Since I discovered a health problem in 2015, I started to become more interested in health and nutrition. How the body works, how the food we eat influences our health and impacts the way we feel.
At that time it became increasingly clear to me that allopathic/conventional medicine had actually little to do with health and healing. I experienced the limitations, the arrogance and ignorance of the “healthcare” system — wouldn’t it be more accurate to call it sick-care? — And I often found myself frustrated with the suppressing and managing symptoms approach.
Having grown up in a family of medical doctors, my diet and habits were healthy. I have always had a Mediterranean diet, which is by far more natural and healthier compared to western diet. Sodas, candies and desserts were just allowed on special occasions for instance. And junk food was never part of my diet.
I never ever considered following this educational path and going to medical school. Even when my father tried to push us in this direction, when I was younger.
In spite of that, I realized and decided it was time for me to start taking an active role and ownership of my health and healing journey. I immersed myself in research, reading and studying other approaches to health.
That’s when I came across holistic medicine which emphasizes the interconnectedness of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. And functional medicine — medicine that also takes a whole-person approach. Treats the root cause of disease and restores the focus on health and healing away from disease/symptom management.
Unlike the reductionist approach of conventional medicine which I never resonated with. I was fascinated with the holistic approaches to health and functional medicine. Instead of labeling and treating diseases based on their symptoms, functional medicine treats the underlying cause of the disease. It is about WHY you have the disease, not just naming WHAT disease you have. And merely suppressing the symptoms with a pill.
Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food.
Hippocrates
The foundation of functional medicine is the use of food as medicine, as the first-line therapy. The moment I realized that is when I got into functional nutrition — nutrition that follows the principles of functional medicine.
Functional medicine honors that there is more to health than what we eat. Considering lifestyle factors as well, such as stress levels, activity level, sleeping habits related to personalizing a treatment for the individual.
The systems-thinking and systems biology-based approach used in functional medicine and nutrition strongly resonated with my analytical mind.
The seed had been planted for a new passion. I had fallen in love with the world of holistic health & nutrition. And a new journey started for me.
I usually say, I got into it by accident and ended up really passionate about it and about spreading the word. I have been a huge advocate of holistic health & functional nutrition since then. And I have realized that most chronic illnesses could be treated and reversed if people had the road map.
And that is WHY I am here. To spark awareness.