It was late summer in 2001 when things started to get bad. That was the first time my knee swelled up, enough to keep me bedridden for a couple of weeks. Looking back now, I can see the signs and symptoms were there for years before that. I was never sick as a kid so, when it came to my body, I thought I was invincible and didn’t really have to take care of myself. Had I known enough to pay attention to the signs, it may not have gotten that far.

But it did get that far and far beyond that. Fast forward nine years, the mysterious and seemingly random joint swelling and vicious pain routinely visited my wrists, ankles, feet, knees, hips and elbows, encroaching upon all areas of my life. I could barely put two weeks together in the office, much less participate in activities. My confidence, my social life and my finances dwindled along with any dreams of a bright future. Even writing and playing music on my guitar, one of my passions, was slipping away.

Nine more years have passed since then. It seems like a long time ago. I’m thankful I was able to turn things around. Last year, after being sidelined for 12 years, I was able to get back on the ice and play hockey, without my knees swelling up. It was another life passion I had given up.

Sometimes people ask, how did I cure my autoimmune disease. The truth is I didn’t. Sure, I feel better than I have in 20 years. And yes, at 51 years my body looks better than it ever has. I feel better this year than I did the previous year, which was better than the year before that. And I fully expect next year to be a better year than this one.

But here’s my confession. I’m not cured. I didn’t’ cure myself. In fact, while I’m baring my soul, although I’ve worked with thousands of clients, I haven’t cured a single one. “So, Dr. Gene, what the heck have you been doing for the last 25 years?”

Good question; I’ll come back to that in a minute.

In hindsight, there were several factors coming together in a perfect storm, enough to push my health over the edge. I was toxic. My diet had too many of the things it shouldn’t and not enough of the things it should. And I was stressed and somewhat depressed for a long time. I ignored the digestive disturbances, and the sleep issues, and the loss of energy, and the extra weight around my waist. My body was primed to really get sick. Throw in the stress of a divorce, some kind of funky parasite from the Bahamas and whatever genetic predisposition I may have had, and bam – full blown autoimmune disease by my mid-thirties.

So, if I didn’t get cured, how is it that I’m better?

Normally, the body heals itself but sometimes it becomes overwhelmed by things like stress, toxicity and malnutrition. I had to investigate and handle each and every causative stressor that broke down my body in the first place. I used herbs, homeopathies and whole food supplements to get my body back on track and rebuild my health. And I customize that same basic formula to fit the needs of everyone I work with.

Instead of trying to fight and cure diseases, we simply build health. And then, regardless of what disease we have, we can always improve.
Here’s the thing. If I get off track with my diet, I’ll be right back where I was. If I start to become unknowingly exposed to environmental factors, that will begin to deteriorate my health.

If you haven’t completed a wellness program with us and you’re feeling your health start to slip, then I would encourage you to take advantage of our proven system and take care of your health for the short and long term.

If you have completed a wellness program with us, you should be armed with an arsenal of healthy habits to protect your health. If so, we’ve done our job. I find that keeping up a healthy lifestyle is essential for me to feel my best. Despite my best efforts, I’m not perfect and sometimes I get into foods that my body doesn’t like, or I have some exposure to a fragranced candle or pesticides on my food.

I find that for myself and for my clients, getting checked on a regular schedule, whether it be monthly, quarterly or biannually, is a great way to keep our bodies healthy and catch any stressors before it can cause any problems.

I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!

Awareness & Perfection

Jandee Porter, MS speaks on awareness and perfection on your health journey.