NuGo Fan of the Month: Amy Oestreicher

Amy is a survivor of 28 surgeries, coma, organ failure, total gastrectomy, seven years unable to eat or drink, and the PTSD that comes from years of trauma, starting from her senior year of high school when her stomach exploded just before senior prom. She calls this her "Beautiful Detour," which is the title of her book. She is an actress, playwright, musician, PTSD specialist, multi-disciplinary teaching artist, Audie-award nominated author, Huffington Post columnist, TEDx speaker, and recipient of Convatec's Great Comebacks award. Amy described her miraculous journey.

“Because I couldn't even have a sip of water for seven years (I was sustained on IV nutrition) after my digestive system was miraculously reconstructed, my diet was extremely limited. Then, discovering NuGo protein bars changed my life. I was able to regain my physical health, nutritional status, regain the muscle I had lost due to my coma, and actually enjoy what I eat! For the hundreds of presentations I've given, and thousands of people I've spoken to, the biggest question is, "what can I eat now?" Because of my partial intestines, I only absorb 20% of what I ingest, which is why I go through so many NuGo bars!”

For the past six years, Amy has been eating an average of five or six NuGo bars per day! She loves NuGo Vanilla Yogurt bars as dessert, and she can have two or three at a time in a cup of Greek yogurt. During the day, she eats NuGo Slim or Stronger.

“My favorite flavor would be the chocolate banana bar with 17 grams of protein. I first found NuGo bars, because when I was unable to eat or drink for years, I would constantly pace the aisles of my grocery store, dreaming of the day that my digestive system would finally be reconstructed. I was always so intrigued with NuGo, especially all the different flavors. I couldn't wait to actually try one!”

Since she has no gallbladder, she can only have bars with 5 or less grams of fat. Thankfully, NuGo has a ton of options for that. Egg white bars with 5g of fat or less, NuGo Slim bars with 5g of fat or less, Stronger Cookies ‘N Cream flavor, NuGo Free, NuGo Organic, NuGo Dark (especially Chocolate Pretzel), and NuGo Chocolate Banana and Vanilla Yogurt.

“What's great about NuGo is they fit my dietary needs, there are a ton of varieties to choose from, and they taste great. It's really difficult finding products that check all the boxes for me. These are also really high in protein. The flavors are also different than the typical flavors I see for protein bars - trail mix, espresso, dark chocolate mint - they're all great.”

Amy loves hiking, running and weight lifting. Her biggest passion is tap dance, as well as jazz, ballroom and ballet. She also enjoys martial arts, tai chi sword form, and any outdoor adventures.

Follow Amy on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Visit her website, and view her TEDx talks.