I was born in Havana, Cuba in 1956. I studied universal history at the University of Havana and arrived in the United States on August 19, 1994.

In 2010, at the age of 53, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, with a carcinoma Gleason score of 7. According to the doctors, the tumor was very advanced for someone my age. I was told my case was untreatable, that there was no solution, and that my already advanced disease would rapidly metastasize to the lungs, bones, and elsewhere. It felt like I had been sentenced to death.

I looked for other opinions and began radiation and chemotherapy treatment, which I eventually elected to suspend due to unbearable side effects, some of which I have continued to struggle against for the past 11 years. In fact, my struggle against those side effects is one of the main things that motivated me to write my story and publish it. I wrote Testimony of Life to help those who are interested in maintaining good health and preventing degenerative diseases. I want to bring real, positive hope to others by sharing my story, and also explain the damage that was caused to my body by the radiation treatments. Cancer motivated me a great deal to understand the science and power of nutrition, and I continue to apply that understanding every day of my life.

Combined with exercise and some meditation, the whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet helped me lose 103 pounds and recover my health.

Investigating alternatives to the treatments that were killing me, I learned that plants could play a big role in restoring my natural defenses. The world of plants is full of high quality vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and other important nutrients that we need to be well. Combined with exercise and some meditation, the whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet helped me lose 103 pounds and recover my health.

I have carried out higher level studies at the University of Tenerife Spain, where I received my master’s degree in clinical nutrition in medicine. I have completed the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. My fundamental objective is to spread the message that a cancer diagnosis is not the end!

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