How to Choose a Health Practitioner: The Difference Between a Health Coach & an Integrative Medical Practitioner

I get a lot of questions about this, so I thought it would be a good time to get some clarity on the different types of practitioners out there, and which one is right for you.

Choosing a professional to guide you on your health journey is one of the most important decisions you can make. The person you choose can make a real difference to the outcome you get. 

I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to explain a little bit about a couple of the different modalities that are out there to help you in making a decision from a place of knowledge, and also share what it is I offer to my clients.

Let's start with a Health Coach:

These are becoming more and more popular in the field of natural therapies, with quite a few celebrities and media personalities taking on this role.

A health coach is someone who offers support and advice to people to...

And why you should care…

All Perfumes Aren’t Equal

Many of the most popular perfumes use synthetic fragrances to give them their signature scent. That ‘ode de cologne’ you love so much. The ‘floral bouquet’ aroma that seduces. That waft of ‘ocean breeze’ that takes you right to the beachside. These popular fragrances owe more to the petrochemical industry than to anything in the natural world. They are known as ‘synthetic fragrances’, or simply ‘fragrances’, and there is nothing pure or natural about them.

It is estimated that more than 95% of the components in fragrances are derived from chemicals, many of them highly toxic, that originated in the petrochemical industry. Even if your favourite perfume says it is natural, unless it lists every ingredient, you cannot be sure that they do not use ‘fragrances’. To protect their ‘secret recipes’, manufacturers are not required...

If you are unsure about working with an alternative practitioner, you are not alone. Many people are sceptical of anything that is unfamiliar and it is natural for us to be wary of what we don’t understand.

However, more and more people are looking for an integrative approach to their health and healing, one that combines scientific based medicine with more holistic methods.

What is a holistic practitioner?

First, let’s understand what defines a ‘holistic practitioner’. They go by many names; non-traditional practitioner, holistic healer, alternative or complementary therapist. And they may use many different modalities, from herbalism to kinesiology, from pranic healing to chakra balancing. The common thread is their overall approach to health and healing. Holistic practitioners look at health in a holistic way; they see the mind, body and spirit as an integrative whole.

Mainstream medicine tends to see the body as a collection...

Have you ever had that feeling of being in just the right place, at just the right time, connecting with just the right people? The planets are aligned… Everything is in sync... You are in the ‘zone’.

What is it that creates these moments? What is happening around us and to us? 

Of course, you are probably familiar with the flip side of this: Missed it by that much... Being in the wrong place at the right time... Or in the right place at the wrong time…

So how can we create a life that is filled with more synchronicity?

Let me share a story about a beautiful coincidence and the South of France.

Nine months ago, I was asked by an astrologer if I had any connection to the South of France. I was surprised to have this question asked of me out of the blue, because I have been drawn to this region for the last nine years, and have indeed gone on several vacations there in that time, the last one only 10...

The Wholistic Chakra System is a Healing Lifestyles 8th Annual Earth Day Beauty Award Winner!

Healing Lifestyles & Spas focuses on infusing integrative spa modalities and destination spa experiences ~ healing remedies ~ integrative medicine ~ wellness and sustainable practices into our daily lives; providing tools and inspiration to live a more healthy and healing spa lifestyle. They believe that spa living is a day-to-day experience. We all need to slow down, press pause, and nurture this absolute need to give back to ourselves. Living a healing lifestyle means taking care of the Earth and its people, and they thereby emphasize environmental wellness and sustainable living as a necessary component on this path.

Why they loved The Wholistic Chakra System:  “Mind, body and spirit must all be in balance in order to achieve optimal health. These 7 truly unique blends of essential oils and crystal infusions help...

Do you find it difficult to switch off and relax? Do you often feel disconnected?

One of the best remedies to ‘busy-ness’ is cultivating a spiritual practice.

But fitting in a spiritual practice can be a challenge. It is often one of those things that gets put to the bottom of the ‘to do’ list. Before you know it, another day has passed where you didn’t take a moment to reflect or to meditate.

If you crave more spiritual awareness, then one of the easiest things you can do to make this a reality, is to create the space.

By having a dedicated space for your spiritual practice, you are giving your subconscious mind a clear message. The mere fact of having the space will trigger the behavior you desire. And the opposite is also true. When there is no space in your home dedicated to spiritual growth, the subconscious message is that there is no mental or emotional room for it either. If you have ever had the thought...

Being in balance is our natural state.

When we are in balance our energy is good. We sleep better, have more vitality, recover faster. We are happier and healthier. Our mood is lighter, our intuition clearer.

When we are out of balance our energetic field is stagnant and blocked. We are quick to become ill and slow to recover. We don’t feel rested even with plenty of sleep. We suffer from negative emotional patterns.

Our precious body has innate intelligence that is always seeking a state of balance. Known as homeostasis, it keeps us healthy, happy and even alive.

Why then are so many of us out of balance?

We are beings of energy, living in a world of energy. We create energy and we consume it. We sense energy even if we can't see it. It surrounds and flows through us and influences our every thought and action. Energy is the currency of balance.

Many of us lead disconnected lives; disconnected from our surroundings, from our bodies, from each other. Daily we are...

Chocolate is synonymous with love, sensual indulgence and decadence. Who hasn’t salivated at the sight of a decadent chocolate ganache? Or had your heart race at the thought of indulging in a liqueur infused chocolate truffle? We gift chocolates to our lover. We turn to it for both comfort and celebration. The aroma is seductive and irresistible.

It can be addiction. An obsession. A love affair.

Our connection with chocolate dates back over 4,000 years. For the Mayan civilization, chocolate was an integral part of life. It was renowned to cure over 300 ailments due it its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. No single plant was held most sacred.

The Aztec civilization also held the bean of the cacao tree as sacrosanct. It played a central part in the most important rituals. Weddings, births, and religious ceremonies would not be complete without it.

A luxury item in 16th Century Europe, when the cacao bean was first introduced it was immediately adopted as...

Numerologically, 2017 is a number ‘one’: the sacred number of new beginnings.

The start of a new nine-year cycle represents a time of adventure, creation and activity. It brings with it much opportunity if you know how to prepare for it. A ‘one’ year is a time that new patterns emerge, new ideas take root, and if we have created the space for it, miracles manifest.

To embrace the abundance and opportunities available, you must first make the space emotionally, spiritually, and energetically, to allow this to happen. That means letting go of what is not serving you, forgiving those who may have wronged you, and making peace with situations you cannot change.

As you leave behind 2016, integrating the wisdom you have gathered in the previous nine years by reflecting and acknowledging your journey so far, will ensure that your next cycle is one of value and greatness.

As you go into this new cycle, use these 4 sacred rituals to move with grace...

Leaky Gut or Intestinal Hyper-permeability is such an important topic in my daily life and work. Gut health is linked to so many functions in the body: Digestion, Hormone Metabolism, Brain Function (Serotonin), Skin health, Happiness, and overall well-being.

In most cases people don’t feel well, or feel sluggish when the gut is overpopulated with offending agents such as: Candida Albicans overgrowth, bad bacteria, viruses, parasites. Not only does this drain our energy physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. 

I always address gut health and the importance of healthy and supportive eating habits. Physical wellbeing can’t be excluded from spiritual and mental well-being. All of the systems work in unison.

When the gut is off balance, then our chakras are off balance as well. Most of the time I recognize a repeating pattern in most of my patients: when gut health is not addressed, the imbalance can lead to at least 3 blocked chakras.

The results can be...