Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly L. Campbell, President and Founder of TheHolisticOption.com, a new informative online directory for holistic practitioners in the U.S.
Jessi: First let me start off by saying I love the layout of the site. It's clean and easy to navigate around. It's also loaded with information. Now onto the questions.
How long has the site been up and running?
Kelly: We officially launched on April 30, 2008, so we are just about 7 months young!
Jessi: How many practitioners do you have listed in your directory?
Kelly: At present, we have about 50 practitioners, including integrative medical doctors and licensed professionals across 25 different modalities. Each practitioner has been individually screened by our volunteer Advisory Board to ensure proper credentialing, licenses (if applicable) and professionalism of the applicant. We haven't marketed directly to practitioners yet, so once we do, the directory will begin to grow larger and larger.
Jessi: It's just for use in the States right now. Any plans to expand to Europe or Canada?
Kelly: There is potential to expand into Canada, but we feel strongly that Americans need the most education about natural therapies, whole food nutrition and getting back to basics. There is really so much work to do in educating people about how what they're eating and how they're living effects both their health (and the health of their families) and the environment. That's also the reason why there is no cost to become a Community Member on the site. Visitors can click the 'User Signup' button to view all of the features and benefits of FREE membership on TheHolisticOption.com.
Jessi: What is your background? Are you/were you a practitioner of any kind?
Kelly: My background is actually in graphic and website design. I've never been a holistic practitioner, nor do I have any medical training. I usually just describe myself as 'an overly-educated consumer.' I've always had a passion for natural health, alternative medicine and whole food nutrition, so creating this site was a great bridge of my professional expertise and personal passions.
Jessi: Was there a specific instance that prompted you to create the site?
Kelly: The site was born out of my frustration in trying to find reliable information on natural remedies. The inspiration came as a result of trying to find a remedy for a sore throat one evening. I realized that there was a need for a social platform that essentially serves as the 'WebMD of holistic medicine".
Jessi: I know how you feel. For the expecting mothers out there will you ever feature Midwives on your website?
Kelly: Absolutely! We launched the site with only 25 modalities because we needed to define an approachable goal to launch when we did. We will not only be adding midwifery, but more than 25 additional modalities to the site. The application for each modality must be designed with an expert in that field, so we still have a lot of work to do to eventually cover the 50+ therapies that comprise 'holistic medicine'. What's great is that the cost for Member Practitioners to join is an annual $100, which makes it extremely cost effective. For a list of the modalities we plan to cover and offer applications for, see: http://www.theholisticoption.com/Pages/More_Modalities_84_2-82.aspx
Jessi: Is there anything else you would like my readers to know about your website?
Kelly: One of the most popular multimedia pieces we're producing is our bi-monthly podcast, Holistic Health & Wellness. We average nearly 100 new subscribers every day. The thousands of subscribers who listen to the show really love the approachable nature of the show. It serves to introduce those interested in natural health to experts in the various fields, as well as the founders of natural products that are new to the market. You find the show on our website, in the iTunes store under Alternative Health, and in all popular podcast directories.
Jessi: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions for me and my readers. It's refreshing to find a website that covers so many aspects of healing and natural health. I wish you all the success in the world and keep up the good work.
If anyone has any questions about the website, or to sign up as a holistic practitioner, feel free to contact Kelly and her staff via the site.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The A,B,C, and D of Health
There are four basic steps to wellness. These are broken down in a way that's easy to remember.
A-Activate
B-Build
C-Cleanse
D-Direct Aid
Activating basically consists of quitting bad habits (smoking, drinking in excess, no exercise etc.) and incorporating more meditation, exercise, and healthy hobbies to keep the mind and body active. It could be something as simple as taking a class at the gym or learning how to do pottery. I think you see where I'm going with this. Get up and move.
Building means eating more fresh fruits and veggies. The RDA is 10 servings a day. I think you can do better then that. My motto is "A salad a day keeps Jessi away". Not that I want to be away from everyone, but I'd rather see you healthy and happy then sick and needing me to fix you. I always prefer building with healthy foods rather then shoving pills down your throat. It just seems to work better. Possibly because foods are more bio available than pills. And you never know if the supplements you're getting are from a quality source. I've gotten violently sick from a multivitamin I bought at a gym. Now if you are severely deficient then you will have to take a supplement or two. Probiotics have to be supplemented because they are killed off from the sugar in yogurt. And high doses of Vitamin C helps relieve mucous and fights cancer. And for those with central nervous system disorders, adrenal exhaustion, mental fatigue, and stress, a B complex vitamin is highly recommended. Be sure when buying any supplements you get the advice from a qualified practitioner.
Cleansing should only be performed when Activating and Building have been done for at least 3 months. I never recommend doing a cleanse when you are sick or not built up enough. You will suffer a healing crisis* and you will not be happy.
With that being said, cleansing can be performed many ways. You can use teas or supplements to cleanse your liver, spleen, digestive tract, urinary tract, and blood. There are also detox foot patches. They draw toxins through the more than 2000 pores in your feet. I've used them and trust me they work. Cleanses should be done twice a year. Think spring and fall cleanings. We are exposed to so many toxins on a daily basis that the build up is too much for cleansing just once a year.
Direct Aids are used when all else fails. You've improved your mental health, built yourself up with nutrients, and cleaned out all the toxins but you still feel lousy. Chances are the years of buildup took their toll and you either have an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia) or something a bit more serious. There are countless herbal and homeopathic remedies available for bodies greatly out of balance.
