I’m finally starting my website! It’s been on my mind a while now, and I have found many reasons to not do it – “It’s too technical”, “I don’t know where to start”, or the catch-all “I’m too exhausted”.
But at the same time, I have a ton of ideas and a lot to say. And I want to connect with others who are on similar roads and hear what you’re doing, what questions you have, and how I can help you.
why am I here?
Since my cancer diagnosis two years ago, I’ve been through a roller coaster of emotions and intellectual pursuits, interspersed with times of activity and times of rest and reflection. And this website is the perfect place to share my learnings with you.
So, first off, thank you for reading! Maybe you’re currently just starting out on this roller coaster, or you’re a little further down the track – either on your own coaster or perhaps riding along with someone you care about.
I hope you find these pages to be filled with information, encouragement and connection.
search for knowledge
One of the first things I asked after I found out I had cancer was “how did I get it and what can I do to promote healing?”
My doctors said it was most likely caused by extreme stress and the best thing I could do would be to have the surgery and do the chemotherapy and any other needed treatments.
I felt so out of control.
I wasn’t overweight and had never smoked. I ate healthful foods for the most part. Obviously, I needed to reduce my stress levels, but what else could I do?
When I asked what kind of diet I should eat, I was told was to eat a “healthy diet” with no real explanation of what that was.
Why so little guidance?
Doctors are focused on medical treatments, not diet. And it’s not their fault. U.S. medical schools offer an average of only 19.6 hours of nutrition instruction across four years of medical school, according to a 2010 study in Academic Medicine. The authors of this report conclude that:
“The amount of nutrition education that medical students receive continues to be inadequate.”
I have a fantastic team of doctors and have confidence in their medical knowledge, skills and expertise. But when it came to nutrition, stress management and self care, I felt there was more I could do.
So I dove into the research to figure out what changes I needed to make. And I learned a lot. It was overwhelming!
When I started out, there was so much conflicting information that I didn’t know what to believe.
But I followed the research and read up on the reliable information sources, proven research studies, books and medical journals.
And the right path began to emerge.
The key things I learned fall into five areas that address the whole person:
- Nutrition: what to eat and drink and what not to eat and drink
- Reducing toxic chemicals in beauty and skin care
- Reducing toxic chemicals in home cleaning products
- Rest and exercise
- Connections with others
how will this help you?
This website is structured around the 5 key areas and how to create habits to integrate the changes into your life to avoid overwhelm.
Since I’m not a doctor, my focus is on my learnings and experiences and what I’ve done non-medically, i.e., all the other “holistic” changes that do not involve medical treatments or medications.
Here’s a basic 3-step framework we’ll use to get started:
- Mindset: Get your head into a place of positivity, focusing on the things you can control and letting go of the things you can’t.
- Learn: Research what you should be doing to support healing. I have a background in research, so I’ve read a lot of research articles and studies on nutrition, exercise, stress and environmental/topical chemicals. I have so many resources to help you, don’t worry…we’ll get to that part soon!
- Establish healthful habits: this is the step that will avoid overwhelm and make the changes doable and sustainable. Here, we’ll get some good routines in place and do them regularly so that they become habits. You can’t expect to master complex routines when you’re exhausted and haven’t established the right foundation.
So let’s start small and build from there!
what’s next?
I’ll share tips, resources and information based on research and experience that you can apply in your life in small steps, giving you results without the overwhelm.
To round out this first post, my goals for this website are to:
- Equip you with reliable, easy to understand information and resources to help you to make the best decisions you can
- Encourage you when the world seems to be conspiring against you and
- Engage with you on our collective wellness path.
And I’ll do that in a way that gives you:
- Transparency and honesty about my experiences, results and recommendations
- Connection – an opportunity for you to connect with me and others, ask questions, share and be heard
- And some fun thrown in too!
Let’s do this!
Thank you for being here – I so look forward to hearing from you and navigating this path to wellness together.
Now it’s your turn! What are you doing to take care of your whole self?
Amy Marette xx
Equip | Encourage | Engage
