My journey toward creating a preventative health business dates back to 1993 when I became extremely ill following an extensive home renovation.  It had taken my husband, Michel and I many years to buy a home and when finally, we were able to purchase an older home, it required a great deal of work.  Once the renovations were complete and immediately upon moving in, I became sick with a number of symptoms which included sinus pressure, insomnia, weight loss, anxiety, blurred vision and a general feeling of being unwell.  Our four-year-old daughter and eighteen-month-old son at the time, also experienced frequent colds, irritability and ear infections.

Throughout this extremely challenging period, I was seen by many doctors including an internist at the Mayo Clinic and had many medical tests; none of which uncovered the source of my symptoms.  A physician even referred me for psychiatric assessment, yet not one ever once asked if I had changed something in my environment.  That question alone would have saved the medical system thousands of dollars and me and my family much physical and emotional distress and upheaval. It took months and much investigation as well as expensive air quality testing to determine that the level of chemicals in our newly renovated home were extremely high.  The large amount of volatile organic compounds in our home’s indoor air emanated from common renovation materials and were suspected to be the cause of our health issues.

At the time, ventilation and the effects of poor indoor air quality were just beginning to become recognized as public health issues.  Michel, an engineer by training and I did a tremendous amount of research on the topic and we concluded that if our family could be affected by chemicals released from common renovation products such as paints, glues, floor finishes and new carpeting and furnishings, many could unknowingly be suffering as well. With this hunch as my guide, I resigned my position with the City of Toronto and founded Canada’s first residential indoor air quality consulting and product business, Healthy Home Services Inc.

Starting a business is always challenging and even more so when it is in an area where there is little public recognition.  I created awareness about home indoor air quality through speaking engagements, word of mouth and by going into people’s homes and helping them uncover issues that could be contributing to asthma, allergies and other chronic health conditions.  When I would suggest, for example, the replacement of chemical cleaning products with healthier alternatives, I knew that none were readily available for purchase so I found alternatives for most everyday products from laundry detergent to baby shampoo to sunscreen and made them available to my clients. Today many of these same products are found on the shelves of every grocery store and pharmacy in the country.

Through my experiences, both personally and by working with a diverse group of individuals through Healthy Home Services, I came to believe that some of the health challenges people were facing or had trouble solving, could actually be tackled with preventative measures. Preventing illness from occurring in the first place seemed to me to be so much easier than having to treat disease once it occurred.

My focus over twenty years ago, and now as a Registered Health and Nutrition Counselor (RHNC), remains assisting people find effective and simple ways to be well and to stay well.  I believe that sound and credible preventative health measures can produce positive health outcomes and I work on the premise that food, water, air, movement and avoidance are the foundation of good mental and physical well-being.

Through my Preventative Health Program, I endeavor to educate, empower and equip individuals to be responsible for their health and to demonstrate that being healthy is not as difficult or onerous as they might think. For example, some people are amazed to find that when they have the right daily intake of water for their particular lifestyle and profile, they are more alert, relaxed, less hungry and less tired. I also view health prevention as being individual.  Although a banana is considered a healthy food, I can recommend that it may not be the right food choice for every person as their unique health profile must be taken into account.

The extensive questionnaire that clients complete as a part of the Program provides the opportunity for clients to think about all aspects of their health and allows me to find connections between certain lifestyle practices and how one feels both physically and emotionally.  A follow-up virtual appointment in combination with the questionnaire, allows for a customized health program to be developed that is based on a client’s individual needs and profile and is designed to be practical and easy-to-implement.

Preventative Health First’s Take a Step Toward Better Health is an entertaining virtual seminar that focuses on food, air, water, movement and avoidance as the pillars of good preventative health.  Participants are offered easy to implement suggestions in each of these five areas and are provided with a wellness guide that can be downloaded following the seminar.  The seminar is ideal for employee wellness programs, speaker’s series, or even family get-togethers via zoom.

There is so much health information available today that it is hard to sort through a myriad of suggestions and recommendations.  Preventative Health First provides credible information that is designed to inform and not overwhelm. Its mission is to empower individuals to prevent disease before it occurs and to find the right inputs that work for them to be well and to stay well.  To learn more or to complete a questionairre go to www.preventativehealthfirst.com  and take a step toward better health. Good health has never been more important.