By the time I turned 31 in 2008, I had survived three different types of cancer (Leukemia at age 7, basal cell carcinoma at age 27, and cholangiocarcinoma at age 31). I’d also lost my best friend to esophageal cancer 10 years earlier.

On the one hand, I wanted to declare war on cancer and show that it could be controlled through nutrition and lifestyle changes. I hated it! On the other hand, I was afraid of the disease, and I feared that my latest malignancy would surely return in time. I was scared to eat or drink anything because research had linked so many things, from foods to plastics, to cancer.

I’ve never been one to consume the foods that I know are healthy, particularly vegetables. I would force myself to eat foods that I didn’t like; I felt no satisfaction of enjoyment from eating healthy foods that were meant to support my body.

The owner of our local raw food store told me that if I wanted to succeed in eating healthy, I would need to start with one thing: the Vitamix. Since I purchased the Vitamix, I have used it every day.

My family and friends know me as “The Smoothie King.” I share the knowledge I’ve learned and smoothies from my Vitamix with everyone I know!

Thankfully, it has been more than two years since any sign of cancer has been detected in my body! It can’t bring back any of the friends I’ve lost, but it does make me feel like I’m mounting the greatest defense against the disease, not only for myself, but also in honor of those that the disease has taken away from me. And, with my Vitamix, I’m winning.