Profile by eva koujikov

By Eva Marie Koujikov

living efore we begin our journey, be advised that the following information is not for the faint of heart or delicate of stomach.

Comfort-food cravers, beware. If your good friends are Ben, Jerry and Mr. Flaming Hot Cheetos, be prepared to say “Farewell.”

But, if you can handle some dietary adventure, get ready for your mind, body, and soul to embark on a quest — a quest which Leah Putnam has already embarked upon.

Imagine that you are patiently awaiting your turn in the grocery-store queue, amidst a sea of people lugging their own treasure troves of nutritious and delicious foods and voodoo powders and potions. We all

Mind Matter

want to feel like we are being kind and nurturing to our bodies, but what leads us to believe that we are following the best regimes? Suddenly your eyes begin to wander towards the freshly printed magazines. The beautifully drafted scripts scream at you the hundreds of things you could be and should be doing in order to be healthy, beautiful, plus more! Your fingertips tingle. You want to believe that by somehow buying this one glossy journal, your entire life will become significantly better.

On to the conveyor belt it goes.

Ding, it’s your turn to pay. You shuffle double the money out of your pockets that you budgeted, make the correct transactions, and hoard away your precious goods. “Today is the day you will change your life,” you think to yourself. You grasp onto the

hope that this time you will cure yourself of the toxins that your body is submerged in daily.

Maybe. But, then you start to doubt the product labels and the magazine advice. You ask yourself, “Who really holds the truth to true health?”

Meet Leah Putnam, an expert in all things living. She resides in a beautiful home in Mountain View with a thriving garden and her own personal exercise and meditation studio. Every day numerous clients from all over the Bay Area come to Leah in order to be trained in Pilates and in a new form of working out imbalances in one’s body, Gyrotonics. Leah has always thought outside of the box when it comes to health. She has a high-level understanding of the human body and how to have the mind and body work in balance and

unity. “Everything in nature is in the pose you are deepening the more about mind over matter. That spiraling,” says Leah in explaining movement,. You are making these belief and practice was really strong Gyrotonics. “so every time you do a micro, micro movements, so even in me. I was always a spiritual pertwist the right way, you can bring a the breath is an exercise. Everything son, always seeking more. I knew natural alignment to this rotating.” like that reduces stress.” (Putnam). that there’s more to life than what (Putnam). Leah has practiced many Throughout Leah’s life, food has I’m seeing. ” (Putnam). Leah’s phimethods in order to perfect her tech- always remained a consistent ele- losophy is to live cleanly such that nique for controlling the way the ment. Leah was born into the res- her soul and body remain at their human body moves. Her in-depth taurant business. Living in Califor- absolute best. There must be someknowledge allows her to take her cli- nia, the world’s fruit basket, Leah thing to it as Leah radiates a special, ents from a place of stress and ten- had great opportunity to be aware bubbly grace which captivates those sion to peacefulness and, according of many different foods and the way who spend time with her. to her client Joe, “two inches taller” they affected her system. “I just feel In 2011, Leah was diagnosed in the span of an hour (Maglione). like when I eat cleaner, I am more with breast cancer which she treated Leah is an advocate for through the method of Hippure and simple healing pocrates, eating raw foods “The thought I really took methods, and she eagerly and eliminating stressors shares her mind and body (hippocratesinst.org). Afaway from Sunday School insights with her clients. ter eighteen months of was more about mind over “When I came here I startnatural treatment, the docmatter. That belief and prac- tors could no longer locate ed learning about how I can shift the way I stand,” said tice was really strong in me. a tumor in Mrs. Putnam.

