About Dori Skye Engel
I was a chronically sick kid. I didn’t have a life threatening illness, just chronic, annoying afflictions that kept me out of school up to a week every month. I had asthma, which had me in and out of hospital emergency rooms. I had severe eczema that led to me wearing long sleeves and long pants year round in order to cover my unsightly rashes - a source of constant embarrassment for me. I would get strep throat or bronchitis 4-5 times per year which led to a continuous antibiotic cycle. I had a myriad of food & environmental sensitivities which generally prevented me from enjoying life to its fullest.
I found coping mechanisms, and various strategies which worked for short periods of time and then failed. I went to university and studied theatre, started my own children’s theatre company, travelled the world, got married, and travelled some more on a round the world, year long honeymoon. On that trip around the world I began taking cooking courses in different countries, fascinated especially by the different herbs and cooking styles of each locale. I began to investigate local medicines & treatments and brought so many ideas home with me.
Upon returning to Toronto I moved away from theatre and created an organic catering and personal chef company, specializing in individually created, frozen and prepared meals. My clientele included many adults and children with food sensitivities who had found that diet and nutrition had a tremendous impact on their health and well being. I researched for every one of my clients on specific ingredients and the influence they have on specific health conditions.
In 2005 I became pregnant with my first child. While I had always dreamed of being a mother, becoming pregnant put me on a crusade to prevent the little life growing inside me from suffering the same childhood afflictions that I had endured. I knew that these conditions could run in families, but I was also starting to learn about epigenetics, and I was determined to avoid it in the new life I was gestating. I researched day and night. I changed my diet. I took supplements. I eliminated environmental toxins. Fittingly, on the eve of Labour Day weekend, I gave birth to a big beautiful baby boy in the comfort of my home. He was perfect, and like most moms, I was determined to keep him healthy and safe.
