Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Moran.
Hi Greg, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised on Guam, a tropical paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Growing up there, I was constantly in the ocean, sailing with family and friends, freediving, SCUBA diving, and spending all of my time immersed in the natural world. I began teaching sailing at the age of 13 and continued to do so after my family moved to Washington state in 2007, teaching everything from beginner to advanced racing sailing all over the Pacific Northwest. I eventually ended up in Bellingham, WA, where I taught sailing, sea kayaking and led naturalist kayak tours in the beautiful Salish Sea. I decided to make a move to warmer waters in 2019 and subsequently migrated down to San Diego at the end of that year.
My healing journey began while living in Washington and it would change the course of my life forever. In October of 2015, at the age of 24, I began to notice irregularities in my digestive health. Over the course of the next year, the state of my bowels worsened to the point where I was essentially bed-ridden, spending my days in constant pain and confined to the bathroom for hours and hours. My quality of life was very low and I had to accept the fact that this state of constant pain maybe the rest of my life.
The doctors that I had seen during that year all essentially told me the same thing. They told me that “I was too young to have health issues. Stop worrying so much. Just eat more fiber.” Most of them treated me as if I was making it all up, content to tell me so without ever performing a basic examination to determine if there was any basis to what I was telling them. After a year of symptoms progressively worsening, losing close to 25 pounds (I’m a skinny guy to begin with!), and being in constant agonizing pain, I was finally diagnosed as having Ulcerative Colitis. Now that I knew what was happening to my body, surely the gastroenterologists, who are supposed to be the experts in the functioning of the GI tract, would be able to help. Once again, every doctor that I saw said the same thing. They told me that “There is no cure. This is the rest of your life, so get used to it. Take your pills. Diet has nothing to do with anything.” I was floored at this response from multiple gastroenterologists and knew in my heart that they were wrong. With the help of loved ones, family, and friends, I promised myself that I would do the seemingly impossible: Heal my body from this “incurable” autoimmune condition.
Shortly after my diagnosis, my mom, in her relentless research for possible solutions, had discovered the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The SCD diet, as it’s commonly referred to, was developed by Elaine Gottschell, a mother whose own daughter had ulcerative colitits, in her lifelong journey to find a way to heal her daughter’s condition. The diet focuses on restoring the gut microbiome back to a healthy balance through restrictive dietary measures designed to allow the gut to digest foods easily, and therefore have more time to focus on healing. I began the SCD diet during the winter months of 2016. Over the following year, I saw my condition steadily improve, going through waves of improvements mixed with flare-ups that would set me back again. Overall though, my symptoms were beginning to lessen and my health was beginning to return, slowly but surely.
During this time, I began to explore the realms of mind-body-spirit connection and how they related to health. I studied and explored the worlds of yoga, meditation, acupuncture, breathwork, EFT, and other Eastern, Ayurvedic, and holistic healing modalities. Calming my mind helped tremendously in the healing process, helping to develop an awareness of my relationship to my body, mind, and Spirit. This helped me to tune into the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, messages that my body was communicating to me, let me know if something that I was eating or doing was ultimately helpful or harmful to my overall health at that time.
Also, during this year, I listened to a podcast featuring Rick Simpson, a Canadian who had discovered a way to extract the essential oil from cannabis for use as a potent and powerful medicine. He described how ingesting this oil was curing people of all sorts of diseases, from various types of cancers to autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. I decided that I was going to do a three-month treatment using RSO (Rick Simpson Oil, as it’s commonly referred to), following the protocols laid out by Rick Simpson. By the end of those three months, my body was in a very healthy state. I was having regular normal bowel movements with formed stool for the first time in years and was given a new outlook on the intimate connection between body-mind-spirit as it relates to health.
In 2019, I read a book called TOXIC by Dr. Neil Nathan, which detailed how mold, mycotoxins, and heavy metal toxicity may be the underlying contributing factors to the insane rise in chronic disease in the western world. I took the Mycotoxin tests recommended in his book and found I was positive for both mycotoxin and heavy metal toxicity. This meant this could be the root cause of where all of my health issues began in the first place. I have been diligently following Dr. Nathan’s detox protocols, consulting with him and Functional Medicine Doctors to help my body fully detoxify from these environmental toxins.
From 2018 until now, my body has been strong and healthy and I have not had any signs of a flare-up in years. My diet is expansive now, and while I still stay away from grains, processed and refined sugar, all processed foods, and anything GMO, my knowledge and experience in health, nutrition, and cooking allow me to create delicious meals utilizing organic, whole foods-based diet. The freedom that robust health and a strong immune system has given to me has completely changed my outlook on life, health, and our intimate connection with Mother Nature. Our bodies are designed to heal in every sense of the word and it is truly humbling to know that Mother Nature provides us with everything that we could ever need to achieve true health. Whether it is through healthy organic foods, cannabis oil and other powerful plant medicines, or the body’s own innate healing capabilities, which can be accessed and enhanced through modalities such as yoga, meditation, and breathwork, Mother Nature has given us all we need to live a healthy life filled with abundance and vitality.
