On today's episode I had a wonderful conversation with Bela (Desai) Patel. Bela spent the first 17 years of her career as a consultant pharmacist practicing in nursing homes in USA. Most of this time was spent reviewing patients’ charts and making recommendations regarding their drug therapy in an effort to try to reduce the number of medications, minimise drug interactions and improve their overall health. During her time in this role, she started discovering how medications would treat the symptoms but there was a lack of awareness to understand and treat the root cause of the conditions. She experienced a similar situation herself which she shares in detail on the podcast in relation to symptoms and conditions she was diagnosed with.
However, instead of taking medications, she opted to change her diet and started practicing yoga and meditation—and the results were astounding! Perhaps the most profound realisation was understanding that what you put into and onto your bodies has a tremendous impact in disease prevention, treatment, and overall well being. Making a decision to eat real, whole foods and living a lifestyle in balance can allow the body to access its own internal pharmacy and help with healing itself.
Her passion for helping people heal naturally, through food and alternative therapies, drove her to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Now she is able to combine a medical background with this training to help clients create happier and healthier lives.
We also spend a lot of time talking about our own families and what we have introduced into our lives to educate our children on the foundations of a healthy lifestyle. I loved sharing ideas and it was really reassuring to hear that we shared some of the same struggles with younger children and now her teenagers independently make some positive and healthy choices.
I hope you guys enjoy the episode!
Social Media and links:
Facebook: @wholisticpharmacist
Instagram: @wholisticpharmacist
Linkedin: @Bela (Desai) Patel (WHOLISTICPHARMACIST)
Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Twitter. Feel free to subscribe to the podcast on your favourite podcast platform so you can be notified when a new episode is released or leave a review on apple podcasts. If you have any suggestions for guests you want me to talk to or if you’d like to come on yourself, please feel free to contact me via social media, or email at info@pharmacistdiaries.com.