A painful experience often leads one to transformational change. Learning this lesson required natural healing advocate Anna Liza Dala to undergo a harrowing ailment after another in a span of five years and barely rolling with the punches that each ailment threw at her didn’t cut the test short. Prior to becoming a woman who inspires others to lead a healthy lifestyle, Anne– as she is fondly called by her friends and customers– used to suffer and curl in pain as a result of her poor diet choices.
“The pain that I experienced then was unbearable. It only worsened because one ailment was always followed by another,” Anne shared. She recalled how her daily activities were always hampered because of the intense pelvic pains she experienced. This pain later developed into a more serious case which her doctor diagnosed as endometriosis, the abnormal growth of cells outside of the uterus. While this disease is hereditary, work-related stress and her poor eating habits had aggravated her case. As if this was not enough, she was diagnosed later on with colitis, a disease caused by the inflammation of the lining of the colon. The disease disabled her from properly digesting meat. “This condition necessitated the inclusion of raw food except meat into my diet. My doctors also advised me to do some exercise,” she said.
Anne was then introduced to yoga and since then, she has never looked back to her old lifestyle. She had developed a profound love for yoga what with the range of health benefits that through and through aided her in recovering from her painful condition. “A friend from yoga class told me about natural healing by means of healthy eating habits. I was so resolute about getting healed completely without taking up synthetic medicines so I immediately signed up for it,” Anne said.
Her eagerness to recover quick from her painful experience and enjoin others to do the same led the 40-year old natural healing advocate to learn more about juicing and detoxification. Anne began making her own detox juices and offered it to her friends. Because of the good feedback she received from it, Anne opened her very own store in September 2014 that offered vegetable drinks and purely vegan meals which is known today as The Detox Bar. “I began by coming up with four Western recipes of veggie drinks which I tweaked a bit to suit the taste and preferences of a typical Filipino,” she said.
At present, The Detox Bar now offers a wide range of cold pressed and freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, and various vegan to-go foods. Using organic products and locally sourced produce, the Detox Bar has now grown into a gem in Cebu that offers everyone’s health needs. Among their bestselling health drinks are Turmeric Tonic, Beetroot Juice, Lemongrass Brew, Turmeric Chia Fresca, and Fat Flush Drink. They also offer detox programs for healing and weight loss. “These products are guaranteed safe and healthy for people of all ages. Aside from that, I conduct wellness coaching with my clients for me to assess their health needs,” Anne said.
Anne’s experience has since shaped her from a mass of sickness and pain into a radiating ball of hope, inspiration, and courage. She now continues to share this inspiration to others with the help of her knowledge in integrative nutrition. “God intended to create fruits and vegetables for our consumption and this isn’t only limited to filling and satisfying our tummies but more than anything, to heal us naturally as well,” Anne shared. To know more about The Detox Bar, you may visit them at the 2nd floor of Paseo Arcenas, Banawa, Cebu City or contact them through the following numbers: 0925-818-7108 and (032) 511-3642.