Vitacost.com is dedicated to helping you be healthier and happier. But we don’t just sell the products –we live the lifestyle. Our offices are full of inspirational men and women who are committed to health and fitness.
Every month, we’ll highlight an employee whose healthy habits serve as motivation to us all –and hopefully to you, too!
Promotions coordinator Anita London has been interested in natural health for over 20 years – but when health problems forced her to re-evaluate everything she knew, she finally found a path that was right for her. Read Anita’s story and take note of her helpful tips for health & vitality.

Anita’s journey:
Call me the consummate granola girl — alternative health and natural nutrition has been my world since 1990. Healthy eating has been a way of life for over 20 years. But just as this industry has grown leaps and bounds, so has the knowledge available to us.
After fighting weight issues for many years, even on a vegetarian diet, I finally got to my breaking point at 218 lbs. My blood pressure was high and I was put on meds; my sugar was borderline diabetic with family history of both. I knew I had to do something. My health was deteriorating, and my doctor couldn’t seem to help me find a diet that worked for me. It was time to take matters into my own hands.

I decided to take some courses in Holistic Nutrition and Herbs. It was through this education and the assistance of a Holistic Nutritionist that I discovered my allergy to soy and intolerance to wheat. Once I took these foods out of my diet and began to eat more lean sources of protein (such as chicken and fish), I was able to start losing weight.
Things didn’t change overnight, however. Restarting my metabolism after years of doing all the wrong things was a long and arduous journey. Well, that was 90 pounds ago and I feel absolutely blessed to have discovered the healthier me that emerged.
Through my transformation, I was able to help others and pay it forward while working in a Holistic Health Spa, where women came to get help with weight and overall health. I taught health and cooking classes and did one-on-one consultations, hoping to inspire and assist others in their own journey to health!
Anita’s tips for regaining health & vitality:
- Learn what your intolerances are. When you eat, how does that food make you feel? If you feel gassy, bloated or nauseated, your body is trying to tell you that something isn’t right. LISTEN to it!
- Eat plenty of lean protein. I eat protein six times a day. Luckily, there are many different sources of lean protein, including lean meats, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, almond butter, cottage cheese, protein shakes and bars.
- Eat only whole natural food with no additives, artificial products or preservatives. A clean system always performs better than one clouded with these toxic additives.
- Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will only hold onto excess water weight.
- Regular moderate exercise and muscle-building activities can keep the fire burning. I power walk 2-3 miles a day and do weight training 5 days a week to keep my muscles toned. This has been the key to keeping off my weight and helping my body perform at its peak.
- Incorporate other types of exercise into your life. For me it’s dancing and swimming. A few hours of dancing on a Saturday night is fun and sometimes leads to a surprise loss on the scale!
- Enjoy a cheat day once a week. The absolute deprivation in crash diets is what tends to sabotage our success. Eat what you like in moderation one day per week.
- Face the scale. I weigh myself every morning. Yes, you have to be real with yourself. If you catch a gain right away, 1-2 pounds comes off much easier than 5 or 10.
Follow Anita on Twitter at @AnitasJourney