When I was at rock bottom health wise, author and nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo picked me back up.
That sounds rather dramatic but I’m willing to bet there are thousands of people across Australia who can say the same.
I first came to know Sarah through her weekly nutrition and cooking segments on Channel 7’s Sunrise. She quickly developed a reputation for the expertise and enthusiasm she could pack into her allocated three minutes on breakfast TV.
It wasn’t just what she said but what she cooked that jumped off the screen with tables full of beautiful produce and easy-to-make recipes using healthy ingredients. Initially her segments were just on the weekends, but word quickly spread. My colleagues, Monique Wright and Sally Bowrey started to glow. Matt Doran’s suits started to shrink.
It became impossible to avoid a conversation about the health benefits of ginger shots and poached eggs (not together) while sitting in the make-up chair. We joked they had all joined the ‘Sarah Di Lorenzo’ Weekend Sunrise cult.
We soon realised what they were on about. Sarah’s segments proved so popular; we all wanted a piece of that healthy spinach pie. She started coming into the studio twice, three times a week, spreading her nutritional evangelism to a growing audience.
Nat Barr got on board; Matt Shirvington had a crack. Everyone was lining up for a bit of that Sarah magic. Everyone except for me. I had two young kids and a diet of leftover chicken nuggets and soggy chips. I needed three coffees to get through the day and a series of sugary snacks to survive. I did meet with Sarah at her clinic. She graciously shared her deep wisdom but we both knew I wasn’t ready for a wholesale change to my diet and exercise regime.
I quickly fell back into my wicked ways. Then I got cancer. My health was no longer an optional extra. I needed to take it seriously. I made an appointment with Sarah a few weeks after my diagnosis. By the time we sat down, she had done an extraordinary amount of research on my condition and developed an eating plan that would complement my medication and put me on a path back to full health.
I had never been more grateful to have an expert in my corner. It’s that kind of care that Sarah puts into all of her books and shows towards all of her patients. Her Facebook group is filled with people who have benefited from her generosity and genuine desire to help, people who have rediscovered their old selves or found a completely new way of life and of living.
With many years in practice, Sarah has revolutionised the way we think about health and food in this country. Her TV segments have become compulsory viewing on Sunrise, her recipes downloaded thousands of times from our website and her books have become bestsellers. But has the formidable Sarah Di Lorenzo met her match in this tough topic on the liver? It must be the least sexy of the body’s 78 organs.
It evokes thoughts of liverwurst, cod liver oil, and slightly warm chicken liver pate sweating at a summer BBQ. Not to be deterred, Sarah is set on giving the liver the attention it deserves and what she calls the ‘main character status’ in her new book, The Liver Repair Plan.
When I got sick, I became acutely aware of the role my liver would play in my recovery. As Sarah explains, the liver is responsible for more than 500 important tasks including detoxification, digestion and processing medication. Giving up alcohol, increasing my water intake and making sure my diet was packed full of healthy greens and wholegrains was a huge part of my recovery.
I am lucky to call Sarah a friend and have benefited personally from her caring nature and passion for healthy eating.
The Liver Repair Plan, Simon & Schuster Australia, $39.99 is out now.
