As an RTT therapist and health and weight management coach, good health and nutrition are of great importance. The mind and body connection are vital to health and well-being on every level. I learned early on just how valuable and life-changing good health is. 

In my early 20s, I became very sick and spent 18 months with my entire day consumed with finding enough strength to make my way into the shower and back into bed; I could not walk across a room without collapsing on my feet. I was 22 years old; my friends were having the time of their lives, and I felt as though my world had no life at all. I was beyond depressed. I had seen doctor after doctor and had a drawer full of medications, but there were no answers for what was happening to me or why.

Doctors told me I had elevated a white blood cell count while my red blood cell count was extremely low. I was hallucinating, had severe headaches, and had dizziness. They tested for leukemia, infectious disease and took x-rays for brain cancer, but test after test revealed nothing. The depression only got worse, so did my symptoms. I continued to lay in bed praying someone would find the answer, but all I got was: “it is all in your head.” The solution was more medications, all kinds of anti-depressants, and muscle relaxers.

At some point, in almost all cases, with extended illness, the mental becomes physical, and the physical becomes mental, no one could help me. I had NO HOPE, so yes, I am sorry to say I prayed to die and pretty much got my wish. The mind is powerful and listens to what you are thinking. I was rushed to the hospital and went into a diabetic coma. My liver and kidneys were shutting down; my body was shutting down, and I was lying at deaths' doorstep as my near-death experience unfolded. Yes, there was lots of activity as they began to stabilize my condition enough to send me home one week later. Again, no explanations, no new answers, and a blank diagnosis. Two weeks later, I was back in the hospital; still no answers. 

Fortunately, while talking about my ordeal with a client, she recommended seeing a Naturopathic doctor. After explaining everything that was happening to me and after a few different tests, he found that I had one of the most extreme cases of hypoglycemia/low blood sugar that he had ever seen. His actual words were: “Based on what I am seeing from your test results, I do not even know how you are standing in front of me right now." Keep in mind this was the early nineteen seventies.

Once I started a low glycemic diet and started taking nutritional supplements, I began to feel better. After just three weeks, I was 50% recovered, and three months later, I was back to normal. I felt like I had encountered a miracle!

It was a process for sure, but the lessons were life-changing. Never would I have known at 22 years old or taken so seriously the impact of a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, and the role supplements play in balancing blood sugar. As I learned more about the limitations of medications, the impacts of stress, and the power of the mind, I began to understand the influence each of these components has on body chemistry, which can easily disrupt the mind and body.

Through the many classes, seminars, and training events I have attended on health management, combined with my RTT certification, I am more passionate than ever about improving the lives of others. I feel so fortunate to have worked alongside health practitioners, which enabled me to provide my clients with essential nutrients. By sharing my knowledge and life experiences, I hope others will see the extreme power of the mind/body connection so vital to health and overall well-being.

Valerie