My first "real" job was at a nursery, taking care of a greenhouse and the plants in the sale yard.I didn't know then about the problems with herbicides and pesticides; I was a "good employee" and did what my boss told me to do.
Coincidentally, my dentist decided I needed to receive two amalgam fillings, even though my teeth and gums were quite healthy, and I had no cavities. I didn't know at the time that "silver" fillings had very little silver in them, but they did contain lots of mercury.
I was a "good patient" and got the fillings (although I did object, I was just a kid and not allowed to make my health decisions).
And evidently, I damaged my liver.
Within a year, I developed allergies severe enough to require a prescription antihistamine so that I could breathe. I also developed hypoglycemia, so maybe my pancreas was damaged, too.
Even maxed out on the antihistamine dosage, I was only clear for about 30 minutes, then had to wait another 3 1/2 hours for the next dose. It was do-able, but not the healthy, robust life I'd been used to for 17 years.
Then, having become a "Mother Earther" I discovered Linus Pauling and Vitamin C.
I replaced my prescription antihistamine with 10 grams of vitamin C every day. It never got me quite as clear as the pharmaceutical, but I could breathe ALL DAY.
I decided to learn about nutrition.
Replacing ALL refined foods with their un-refined counterparts (My big rule was "Eat nothing WHITE"), I felt better almost immediately, and (painlessly) dropped 20 pounds in the next year.
So, as a nineteen year old, I started on this Path.
Over time, I studied, observed, lived, studied some more, and learned about sustainable systems. I became an activist of sorts, spreading the word, doing what I could in my own life.
For the last decade, I've had a natural food store in the little Texas Hill Country town of Blanco.
It's been a lot of work, and has done a lot of Good.
[I also do wellness lifestyle consulting; in a small town, you've gotta wear more than one hat. 
Check it out http://www.personal-wellness-consultant.com]
It's all about Healthy Living.
