On the hunt for some “cutting edge” tactics
to beef up your health?

Today you are going to meet a health guru who is quite “in the know”

on acupuncture and supplementation.

Come join me!

MEET STEPHANIE NOWAK!

This passionate lady is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Board Certified Health Coach.
Currently, Stephanie is studying acupuncture and functional medicine.
She and her mom, Theresa, own & operate Nature’s Country Cupboard,
a vibrant health food store in South Haven, MI. (My favorite of one in the country!)

Together, these two ladies possess 50 years of holistic experience! That’s half a century of health “know how!”

Today we’re going to learn of Stephanie’s journey that led her on this wellness path…a trek that took a few different roads.

HER STORY:

“I didn’t follow a straight cut path,” starts out Stephanie. “I liken it to a winding road.
Growing up in a supplement store, I was exposed to holistic health. I was in high school at the time and really didn’t think about it. It seemed I was always working at the store.”

BUT WHEN…

The “AHA” came when her dad died of congestive heart failure at the age of 58.
His early passing catapulted her from her culinary studies into the health care realm.

Her first stop was in chiropractic. While she & her fiance’ were building a home, she began seeing a chiropractor back pain and overall health. With frequent visits, her chiropractor suggested she step into the field and so she did. She went to the Palmer Institute of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

IT ONLY GETS WORSE!

Newly married…her dad recently deceased and 4 hours from her family in southwest Michigan, Stephanie would commute on weekends while enrolled in school in Iowa!! Eek! Talk about an overload! NO BUENO!

She gained weight and while in class, experienced her first panic attack…thinking it was a heart attack!

Immediately she left her chiropractic studies to “regroup.” What was going on? All the while, the panic attacks and anxiety morphed into night terrors!!
As Stephanie puts it, “I was one hot mess!” For stress she ate…and ate…and ate…
And then her gall bladder manifested problems! What next?

SAVE THE GALL BLADDER!!

Stephanie didn’t want to lose this organ of hers! She didn’t want to do acupuncture with the needles either…but she was DESPERATE! What did she have to lose?

ACUPUNCTURE iS THE HERO!!

After one treatment, the pain was better. With Chinese herbs and acupuncture,
her gall bladder healed itself!!

Stephanie was SOLD! She enrolled at Pacific College of Health & Science in Chicago. Now in her 4rth year…80% of studies and 40% of clinical experience under her belt …Stephanie is on fire to share this amazing health practice!

WHY ACUPUNCTURE?

“There’s a wide range of health conditions that people can benefit from with acupuncture,” says Stephanie.

“It’s a nervous system re-set. Acupuncture pushes our bodies into a ‘rest & restore/healing mode.’ “

AN ANCIENT PRACTICE…

Acupuncture… a 3000-year-old Chinese medicine practice…works off the belief that “blockage in the flow of one’s life energy (qi) can create health challenges.”

“Thin needles are inserted into specific points throughout the body to bring balance to the body’s energy. As a result, healing is ignited and relaxation is enhanced.”

Acupuncture is its own medical system in a sense. It’s a “stand alone” medicine.

WHAT IS TRAINING LIKE?

The Pacific College of Health & Science offers a Doctor of Acupuncture program. This study is more comprehensive than others. Stephanie wanted the doctor accreditation.

This program is not for the faint of heart. 150 credits are needed to graduate…2800 credit hours…and over 700 hours of clinic time is what’s required. Most people finish in 3-5 years.

Stephanie even has Chinese history classes to understand why acupuncture was developed and who was in power then.

Organs are observed from an energetic level. No microscopes are used. The body is looked at differently…everything working together…emotions included. Indeed…acupuncture is very tailored and a detailed study for each individual.

“We have over 300 points in our bodies,” continues Stephanie, “that correspond to different organs and channels.”

“We read radial pulses & read the tongue.” Based on the coating & color of the it, the acupuncturist gets an idea of how to formulate each specialized treatment.

