Robin Quivers, known as the co-host of "The Howard Stern Show," has had a remarkable journey, not only in her career but also in her health. Her story is one of transformation, resilience, and the power of conscious choices. This article explores Robin Quivers' weight loss journey, her battle with cancer, and how a plant-based diet played a crucial role in her recovery and overall well-being.
A Wake-Up Call After 9/11
Robin Quivers' journey towards a healthier lifestyle began after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. She experienced a moment of realization that she would not have been able to save her own life during the disaster, prompting her to take control of her health. As she told TODAY's Matt Lauer Thursday, she credits the healthy lifestyle she'd been adhering to since just after Sept. 11, 2001, as what got her on the road to recovery faster. "I thought I would be one of the people who couldn’t help myself out of that (World Trade Center) building. If I was there, someone would have to help me. I’d be one of those people you had to come and get. And I thought, this is not any way to live and I need to figure out what’s wrong."
Overweight and with a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, Quivers knew she needed to make a change. Her previous diet, high in fat, sugar, and cholesterol, was leading her down a dangerous path. She realized back in 2001 that she needed to take control of her health, with obesity, diabetes and heart disease almost certainly in her future. Robin turned to a plant-based diet to change her life and improve her prospects for health.
Embracing a Plant-Based Diet
Quivers decided to adopt a plant-based diet, a decision that would transform her life. This involved eliminating animal products and processed foods, and focusing on whole, plant-based foods. After switching to a vegan diet, “My life totally changed and now I have this amazing amount of energy.” In her previous unhealthy lifestyle, she was so out of shape that she could “barely walk two city blocks."
She credits becoming a dedicated vegan and healthy juicing, with the guidance of doctors and nutritional experts, to shedding 80 pounds and keeping it off. At age 58, in the year 2010, she proudly ran the New York City Marathon. She told People magazine then that after switching to a vegan diet, “My life totally changed and now I have this amazing amount of energy.” In her previous unhealthy lifestyle, she was so out of shape that she could “barely walk two city blocks."
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The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life
Robin Quivers documented her journey in her book, "The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life." The book is not a diet book or a cookbook, but it explains her journey from that revelation to getting her daily nutrition on track. It details her rocky path to newfound health and emphasizes the power of the produce aisle.
Quivers builds an undeniable case that the key to living the life you've always wanted lies in your refrigerator. As she says, "If you want your body to work the way it's supposed to, you need to give it the nutrients it needs. Becoming "vegucated" is not a temporary fix so you can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before. "Vegucation" is a lifestyle - it's is about getting back into the kitchen, embracing more of the foods that help you flourish, and filling your plates with hearty, scrumptious plants that really can change your life. Robin teaches readers how eating for your health means letting your body finally revive and rebuild itself. Helping readers understand how food affects the way your body works, looks, and feels, she explains which foods hurt and which foods heal. So by the time she shares 90 of her favorite recipes (including a scrumptious vegan Chocolate Coconut Mousse, Spicy Cauliflower with Pimenton, and Green Bean and Nicoise Olive Salad), you'll be ready to look at the meals you eat in a whole new light.
Battling Cancer with a Strong Foundation
In June 2012, Quivers announced on Stern's show that she had undergone surgery to remove a growth in her pelvic area. On Sept. 9 of this year, she spoke about the cancer battle, which had occurred in her uterine tissue. She continued to broadcast from her home during recovery, and is now back at work in person.
Quivers credits her plant-based diet with helping her body to be strong when the cancer hit her in 2012. She believes that her healthy lifestyle played a significant role in her recovery. On their Sirius XM Radio show, she recently announced that doctors believe she is cancer-free after a one year fight following removal of grapefruit-sized tumor from her pelvic area.
"When you consider that I went through chemo and radiation and hardly had any side effects - I saw other people and they were going through the same thing I was, my situation wasn't complicated by other illnesses, other medications," she said. "Basically I was strong going in."
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The Master Cleanse and Weight Loss
Before embracing veganism, Quivers experimented with the Master Cleanse, a fast that involves consuming a lemon-juice and cayenne-pepper elixir for weeks. She credits the Master Cleanser fast - which can involve weeks of ingesting nothing except a lemon-juice and cayenne-pepper elixir - for her newly slim 145-lb. frame. But more importantly, she says the regimen is responsible for erasing the joint pain and fatigue that had plagued her for more than a decade. I’ve never felt this good about my body before,” declares Quivers, who likens her extreme dieting - she has fasted for 21 consecutive days on three occasions - to “a spiritual journey.”
While the Master Cleanse helped her lose weight and alleviate some health issues, it is essential to note that such extreme diets have their critics and potential risks.
Lessons Learned and a New Way of Life
Robin Quivers' journey is a testament to the power of lifestyle changes in improving health and well-being. She lost 80 pounds and experienced a significant improvement in her overall health. Not only did she lose 80 pounds, but she said that, “…my plant-based diet was helping my body heal. I couldn’t believe the difference I saw. I’d never had such a dramatic shift in my health….I no longer had to rearrange my entire life around being sick.”
She emphasizes that becoming "vegucated" is not a temporary fix but a lifestyle change that involves embracing whole, plant-based foods and taking control of one's health.
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