Briefly introduce yourself and share a bit about your background.
Hello, my name is Larry Canada, and I am an attorney with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program. I am also an Adjunct Faculty member here at the University of Alabama School of Law teaching trial advocacy. I have worked with the university since October of 2017. I finished my bachelor’s degree here with a major in chemistry and went on to graduate from law school in May of 1986. I was in private practice from 1986 until I retired in 2017: when I returned to Alabama.
What were some challenges or obstacles you encountered during your wellness journey?
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was 13 years old. I did not realize how serious of an issue it truly was until I was much older. Since that time with the treatment and everything, I have tried being much more careful. I started judo in the 2nd grade, and I was still competing up until I was 54 in 2010. In 2010 I was diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma, and I went from 275 pounds down to 180 in the course of six months. I basically lost everything: muscle mass, endurance, you name it. I couldn’t drive a car and couldn’t even take the cap off a water bottle by myself. Since that date, I have been trying to recover the fitness and muscle mass that I lost.
Is there a specific wellness program that has had a positive impact on you?
I have been working on regaining my strength and endurance since 2010. Not just for the physical, but also for my own mental wellbeing, and to get rid of Type 2 diabetes. Exercise and my then diet was not seeming to do it for me. That’s when I discovered this program that was offered by the University called “Virta”. It is basically a lifestyle change through your view of food and a medically monitored keto diet. I started at 235 pounds and with the help of this regime, in six months, I was down to 200 pounds. I was able to get off all the medicines that I was forced to take for so long. In the over five years I have been on this program I have maintained my weight right at 195. My A1c is now between 5.4-5.5, which is really good. And, my workouts have been so much better in regaining my strength and endurance, which is very rewarding.
How has your wellness journey influenced your daily life, including work, relationships, and overall well-being?
I think that eating right changes your health and affects everything about you. Your self-image, your ability to cope with stress, your ability to communicate with others are all impacted by your health and wellbeing. If you are not feeling good physically or mentally, you are certainly not going to excel in anything that you do. You are not going to treat others the way that you would like to be treated. Take it back to the golden rule. To me, it is all about me. If I can improve me, I can make me all about you.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your wellness journey?
I have always been goal oriented. That includes my fitness journey. I was introduced to cross country obstacle course racing in 2021. My goal was to just finish one: a 5k in Georgia in 2021 (with 20 obstacles). Then I did another in 2022. In 2023 I did my first trifecta; a 5k, a 10k (25 obstacles), and a 21k (30 obstacles) all in the same year. I ended up finishing 3 trifectas, 13 total races in all in 2023. This past March of 2024 I did my first weekend trifecta. Which was a 21k on Saturday, and a 10k and a 5k in on Sunday. (Not bad for a 67 year old cancer survivor.) My goal is to finish 3 more trifecta weekends this year for a total of 4. When I am out there, I don’t care if people pass me, I just want to finish. If someone needs help with an obstacle or food, I help them. I am not competing with others, only myself. If I am able to finish and maybe improve my time, I feel good about what I was able to do. Maintaining the focus on my diet with the VIRTA program has truly been an amazing pathway for me. You can sit back and rock on the couch, or you can do something that improves yourself. If you have problems with Type II diabetes, and maybe weight, give the Virta Program a try. Thanks UA for offering this program, as it has changed my health and life for the better.
Read more inspiring wellness stories, tips for maintaining a healthy routine, and meet all the UA Spotlight on Wellness employees from this year.
