By Julia Chiappetta
As I travel through the world of alternative protocols for health and wellness, I often find that people are looking for that magic bullet to eradicate whatever illness or ailment they are dealing with.
Personally, I am discouraged when I hear this, and often share my humble experience: that there is no one thing that cures us, but rather there are many paths to wellness. It is hard work that requires daily commitment. For me, it is represented in what I call my “Circle of Balance,” which looks like this: education, diagnostics, science, nutrition, fitness, prayer, diet and lifestyle changes all blended into the motto stay the course!
It has been 17 years since my cancer diagnosis, which came 90 days after finally being diagnosed properly with Lupus (I was misdiagnosed for several years). As I began to research along with my training buddy Mark Chyrywaty, who generously shared with me his medical and scientific expertise, it became evident that I would need to change everything to succeed.
So… this is where I began my journey and where I remain in my journey by staying the course. As I was traveling through the alternative sphere of natural protocols, I found it exciting and mind-altering to see the wonders of how I could feed my mind and body with nutrients mostly from the dirt to feel better and heal. I combined that with rest, clean pH water, prayer, and better choices to eliminate stress. What was disappointing at that time was that none of my local doctors had offered up any of this great information—except for one, Dr. Carine Klein, who was way ahead of her time in regard to nutrition and fitness.
Now I go to my “Office of Health & Wellness” each morning, where I make conscious decisions as to how I will treat my body that day. Every year since that very first year, I have attended conferences, read medical journals and abstracts, watched videos, liaised with like-minded doctors, practitioners and naturopaths to glean the latest, cutting-edge protocols being used to treat and help heal others.
I have also ventured to a few of the best clinics to try and learn from the experts, because I know that every day, week and year I am exposed to toxins, most of which are environmental, like diesel fuel, radon, mold, fungus, virus, general pollution, chemicals, heavy metals and stress. Through blood tests, exams and kinesiology, I am able to tweak my plan of care as needed. Staying the course doesn’t mean never making changes; it means being open to exploring new protocols and implementing them as needed. This closely mirrors my daily walk with Jesus, where I mess up, need new information, implement, and stay the course.
Working hard to maintain optimal wellness is not any easy task, and when I speak with others who have just gone through a scary diagnosis or treatment, I see them going back to their old habits. Some try to make changes, but more often than not, give up by cheating a bit and eventually going back to old habits, digesting the same junk and stress. This is why I believe we see so many secondary diseases. You cannot trick your body—it has muscle memory, digestive memory and soul memory.
I have come to understand that health and wellness is not about any one thing; it is about many paths that intersect. Our bodies, perfectly designed by God, are intricate systems, each deserving and requiring attention. For example, I never thought about alkalinity when I was running, playing sports or working out in my twenties, but I am sure keen on it now: It’s one of the essentials for life, and we were born perfectly alkaline.
I am saddened when I see peddling of so-called miracle healers, because I feel that without commitment, consistency and caring, it is impossible to achieve anything great. People I meet often ask me what I consume on a daily basis and to write it down for them. My thought on that, however, is that that what works for me may not be what they are lacking or needing. Of course, there are the obvious staples and practices that everyone should aspire to implement daily, but my Circle of Balance is based on science, chemistry, diagnostics—and how I feel. My trust in those who I consult with is a huge part of that, because I need those experts and mentors. All of this knowledge brings me peace and a knowing that I am on the right track as I stay the course, no matter how bumpy my path may get, and making adjustments as I go.
It can never be just about “one thing,” but rather about exploring many new things and making better decisions about what we put in our bodies, on our bodies, in our minds, and especially in our hearts. Our bodies are a temple from God and our heart is the center of it all and where He meets us, so I try to honor my body so I can hear Him and receive His blessings each day.
My hope is that you stay the course, fight the good fight, soar high, meet challenges without fear, seek truth, share your gifts and talents, help those who are hurting, broken or lonely, and drink some yummy green juice as you celebrate life and these lazy days of summer, that we wait all year to savor.
Julia Chiappetta is the author of “Breast Cancer: The Notebook” (Gemini Media, 2006) and is also the owner of Julia Chiappetta Consulting. She lives in Cos Cob. More information and past columns can be found at JuliaChiappetta.com