Andrew Gaddis. “When I’m Through her strength and I was always a spiritual perrunning, I am now aware of tenacity, Leah was able to how relaxed I am when my cure herself and is now eason, always seeking more. foot hits the ground. That ger to share and teach what I knew that there’s more to was the biggest thing for she has learned. According life than what I’m seeing. “ me, understanding these to her dear friend Theresa, small movements. Leah has “[Leah’s] such an educator helped me become a more and she’s so devoted to this efficient athlete. She has also really conscious. I am more alive. My ener- lifestyle. It becomes infectious with inspired me.” (Gattis). gy level is soaring.” (Putnam). Leah her. I think the energy and the pasFrom being stretched and mold- has an extensive grasp of both the sion she puts into the way she lives ed by Leah, you are not only healing poisonous and healing aspects of and the way she shares it with othyour physical imbalances, but also food. She is very aware of what type ers makes you not want to eat any the mental ones. A newfound spirit of nourishment she is putting into other way. She makes it feel neceshas been activated and begins to de- her body. As a young girl, Leah was sary to a healthy life”(Theresa). Leah crease your nagging anxiety about raised a Christian Scientist, leading believes that through the journey of your temple’s condition, allowing her to a lifetime of believing. “People truly cleansing your body and eating you to focus and finally breathe. think this religion is just about nev- mostly raw and minimally processed Leah explains “Yoga is about getting er going to doctors. We did go down foods, one will be able to reach a betinto the quietness of a movement that path, but the thought I really ter mental state. Leah states,“If I am and holding a pose. But even with- took away from Sunday School was

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anything, I am always connected to my creator. This is my biggest through the journey of truly cleansing your body and eating mostly raw and minimally processed foods, one

you are truly entering a place of healing and wellness. Her green and blossoming garden can be seen from the windows as you stretch and prepare for your workout. Leah is a raw food chef and most of Leah’s “If I am anything, I am diet consists of what she grows. Leah chuckles at the always connected to reactions of those who hear what raw food is for the first my creator.” time. “Anything that is not will be able to reach a better mental cooked or heated over 118 degrees. state. Leah states,“If I am anything, The theory behind that is you start I am always connected to my cre- to lose all your vitamins, your minator. This is my biggest focus. I share erals, and your enzymes at higher what comes from that with others. temperatures” (Putnam). Most canThe gift I got from cancer was being not bear to wrap their minds around able to express why I eat what I eat being vegan, so when meeting someand do what I do. Cancer was life or one like Leah, who takes health a death. It became something that I step further, it can be intimidating. couldn’t do half way. I had to be re- Nonetheless, Leah’s spiritual presally serious, and it required a certain ence and wisdom are a gift to the discipline. Cancer was like a teacher Bay Area community. It is stunning that opened up so many doors for to discover that her secret to vitality me. It defined my future, as a seeker is so simple: eat cleanly, eat simply. and a teacher” (Putnam). Much like Humans have been plant eatan earthworm, Leah has a rejuvenat- ers since the beginning, meat and ing ability which allows her to con- food farms are a new technique of vert painful experiences into valu- hunting. Humans have become very able lessons. smart and relaxed about food supWhen you enter Leah’s studio ply, usually holding a large surplus

of over processed foods. Although technology has assisted in stopping a large portion of famine, the foods we are putting into our bodies are not necessarily helping us be successful on a day-to-day basis.

We need to get reeducated about foods in order to gain control over our own bodies, “You actually have a lot of power over your health, happiness, and life—and it all starts with your mouth. What you put in it, and the words that come out of it, determine your destiny. Bad nutrition and chemical crutches will wear you out”(Carr 3). Many health issues can be attributed to poor eating habits. The United States has a high obesity rate thus raising the amount of taxes spent on medical care rather than agriculture. To Kris Carr, a renowned raw food guru, this is evident: “The relatively new science of epigenetics proves that our daily choices (diet, lifestyle, and environmental stressors) can actually change the way our genes express themselves—without changing our DNA. These non-genetic factors can literally switch disease, obesity, and

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other health issues on and off”(Carr 10). Leah is someone who understands these factors which most are too trapped by media and convenience to discover. Leah is uncovering a long lost truth to health: eating cleanly directly affects your body’s natural compass. “My passion is about teaching people how to really embrace their health and their wellness. I work to find the tools to best fit them— not only in what they eat, but also how they move and feel in their bodies.

These things even affect how you think, your outlook on life, how you feel about yourself and the relationships you have around you” (Putnam).

Once diagnosed, Leah was forced to examine her lifestyle choices, including the stressors that surrounded her at the time.

