My personal journey into Health and Wellness began in early 2017. Sure, up to that point I was mindful of moving my body, popping some supplements and giving some thought into what I put into my mouth. But I still didn’t understand the full correlation between diet and health. I started having very heavy monthly cycles and was meeting with various doctors about the possibility of having a hysterectomy. This was my catalyst to start doing a deeper dive. I had a few friends that were also exhibiting some health issues, some had hypothyroidism, some were on statins, some had high blood pressure. My husband had IBS and drank Pepto-Bismol by the gallon. Another friend had developed Crohn’s disease. Another was unable to eat most things without feeling sick. Another had debilitating rheumatoid arthritis in his early 50’s. Two friends had colon cancer, one of whom did not survive it. Most had sleep issues. We were all early to mid-forties and some major health issues were already starting to crop up.

The first book I picked up was called Breakthrough, by Suzanne Somers. I was hooked. I read about many natural supplements including D-Mannose which is a natural simple sugar you can find at any natural food store that can help stop a UTI in its tracks. Suzanne wrote about many other natural ways to fight disease without employing a pharmaceutical drug. Like me, she had become frustrated with conventional medicine and also rejects the idea that we are destined to live with disfunction and disability as a natural part of aging. She encourages us to improve our health without medical interference. I didn’t stop with this one book of Suzanne’s; I bought every single one. I loved her personal story and all of the functional medicine doctors she interviewed. Her book entitled Toxic was a real eyeopener and stated some staggering facts about the toxins in our daily environment. I still didn’t stop there. I read the entire Woman’s Health Journal, multiple books on bio-identical hormones, scientific papers outlining reasons why pharmaceuticals can be so harmful and why doctors hand out prescriptions such as statins like candy. I went to health conferences, interviewed multiple doctors from traditional western medicine to and eastern medicine. I met with Naturopathic Doctors. Functional Medicine Doctors. Homeopathic Doctors. I went for acupuncture, visited osteopaths, sat in infrared saunas, met with Chinese herbalists who I peppered with questions. I even flew down to Santa Monica and met with the very doctor that Suzanne Somers herself goes to. Along the way I made changes, added supplements and added many more fruits and veg to my diet. I continued reading. I sent my friends books. Lots and lots of books. I would start up conversations at the health food store and seek out anyone who was on a journey similar to mine. I am sure I was driving everyone crazy!

I found the Medical Medium and learnt about his calling and his celery juice protocol (which I did religiously for a full year). I found Steven R. Gundry’s books and read the Plant Paradox and most recently The Longevity Paradox which spoke of the dangers of lectins. I ordered all of Dan Levy's books and discovered how powerful magnesium and vitamin C are, and how toxic supplementing with calcium is. I just finished reading the loveliest book by Nadine Artemis called Renegade Beauty which was a reminder of all the toxins in the products we love to slather and spray on our skin and face, put under our arms and in our mouths. She spoke a lot about dentistry and how having a root canal or one’s wisdom teeth removed can cause multiple health issues over time and what to look for.

I found essential oils, boy did I find essential oils! It became my mission to read and watch anything I could find on this subject. I sourced the cleanest varieties, learnt what to look for, where not to buy them from. I started diffusing with them and mixing them into various concoctions to put on my skin. I made tinctures for my sons’ acne, my daughters bug bites, my melasma.

Along the way my health and energy levels improved, my skin became clearer, my brain fog lifted, my heavy cycles became manageable. I cancelled my hysterectomy. My husband stopped his chronic Pepto-Bismol habit (apple cider vinegar cured this one) and his IBS was less intense (quitting wheat & dairy helped with this one).

I did find many books conflicted with one another. Where one told its audience to eat as many fruits as possible another said to limit fruits and only eat in season. Where one said to avoid all lectins, another encouraged you to eat them. One book said to avoid eggs, another embraced them. However, there were many common threads and this is where I pieced together what worked for me.

My biggest take away from my journey was that we ultimately control our own destiny when it comes to our health. The sentiment that it is genetics, or simply the aging process does not resonate with me. We may have a genetic “weakness” or susceptibility, but something has to turn on the switch.

We can begin to advocate for our own health and not accept a doctor’s blanket opinion as finite. We can do our own research and find natural solutions. Seek out other opinions. We can take certain supplements to help strengthen our immune system and help offset some of the toxins we are exposed to daily. We can work on getting better sleep, managing our stress levels, moving our body, making better food choices including eating organic, non-GMO, locally sourced food when possible. Choosing wild fish over farmed, choosing free run antibiotic and hormone free chicken and eggs and grass-fed beef over commercially processed options. We can focus on incorporating more fresh vegetables into our diets and eating less sugar. It does not have to be overwhelming or all-consuming to choose to live a heathy life.

I am “all in” on my journey to wellness, and while I continue to explore and experiment with a multitude of alternative health therapies, I have also made the decision to expand my knowledge through continued education, and am now proud to be a 3rd year student of Homeopathy at the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine. I hope by gaining a greater comprehension in the field of holistic medicine, this will allow me to share a wider range of information when it comes to empowering others to take control of their own health and wellness journey.

At the end of the day, the path to wellness is not about “beating” aging in my opinion. It’s about living a good quality of life for as long as possible maintaining our wits while remaining pain and illness free. I truly believe this is attainable for all. Most importantly, it’s never too late to start!

Books I have read and would recommend if you also want to learn more:

• Breakthrough, Suzanne Somers
• Toxic, Suzanne Somers
• Woman’s Health,
• Medical Medium, Anthony Williams
• The Plant Paradox, Steven R. Gundry
• The Longevity Paradox, Steven R. Gundry
• Renegade Beauty, Nadine Artemis

You can shop all of these HERE