're thinking of doing Jumpstart to Juicy ... JUST DO IT! You will not be sorry!
Lakshmi Kerner
Oakland, CA

I cannot say enough about Marnie Northrop and Becoming Health. I found Marnie's energy infectious and delightful, so I decided to try out a 4-week cleanse she was hosting. The cleanse had the words "succulent" and "wild" in the title, which helped me get on board. Still, the thought of a "cleanse" can bring on thoughts of deprivation and just plain blandness, right? Not with Marnie at the helm! I have never been coached to adapt an attitude that is so delicious and charming toward my own body. I never once (no kidding) thought about what I couldn't eat, have, or do. Marnie focuses on filling up in nourishing and succulent ways (hence the title). She also doesn't have hard, rigid rules, and encourages each person to tune into and do what is not only right, but absolutely pleasure-filled for their own body. After four short weeks, I noticed many results I didn't expect, including smiling more, feeling more sensual and present, experiencing more of a feeling of calm and peace, I intuitively (without trying or forcing) began eating more slowly and savoring, and I just plain feel happier and more joyful. I had none of these expectations but Marnie has a magic that she works with her clients and I am so grateful.

Practically, Marnie is competent and professional. Her written information shows her extensive knowledge and expertise, while also being user-friendly. She gave information in phases, so as not to overwhelm and I found her delivery to be the perfect balance of attention and encouragement, while giving me enough space to assimilate it all. I found Marnie's responses to succulent, wild cleanse participants to be kind, on-point and informative (no useless fluff here!). She is the real deal with true proficiency. It is clearly Marnie's passion in life to guide others toward feeling more pleasure, health, and delight.

The virtues that the Becoming Health 13-day cleanse bestowed unto my life were many. Personally, I derived many health benefits immediately and was instilled with practices that will continue to inform the way I view, enjoy, and consume food for years to come. From the perspective of a health care practitioner, it reaffirmed my notion that diet ought to be our primary medicine and helped me embody the message that indeed, many forms of suffering are optional if we strive to find balance in our lifestyle.

A few key points for me:

* Raw foodism goes against a lot of the basic tenets of Chinese dietary therapy thus to experiment with it myself was going against health tenets I frequently advocate people adhere to. Via my own experience I found great vitality and enhanced awareness and can now see the role of punctuating ones life with a soundly structured partially raw foods cleanse such as the one Marnie will guide you on.

* Marnie does an excellent job providing support to participants in the form of daily messages about what different stages of the cleanse are providing your body with and about how to interpret, value, and possible endure some of the experiences one might have in their body during the process.

* What our society is in desperate need of is an integration of mindful eating practices and a focus on simple whole food nutrition. Marnie's cleanse delivers this as a concentrated experience with techniques for food preparation and forming a new relationship with ones body that are accessible and will last a lifetime.

* The whole 13-day structure is just long enough to be challenging and integrate the concepts and practices at the same time.

Understanding. That is the best word to describe the professional relationship Marnie has established with me and it was exactly what I needed. I have not done a cleanse, nor do I feel a need to. She guided me along the path that I needed to go, not one that is supposed to generically fit masses of people. Her understanding moved me to explore amazing new places in the world of nourishment. She taught me that nourishing my body was not denying it. Nourishing is offering myself
what I need most, which crosses the lines of body and mind.

I now have a rich tool chest full to use daily of forgiveness, nourishment, wholeness, greenery, vitality, and understanding. Through my own new understanding I am learning to make peace with my body.

Marnie is phenomenal and I cannot recommend her and her services highly enough.

I have worked with her privately as well as just completed her 13-day 'Pira Vita' Cleanse.

This is hands down on of the most transformational and empowering things I have ever done for myself.

I literally used to drink 2-3 espresso or coffe drinks a day, as well as skip breakfast and eat the other meals either in my car or standing over the sink. I was exhausted, running on fumes all the time. I knew I needed to change and I desperately wanted more vitality in my life, yet I didn't believe I had the time or energy to devote to creating the change I assumed was necessary to do a cleanse.

Imagine my surprise when here it is, a mere two weeks later and I am STILL sugar/wheat/soy/caffeine/dairy free and I have more energy, vitality, clarity and empowerment in my body then ever before!
I've even tried going back to coffee and sugar and I absolutely can't stand the taste or the feel in my body. It is absolutely amazing.

If you are looking for an easy, doable, compassionate way to create massive change in your body and life, call Marnie now.

She is a phenomenal being and a gift to all who come into contact with her.