Although Leah has always radiated health, one way she dealt with stress was by drinking wine. Eventually everything seemed to pile up and that’s when Leah’s body, much like her overstressed mind, couldn’t handle the pressure. Leah had previously decided she would treat cancer naturally if it ever appeared

and thus began to do so. Once Leah eliminated the aggressive amounts of anxiety that had bubbled to the surface and decreased her wine intake, it was easy to see her body’s culprit: “I don’t think it’s genetic at all. I think it’s completely our lifestyle, completely stress and completely our diets. That is my belief. I’m not a doctor, everyone has a different opinion and that’s just mine” (Putnam).

As simple as her solution was, eating completely raw and walking away from all of your issues is not painless. Leah, being aware of the typical reactions to cancer, was shy to share what was occurring inside of her body: “I was dealing with uncertainty and doubt. I would take a step and find a truth, thinking ‘I hope it’s true.’ You know I had to stay with that path and keep it quiet because I didn’t want to deal with everyone else’s negative energy” (Putnam). People’s judgments of your lifestyle choices often come with their own gifts of anxiety.

Leah was not willing to accept this.

In order to remain on the path she had chosen, it was important for Leah to get support through her spirituality.

This began to affect the way Leah perceived her own thoughts and feelings about herself and her cancer: “Thoughts are thoughts but are they true? Thoughts come in, thoughts come out, and we attach to them right and start building this huge story behind it and it starts triggering…’You’re not living in the present. You’re living in what might happen.’ Well, you don’t know if that’s really going to happen. It’s all assumptions, and all of the sudden you start questioning your thoughts. My belief is that we are wired from our subconscious and we don’t really know why we are thinking what we are thinking” (Putnam).

By harnessing her spirituality Leah learned to be happy and accepting of her truth. Although we may not all have issues of the highest degree like cancer, humans have the tendency to make assumptions and allow these assumptions to drive ourselves insane, “Absolutely and it goes both ways... I think if you don’t feel good physically it affects your mental health..You said your mental health drives your physical

health and I believe that too, but I think it’s one integrated piece and both need to be in alignment in order to be effective” (Joe).

Leah recognizes this anxiety in herself and is brave enough to delve into parts of herself that aren’t simply analyzed. She inspires others to reevaluate their life choices and the amounts of self-created anxiety that haunt them. The happiness in Leah is genuine, infectious, and selfcreated: “I’m excited about life even when it’s falling down. And trust me if I look the other way it’s falling all over the place. But you know what? I have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow, and as long as I stay connected to right now I am happy. I could be sad. But that doesn’t sound like very much fun does it?” (Putnam).

Leah’s message is elementary but critical. By consuming foods that are simple, uncooked, and from the ground, we are taking in the most beneficial enzymes and proteins necessary for our body to function. Treating our bodies with care and pure nourishment has a natural stress relieving effect.

When our minds are finally rid of trivial anxieties and properly cared for, we are able to achieve our best and be our best. By living simply and cleanly, we are giving ourselves the opportunity at pure health and rejuvenation physically and mentally.

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Works Cited “Authority Nutrition - Detailed Articles on Nutrition and Health.” RSS 20. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

Carr, Kris. Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live like You Mean It! Guilford, Ct: Skirt!, 2011. Print.

Dee, Therese. “Therese Interview.” Personal interview. 5 Oct. 2015.

“Factory Farm Map -.” Factory Farm Map. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.a Gaddis, Andrew. “Andrew Interview #1.” Personal interview. 5 Oct. 2015.

“Home - Hippocrates Health Institute.” Hippocrates Health Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.

Maglione, Joe. “Joe Interview #1.” Personal interview. 25 Sept. 2015.

Putnam, Leah. “Leah Interview #1.” Personal interview. 15 Sept. 2015.

Putnam, Leah. “Leah Interview #2.” Personal interview.

20 Sept. 2015.

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Eva Marie Koujikov is seventeen and a senior who attends Los Altos high school and Freestyle Academy. She loves to explore in forests and spend time with her close friends. When she grows up, Eva aspires to be the director of Comedians Getting Coffee in Cars because she wants to hang out with Jerry Seinfeld everyday and she’ll get free coffee. Eva’s favorite pastimes are eavesdropping on Russian people and online shopping . Eva believes in lifelong learning so after she graduates from Los Altos she hopes to attend college and then graduate school.

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