Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD, MPH
My interest in health and nutrition began as a young mom with three small children and no health insurance.
I thought we were healthy because, for children, they ate vegetables well. We’d go to the grocery store and they’d holler for broccoli. I was amazed! At home, we ate meat, vegetables, fruit, peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal, cereal, milk, fruit juices, and a few desserts (but avoided sweets as much as possible). My kids loved macaroni and cheese, as most children do. Also, living in the South, biscuits and gravy and fried veggies and squash featured frequently on our family table. Aside from not really drinking soda or sweet tea, our family had the typical Standard American Diet (SAD).
However, we weren’t as healthy as I’d thought. I had my children close together (three girls in less than four years) and breastfed each of my daughters for a time. But each child seemed to be a little less healthy than the last.
They had frequent colds and ear infections and we were going to the pediatrician’s office every two weeks. I struggled to pay for so many doctor’s visits without insurance and was beside myself looking for a better way.
I’ve always been curious and had a thirst for knowledge, so when my youngest, Megan, was 6 months old, I began to read and study. My mom was concerned that I couldn’t lose the weight from my third pregnancy, so she got me a book called Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. I read other books like Clean Eating, and the things I learned fueled my interest in nutrition and jump-started my journey towards better health.
Although I can’t remember everything I read, I recall that based on the information I’d gleaned, we became vegetarians around the time that my youngest celebrated her first birthday. But our health journey, just like that of most folks, wasn’t always easy.
Shortly after that, we all got walking pneumonia at the same time. I couldn’t afford to go to the doctor myself without insurance, so while I made sure the kids were treated, I coughed for 6 months as I struggled to recover. Even with treatment, it took almost a year for my daughters to heal fully.
But after that challenging period, we continued to eat better and better. After we’d recovered, they didn’t need to see a doctor for 12 years! I learned the incredible impact of nutrition on health and immunity when, as teenagers, my children contracted strep throat because it was harder to influence their food choices as they grew and spent more time away from home.
The second important facet of my personal health journey was my experience as a single mom. Amid our health struggles, I faced the added challenge of raising and providing for three kids on my own. I became frustrated and unhappy with the constant financial struggle of supporting my family by picking up house cleaning jobs whenever I could.
Not only did I need more financial stability, I needed something more fulfilling. I wanted to help people. I wanted to share what I’d learned, and continue to learn, but needed a credible way to do so. With a passion for health and a tremendous leap of faith, I took the plunge and went to medical school. Although that was a long time ago (I’ve been a practicing physician in Collinsville, AL for over a decade), my core values and passion for good food and good health remain.
So, the journey began!