HER NICHE…

Stephanie is really drawn to “memory health.” Her niche is with alzheimer’s. She loves functional medicine or ”root” medicine which specializes in the root cause of disease. See my post on functional medicine here for more details.

Stephanie wants to dig even deeper and find out just what causes the memory lapses in some people. “Healthy aging is critical to keeping diseases at bay,” she says.

SALIVA TESTS!!

There are saliva tests called “Biological Age Tests,” that compare your biological age to your chronological age. “It’s all about living your best life.” Stephanie recommends getting your own saliva tested to see how your own body is aging… to know if what you’re doing is or isn’t working. “You can be your own guinea pig and work on yourself with your findings,” she adds. She uses Trume Labs.

HER FUTURE PRACTICE!

Stephanie has a heart for those who can’t afford this kind of health tool. She definitely
wants to integrate acupuncture with functional medicine. “Pairing them can do a lot of amazing things for people.”

Although she likes specializing, she doesn’t want to specialize too much. Stephanie wants to help as many people as she can. Her quest? To see how she can get the most amount of people to her practice! This lady has a passion for wellness!

HEALTH ISSUES TO AVOID!

I asked Stephanie what are some of the biggest health challenges she’s seeing “on the rise” in today’s world. Here is her response:

“#1 is ANXIETY. It’s hitting all age groups. One of my functional medicine colleagues has observed the same thing…a 30% rise in anxiety to be exact.”

“#2 is GUT HEALTH. Poor food…stress…diet is huge…and food today is less nutrient dense. Antibiotics are on the rise…one’s microbiome is forever changed with just one round of antibiotics! Microbiome…your own collection of bacteria & fungi… co-exist in your gut. It has profound affects on your health!”

STOOL TESTS!

Stephanie continues: “There are stool tests you can order that give you a break down of your microbiome. You can order these yourself. Research a good one here.

HOW TO BE PROACTIVE WITH YOUR HEALTH!

Here’s Stephanie’s wisdom: “Be honest with yourself. What things could you be doing better? You already know the little steps…eating better, drinking more water, exercise. Put them into action. ”

“The current health care system is very discouraging. Know that you do have options. It can be very daunting…society in general wants to give the responsibility of their health to someone else. NO! Take responsibility for your own health…PLEASE!”

TOP SUPPLEMENTS TO TAKE!

I had to ask this woman of holistic knowledge what are the top supplements she recommends taking on a daily basis. Here’s her answer:

“It’s all very individualized. Work with someone you can trust who has the training. A lot depends on your lifestyle and diet too.”

“A good ‘multiple’ is a great base. Numerous studies have been done proving that taking a ‘multiple’ helps decrease cognitive age-related decline…even some cancers…the research is out there. Multiple vitamins are good for you. Choose yours wisely.”

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD SUPPLEMENT!

Stephanie continues: “You always get what you pay for. I’m partial to practitioner brands that have a high level of science & research. Look for those with no fillers…no dyes….no magnesium stearate. This very controversial ingredient can bother one’s microbiome. Better companies are phasing it out.”

“Watch also for having the proper forms of a vitamin or mineral. “Methylated “B” for example. “

To learn more about them, click here.

Stephanie recommends Pure Encapsulations. Their formulas are based on current therapeutic evidence.

WHERE YOU BUY!

“Where you buy your vitamins is so important,” says Stephanie. “Make sure you can trust the source. Be wary of counterfeit vitamins you buy online.”

Check out this article from Whole Foods Magazine here. It may surprise you!

Continues Stephanie: “Never buy probiotics on line. You don’t know the condition they have been stored in. Watch the warehouses too! We get it right from the company when ordering for our store.”

She finishes off with: “Make a priority and start there…even with all that’s offered online. Your health is worth it!”

Let’s challenge each other to make choosing good health supplements our priority!

Thanks, Stephanie, for your wisdom and years of holistic experience!

Find out more at naturescountrycupboard.com.

Joy in your health today!

Cheerio!