The experts share their wellness wisdom—from essential supplements to relaxation techniques.

Vera Tweed | APR 30, 2018

Strength isn’t a matter of using brute force or gritting your teeth. Rather, as these five women reveal, it’s a matter of following your passion and working hard to overcome challenges. They generally eat clean, natural diets, avoiding gluten or other problem triggers as appropriate, and tailoring food, exercise, and supplement regimens to their personal needs. And, they’re all enhancing the lives of others while taking care of themselves, a combination that continues to build strength and happiness.

 

Laurie Steelsmith, ND

“Joyful exercise not only works out your physical body but also contributes significantly to your mental well-being.”

“I believe that we’re all born with an inherent ability to create health and wellness,” says Laurie Steelsmith, ND (drsteelsmith.com), a leading naturopathic doctor and author of Growing Younger Every Day and other books. And she’s dedicated to helping patients unleash that ability. “I love to see the huge transformations naturopathic medicine can bring to people’s lives,” she says. “It is deeply fulfilling.” But a health condition once threatened her ability to function.

While in naturopathic medical school, Steelsmith was diagnosed with borderline lupus, a potentially crippling autoimmune disorder. “As my condition worsened, I was faced with the frightening prospect of losing the use of my hands,” she recalls. But instead of giving up, she focused on finding the root cause.

Months of working with naturopathic physicians revealed underlying food allergies and leaky-gut syndrome, and treating these left her symptom-free. “I knew then that I had found my life’s work, and that this unique form of medicine could dramatically change people’s everyday lives and relieve suffering in ways that the mainstream allopathic, Western medical model could not.”

Personal Favorites

• Healthy food: Green drinks
• Physical activity: Open-water swimming in the ocean in big waves while listening to my favorite music
• Way to unwind: Iyengar yoga

Top Healthy Habits

• Exercise, exercise, and more exercise
• A centering meditation first thing every morning
• Eating a healthy and varied diet
• Finding ways to laugh at bad situations

Supplements

“Everyone is unique,” says Steelsmith, “so the supplements I take are specific to my particular needs and not necessarily recommended for everyone.” They include reishi mushroom, zinc, vitamin D, chaste tree berry, and fiber.

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Read the article at betternutrition.com