I also like to recommend Reiki and reflexology to a direct aid protocol. They relax you and open meridians to get energy flowing properly.
*Healing crisis means your symptoms get worse before they get better possibly resulting in a debilitating condition that can last weeks. Stopping all cleanses is recommended if symptoms get too much to handle. Repeat the A,B, and C steps and try cleansing again slowly.
A-Activate
B-Build
C-Cleanse
D-Direct Aid
Activating basically consists of quitting bad habits (smoking, drinking in excess, no exercise etc.) and incorporating more meditation, exercise, and healthy hobbies to keep the mind and body active. It could be something as simple as taking a class at the gym or learning how to do pottery. I think you see where I'm going with this. Get up and move.
Building means eating more fresh fruits and veggies. The RDA is 10 servings a day. I think you can do better then that. My motto is "A salad a day keeps Jessi away". Not that I want to be away from everyone, but I'd rather see you healthy and happy then sick and needing me to fix you. I always prefer building with healthy foods rather then shoving pills down your throat. It just seems to work better. Possibly because foods are more bio available than pills. And you never know if the supplements you're getting are from a quality source. I've gotten violently sick from a multivitamin I bought at a gym. Now if you are severely deficient then you will have to take a supplement or two. Probiotics have to be supplemented because they are killed off from the sugar in yogurt. And high doses of Vitamin C helps relieve mucous and fights cancer. And for those with central nervous system disorders, adrenal exhaustion, mental fatigue, and stress, a B complex vitamin is highly recommended. Be sure when buying any supplements you get the advice from a qualified practitioner.
Cleansing should only be performed when Activating and Building have been done for at least 3 months. I never recommend doing a cleanse when you are sick or not built up enough. You will suffer a healing crisis* and you will not be happy.
With that being said, cleansing can be performed many ways. You can use teas or supplements to cleanse your liver, spleen, digestive tract, urinary tract, and blood. There are also detox foot patches. They draw toxins through the more than 2000 pores in your feet. I've used them and trust me they work. Cleanses should be done twice a year. Think spring and fall cleanings. We are exposed to so many toxins on a daily basis that the build up is too much for cleansing just once a year.
Direct Aids are used when all else fails. You've improved your mental health, built yourself up with nutrients, and cleaned out all the toxins but you still feel lousy. Chances are the years of buildup took their toll and you either have an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia) or something a bit more serious. There are countless herbal and homeopathic remedies available for bodies greatly out of balance.
I also like to recommend Reiki and reflexology to a direct aid protocol. They relax you and open meridians to get energy flowing properly.
*Healing crisis means your symptoms get worse before they get better possibly resulting in a debilitating condition that can last weeks. Stopping all cleanses is recommended if symptoms get too much to handle. Repeat the A,B, and C steps and try cleansing again slowly.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Barcamp or Healthcamp?
My husband and I attended Barcamp Cork yesterday. For those of you know don't know what a barcamp is, it's normally a techie meet up where people come to teach others things such as; how to blog properly or how to build your own website.
I watched one particular presentation on "how to barcamp". In that presentation I learned that you don't just have to be a techie to have your own discussion group. I found that many of the people attending barcamp also found value with my knowledge and skills as a practitioner of natural health and nutrition. I had several people come to me and say that I should have a discussion group, or full on presentation, to share what I knew. So I did just that.
The group I had were fantastic. They conveyed to me how much they enjoyed my discussion topics (digestion, elimination, and type II diabetes to name a few) and hadn't realized how important good digestion was. I'm sure they also found it a reprieve from all the techie talk ;-) I loved sharing my knowledge and expertise in my field and will gladly do it again at the next barcamp.
I was also asked to host a Healthcamp to continue to educate those interested in natural health. Healthcamp would consist of presentations by me along with practitioners of healing modalities such as reiki, reflexology, massage, and chiropractics. And anyone else that has information to share on what they've learned in the natural health field. Not sure of the scale or diversity yet, but it's a project in motion.
If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to hear, please feel free to comment or contact me directly. I have years of knowledge and experience so I can go on for days. You've got to help me narrow it down.
Now barcamps aren't a way of selling a product or charging for services so don't worry about spending a dime. You just come, share, eat, learn, and enjoy yourself.
I watched one particular presentation on "how to barcamp". In that presentation I learned that you don't just have to be a techie to have your own discussion group. I found that many of the people attending barcamp also found value with my knowledge and skills as a practitioner of natural health and nutrition. I had several people come to me and say that I should have a discussion group, or full on presentation, to share what I knew. So I did just that.
The group I had were fantastic. They conveyed to me how much they enjoyed my discussion topics (digestion, elimination, and type II diabetes to name a few) and hadn't realized how important good digestion was. I'm sure they also found it a reprieve from all the techie talk ;-) I loved sharing my knowledge and expertise in my field and will gladly do it again at the next barcamp.
I was also asked to host a Healthcamp to continue to educate those interested in natural health. Healthcamp would consist of presentations by me along with practitioners of healing modalities such as reiki, reflexology, massage, and chiropractics. And anyone else that has information to share on what they've learned in the natural health field. Not sure of the scale or diversity yet, but it's a project in motion.
If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to hear, please feel free to comment or contact me directly. I have years of knowledge and experience so I can go on for days. You've got to help me narrow it down.
Now barcamps aren't a way of selling a product or charging for services so don't worry about spending a dime. You just come, share, eat, learn, and enjoy yourself.
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