Her Health Was Failing. Then She Found Macrobiotics.
The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee
Physicians Committee
4.9 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 15 July 2025
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
At 19, Marisa was told her colon might need to be removed to heal her ulcerative colitis. At 29, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. But today, she’s thriving—and sharing how she used food, intuition, and determination to heal.
In this powerful episode of The Exam Room, Chuck Carroll sits down with Marisa to unpack her two-decade-long health journey. From life-threatening flare-ups and hospital stays to a macrobiotic diet, emotional resilience, and the importance of advocating for your body, Marisa’s story is a beacon of hope for anyone navigating chronic illness.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How Marisa used macrobiotics to heal
- Why Marisa said “no” to surgery—and what happened next
- How trauma, stress, and intuition played a role in recovery
- The life-changing mindset shift she wants everyone to hear
Don’t miss this one—especially if you or someone you love is struggling with ulcerative colitis, thyroid issues, or chronic inflammation
Key Takeaways
What is a macrobiotic diet?
Marisa describes a macrobiotic diet as eating "a perfect plate" -- one that is plant-based and balanced in foods containing carbohydrates and starches, and healthy fats, for example.
What’s the connection between stress and chronic illness?
Marisa’s flares often followed emotional events. Her journey highlights how stress and trauma can manifest physically, and why emotional healing is vital.
Who is Marisa Marinelli?
Marisa is a health and wellness advocate who healed from ulcerative colitis and thyroid cancer. She says a macrobiotic diet, self-education, and emotional resilience played a significant role in her recovery.
— — SHOW LINKS — —
Marisa Marinelli
Instagram: instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macromarinelli
— — —
Holistic Holiday at Sea Cruise
https://holisticholidayatsea.com
— — —
Gout Cereal Study
https://bit.ly/cerealgoutstudy
— — EVENTS — —
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Where: Washington, DC
When: August 14-16, 2025
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— — —
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Where: Canaan Valley Resort - Davis, WV
When: Sept. 26-27, 2025
Tix & Speakers: https://www.brendaworkmanspeaks.com/wellness-weekend
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Physicians Committee
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Today on the exam room. |
| 0:04.0 | I woke up and I said, I don't care what you're doing, you're not removing my colon. |
| 0:08.0 | That's not happening. So at 19, I made a decision that I was not having surgery for this. |
| 0:15.0 | I knew the effects of having a colossomy bag. |
| 0:20.0 | I couldn't imagine that was my life. I was like, |
| 0:22.6 | I don't want to live if that's the way I'm going to live. I just wanted to get back on stage. |
| 0:27.6 | I was like, no, I am a dancer and this is who I am. Like if I identified as that. So if I wasn't dancing, |
| 0:34.6 | if I wasn't performing, if I wasn't expressing my body through |
| 0:37.6 | movement, then I'm not living. Welcome to the exam room podcast, brought to you by the |
| 0:47.2 | Physicians Committee. Hi, I'm the weight loss champion, Chuck Carroll, raising health |
| 0:51.4 | IQs coast to coast and around the world. Hi to the exam room. He's |
| 0:55.6 | listening in Portland, Maine, Santa Maria, California, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Wherever you are, |
| 1:03.0 | we appreciate you helping to make the world a healthier place. This is episode 58 of season 8, |
| 1:08.9 | number 657 overall. |
| 1:11.6 | And this is a warrior kind of day here on the show. |
| 1:16.3 | And our warrior in the spotlight is Marissa Marinelli. |
| 1:21.0 | She lives her life by three of my favorite words, |
| 1:25.3 | three very powerful words, never give up. You see, Marissa, at the |
| 1:32.1 | age of 19, doctors told her that her colon might need to be removed because of ulcerative |
| 1:38.6 | colitis. And then 10 years later, when she was 29, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. |
| 1:45.5 | But today, Marissa is thriving and sharing how she used food and intuition and determination in order to heal her body. |
| 1:56.7 | She joined me in studio here in Washington, D.C. recently to unpack her nearly two-decade-long health journey, |
... |
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