02/08/2026
This post is so authentic and hope-filled. Ann Louise Gittleman—widely known as the First Lady of Nutrition—shares her powerful journey, “Through the Eye of the Needle and Back Again,” a truly beautiful testimony. Her videos, books, and podcast have supported and inspired countless people over the years. She’s the real deal.
Recently, you may have noticed that I’ve started sharing videos again.
I’ll be honest — I’ve been a bit self-conscious and camera-shy over the past few years as I’ve navigated my own wellness journey. Life has a way of humbling us, doesn’t it? We all go through what I call an “eye of the needle” experience — a moment that changes us, tests us, and ultimately reshapes us.
Mine began about 18 years ago.
I was scheduled to give a presentation to a group of integrative and holistic doctors in Massachusetts. The night before, I flew in on a red-eye from the Northwest. As I was getting ready and putting in my contacts, I noticed something alarming — one of my eyes was extremely blurry. That had never happened to me before, and with a major presentation ahead, I knew something wasn’t right.
I managed to get through the presentation — standing ovation and all — but my brother and father, who had come with me, insisted I go to urgent care. As a good sister and daughter, I listened.
The young doctor diagnosed an eye abrasion and offered me pills to help me sleep. Unbeknownst to me, those pills were Percocet and Motrin. I never take medication, but I trusted his guidance and took them, thinking a simple night’s rest was what I needed.
In hindsight, a single Tylenol would have sufficed.
I woke up in the middle of the night… and promptly fainted.
When I came to, I was lying in a pool of blood. Blood was gushing from my forehead. I stood up, looked in the mirror — and couldn’t believe what I saw. I had broken four of my front teeth. Apparently, I had hit my head in the bathroom, crawled back to my room, and struck my head again on the doorpost.
That moment marked the beginning of my eye of the needle.
I needed ten stitches. I was so shaken that my brother had to es**rt me home on the airplane. And what followed was a five-year journey to reclaim my health. I developed sinus issues, anxiety, panic attacks — and for a time, I truly wondered if I’d ever sleep again.
I did overcome many of those challenges, but along the way, I became dependent on a medication that proved harder to come off than he**in: Ativan.
Nearly 15 years later, just when I was finally feeling close to my old self again, I tripped — this time my own fault — and sustained another concussion on the opposite side of my head, triggering yet another wave of symptoms.
So when you see me online — when my head moves, my hands gesture, and my energy runs high — it’s not nerves. I’m animated. I’m passionate. And yes, sometimes my nervous system gets a little overstimulated.
If you can look past the animation and excitement, and focus on the message rather than how I look or move, I promise — there’s something valuable there for you.
As for the doctor in the ER, some friends urged me to sue. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to ruin his professional life. Instead, I chose recovery the only way I truly know how — through knowledge, nutrition, and guided self-healing.
To those of you who have followed me and trusted me for so many years, I can’t thank you enough. And if you’re new here, I hope you’ll find something that supports your health journey.
My life’s mission has always been health — understanding it, honoring it, and sharing what I’ve learned along the way. So even though I’m still a little self-conscious (and really, who isn’t?), this information is simply too important not to share.
I hope you’ll join me. ❤️
