One in two people in the USA suffer from a chronic illness—365 million people. Amy Kurtz was one of them. She understands the loneliness that comes with a debilitating condition, and the frustration of going to doctor after doctor being offered nothing but pills.

At 14, Amy's life changed dramatically. She bent down to pick up a book, and felt a shooting pain up her spine. And this pain simply didn't go away. For ten years, she took the heavy-duty pain killers and muscle relaxants she was prescribed. Then, at 25, during a trip abroad, she picked up a parasite that tipped her body's balance completely. She gained 30 pounds in 30 days. She couldn't keep any food down, and she couldn't go to the bathroom. She was bedridden for a month. Specialists told her food allergies didn't matter, and kept prescribing antibiotics and pills. Finally, a doctor told her that her colon would never work, and she might as well have it removed. This was rock bottom.

But Amy didn't give up. She knew she had to do something to help herself. She stopped eating gluten. Just two days after, her pain disappeared, as though it had never existed. She embarked on a holistic healing journey, empowering herself with the knowledge to heal her mind, body and spirit. She's now a certified health coach, Pilates instructor, author and speaker.

Chronic conditions are often invisible – people don't see them, and those suffering rarely speak about their illness for fear of being belittled or ridiculed. Amy woke up one day and realized she had to write a book and share her story. She wanted to create a collection of information to help people with chronic illness rebalance their bodies and move into health. Her book Kicking Sick is a collection of healing stories and Glow Warrior strategies to heal the spiritual, emotional and nutritional. Written to spark a new way of thinking, Kicking Sick helps tailor your lifestyle to transform you from the inside out and get you back into balance. Being hailed as "Sex and the City for Food," The Food Heals Podcast brings together experts in the field of nutrition, health and healing to teach you the best-kept natural secrets to being a hotter, healthier, happier YOU!

The Food Heals Podcast is hosted by Allison Melody and Suzy Hardy – two self-proclaimed natural chicks who will rock your world and change your beliefs about health! This sexy, savvy duo provides eco-friendly advice on a variety of issues including the healing power of nutrition, living authentically, turning your passion into your career, choosing the best natural health and beauty products, the benefits of a plant-based diet and so much more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices