By Carol Crenna
Interview with Margot Kidder
Page 1 of 2
- Learning About Natural Therapies
- Food Sensitivities
An exlusive interview with Margot Kidder - From Superman to Superwoman
Q: Where in Canada are you originally from?
A: Margot: I was born in Yellowknife, which I still consider my hometown, then we moved to Labrador, then Northern Quebec and then to Vancouver where I finished high school before moving to the US.
Q:How did you learn about using natural therapy for manic depression and bi-polar disorder, and when did you begin using it?
A: Margot: For several years I took many prescribed antipsychotic drugs, which made my condition worse. Even when I was in the psychiatric ward in LA, at my lowest point (which was covered by the media), I knew there must be a healthier way. When I was released, my brother in Vancouver took me to a woman who practices Five Element Acupuncture. Within a month she was able to “bring me back” from my manic depressive state, and I was no longer delusional. She mentioned that Dr. Abram Hoffer in Victoria had enormous success with orthomolecular medicine in treating manic depression, but he was booked for almost a year before I was able to see him. During that time, I began my own research, reading medical texts which discussed vitamin, mineral and amino acid deficiencies common in psychiatric disorders.
I was then asked to host a documentary about orthomolecular medicine and learned that there were brilliant doctors who had been practicing what I had become interested in, using medicinal doses of nutrients to treat illness. I worked with Dr. Hoffer and several others during this project and after six months with regular acupuncture and orthomolecular medicine my moods began to stabilize, and after a year and a half I became fairly “normal”. There was a lot of luck involved in my recovery process. Most people aren’t as fortunate to be able to get better from an illness as serious as mine. Unfortunately, they get over-medicated instead.
Q:What nutrient deficiencies did you have, and what did they supplement with?
A: Margot: I think I was deficient in most things! For many years, I didn’t eat properly, if I ate at all. In my business, people were always on a diet and, in retrospect, I could have had an undiagnosed eating disorder. There were too many parties, and then for years afterward, abuse of the psychiatric drugs. They also deplete many nutrients because they put your body under enormous stress.
Continued after links...Since every person’s metabolism is slightly different, 10 people diagnosed with manic depression may have 10 different deficiencies. It’s a very individualized process. I take Vitamin B-Complex injections, which are absolutely essential for nerve function. They assist amino acids to become neurotransmitters which enable our brain to work properly, and Vitamins B, C, and enzymes act as co-factors to create essential metabolic changes. But you need all essential nutrients, everything nature intended taken in combination and all working together.
Q:How have your eating habits changed?
A: Margot: I make sure I have the right amount of the foods I need, without being obsessed about it. I’m not a good cook, so taking a lot of supplements is easier for me. My essential nutrients including Omega 3 fats and vitamins are always with me, in my fridge at home or carried when I travel. Now, instead of spending hours fanatically shopping for and preparing my meals, I eat well but I’m more concerned with eating regularly to keep blood sugar levels up.
Page 1 of 2
- Learning About Natural Therapies
- Food Sensitivities
Carol Crenna
Carol has been a lifestyles journalist for 20 years. She is also a certified nutritionalist. She has written for publications in New York, San Diego, Seattle, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver, including nine years as columnist for The Vancouver Sun. Carol would love to hear from you!
