This month, I want to talk about something that continues to shape both my life and my work.
If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you may recognize parts of my story. I’ve shared before that my passion for health is deeply personal. This month, I’d like to take that conversation a step further and share why it continues to shape not only my life, but also the way I care for others.
What many people may not know is that I am also a certified Holistic Cancer Practitioner. While I’ve mentioned this credential before and have shared my parents’ journey, I haven’t fully explored how profoundly those experiences influenced the way I view health or why this work continues to mean so much to me.
As July 7 approaches, I find myself reflecting on my dad. In just a few days, it will be sixteen years since I lost him to esophageal cancer. Sixteen years. It’s remarkable how life continues to move forward, yet there are moments when it still feels like yesterday.
My dad passed away at the age of 60. My mom is a breast cancer survivor. Like so many families, cancer became part of our story, and over the years I’ve also lost other family members, friends, and people I cared deeply about. Those experiences didn’t leave me with all the answers, but they did leave me with a great deal of curiosity. I wanted to understand more about the body, the many factors that influence our health, and whether there were ways we could better support ourselves long before disease ever entered the picture.
That curiosity eventually led me to become both a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and a certified Holistic Cancer Practitioner. The more I learned, however, the more I realized this journey wasn’t really about cancer.
It was about health.
It was about recognizing that the conversations we have before a diagnosis can be just as important as the conversations we have after one.
Looking Beyond the Diagnosis
When we hear the word cancer, our minds naturally go to treatments, surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and the difficult road that follows. Those conversations are incredibly important, and conventional medicine plays a vital role.
But what if we also spent more time talking about everything that comes before a diagnosis?
What if we talked more about nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, environmental exposures, healthy relationships, and understanding our family history? What if we looked at health not simply as the absence of disease, but as something we intentionally support every single day?
That doesn’t mean we can prevent every illness. We can’t. Genetics, age, and circumstances beyond our control will always be part of the conversation.
What it does mean is that we have an opportunity to influence many of the factors that contribute to our overall health rather than waiting until something demands our attention. To me, that is one of the most empowering conversations we can have.
Beyond Awareness
That is why I chose the title Beyond Awareness for this series.
Awareness is important, but awareness is only the beginning.
Real change begins when awareness inspires action, and that is what I hope this series encourages.
Over the next four weeks, I invite you to join me as we explore why investing in your health matters, why prevention extends far beyond routine screenings, and why some of the most meaningful things we can do for ourselves often happen long before we ever walk into a doctor’s office.
If there is one thing I hope you take away from this article, it’s this:
Your health deserves your attention long before it asks for it.
Perhaps that’s one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves—and the people who love us.
Thank you for allowing me to share a little more of my story. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you next week.
Next Week: Beyond Awareness: Investing in the One Thing We Often Overlook—a conversation about why we invest so much in our homes, careers, and retirement, yet often overlook the one investment that allows us to truly enjoy them all: our health.
If you’re looking for personalized guidance and would like support taking a proactive approach to your health, I’d be honored to help. Whether you’re interested in nutrition, lifestyle coaching, or advanced functional lab testing, I offer a variety of programs designed to meet you where you are. To learn more, schedule a complimentary discovery call.
Your Partner in Health,
Reg