In my free time, I enjoy playing music around San Diego, creating art, gardening, and increasing my knowledge and experience as a naturalist through snorkeling, SCUBA diving, and hiking. It brings me immense joy to be able to share my gifts with others, whether it’s through my music, art, exploring the natural world, or sharing my knowledge and experience of healing with others in order to assist them in their own healing journeys.
I am currently pursuing training as a Breathwork Facilitator with the Sacred Breath Academy and also training as a Naturopathic Coach. My healing journey has given me a second chance at life, something I am eternally grateful for, and I feel deeply called to assist others in helping them to awaken their Inner Healer and manifest true health within their own lives. I know from my own experience that anything is possible when the intention to heal is set, and I want to provide others with the tools, resources, and support they need to be able to experience the miracle of their own body’s healing powers. I plan to begin offering my services as a Breathwork Facilitator, Naturopathic Coach, and Reiki Energy Healer by the end of 2021 throughout the San Diego area and beyond.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has certainly been a bumpy road. There were many days and nights of constant pain, bathroom trips, and emotional, mental, and physical distress. There were moments where I didn’t think I would survive much longer because of how bad my condition had gotten. It ultimately took getting to those low points for me to make a promise to myself that if there was any way to possibly heal my body, I would find it. I made a commitment to myself to heal and knew that if I could make it through all that I had gone through in the degeneration of my body, I could make it through any difficulties I encountered in my healing.
That being said, my healing road certainly has had many difficulties as well. There were many instances of my health beginning to improve, only to be set back by massive flare-ups requiring that I restart the SCD diet. The mental aspect of going through this can sometimes be the most difficult part, especially in a world that glorifies instant gratification and “quick-fix” solutions. I had to learn the art of patience and discipline, committing 100% to the vision of having a strong, healthy body and sticking to the strategies I decided to implement for my healing. These flares continued for many years, eventually happening less and less until they stopped happening altogether in 2018. I am happy to say that I have not had any stomach issues whatsoever since 2018.
There have been more ups and downs along this journey than I can count, more tears shed than I can fathom. I am also infinitely stronger and healthier because of what those difficult moments had to show me. Throughout this journey, I have learned so much about myself, the strength of the human spirit, and so much about what it means to have true health. I have also been shown time and again the importance and power of love and support from those closest to us in our lives. I have been so fortunate to have so many amazing people in my life, who showed me infinite Love, support, and patience, and who encouraged me to keep going during even the most difficult times. I will be forever grateful for them.
While the road may have been bumpy in many areas along my journey, I am eternally grateful for everything. Without every single experience that I had, I would not be where I am today. The Universe works in beautifully mysterious ways. I’ve found that it’s when we can lean into the mysteries of life, meeting each day with Love and trust, that the magic and abundance in each moment presents themselves.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Up until this point in my life, my professional career has been related to working as an instructor, guide, and naturalist for sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, and marine education. I receive so much joy introducing others to the natural world, helping them to learn new skills and watch as their confidence strengthens through leaning into these new experiences. My over a decade of professional experience in these realms have instilled in me the confidence, patience, and flexibility as an instructor and guide to be able to tailor my skills to any student in any situation and ensure that they achieve success.
Aside from working in the outdoors, many know me through my music and art. My musical style is unique, utilizing techniques from percussive guitar, flamenco, rock, fingerstyle, and more. After playing live music, I often hear people say, “I didn’t know someone could play guitar like that!”. It fills me with passion and inspiration to know that I am able to expand people’s minds beyond what was thought possible through my music and is something that I strive for in all I do.
When it comes to what the future holds for me, I am setting my sights on using my knowledge and experience to assist others in their own personal healing journeys, especially those with chronic GI disorders and diseases. I feel what sets me apart from others in this field is that I have been through the trenches (so to speak) and made it out the other side, allowing me the unique perspective to be able to intimately relate to what someone is going through in regards to GI issues. My own personal experience, coupled with my years of research, knowledge, and training, will allow me to meet each individual exactly where they are, giving me the opportunity to assist in whatever ways will be most beneficial to them and their healing.
I truly believe that abundant health is the birthright of every human on this planet, and I am honored and grateful to be able to assist others in awakening true health.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The human body is designed for abundant and vibrant health and, if given the right conditions, is capable of achieving anything.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: truehealthawakening.com
- Instagram: @gregfromguam
