00:00 Russell
Hi all, and welcome back to Resilience Unravelled on a beautiful day on the northeast of England. It's absolutely fantastic here. The weather is amazing. And I'm just wondering what the weather's like with my latest guests, Renee Maria Joyal which is a fantastic name. So,. Hi, Renee, how are you doing?
00:20 Renee
Hi, how are you? Thank you so much for having me. Currently based in Massachusetts, and we are just on the brink of starting summer over here. So, we are in a little bit of June gloom weather, but summer is just around the corner.
00:37 Russell
So are you sort of close to Boston at that area?
00:41 Renee
I'm about an hour out of the city. I live in Cape Cod.
00:44 Russell
Oh, wonderful. Lots of lobsters, is that right?
00:47 Renee
Yes, seafood, lobsters, all of it. I love it all.
00:51 Russell
Yeah. Fantastic. Good for you. Well, thank you for spending time with us today. I know you've got some interesting things to talk to us about, so that's brilliant. So maybe just introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what it is that you do.
01:03 Renee
Sure. So, my name is Renee. I am a new published author. I'm a wellness enthusiast, and it has been my life's research and passion to really help people expand their health journey. Live healthier lives more vibrant lives, happier lives through integrative knowledge of nutrition, lifestyle, fitness, and using lifestyle practices first to live healthier, more fulfilling ways of life.
01:36 Russell
Brilliant. Okay, well, let's start there, shall we? What's a good definition of health?
01:46
Well, I think health is it can be many things for many people. Many people could probably label it as a diet, and I would stay as far away from that as possible. My idea of health is really having a strong sound mind, feeling good in your body, feeling good every day that you wake up, because each day brings new opportunity, but no day is the same. So, we all have trials and tribulations and life's journeys that we will go through. But how can you overcome life's obstacles, live healthy, feel good, and enrich your life to really live it to the fullest?
02:29 Russell
Yeah. And that's important, isn't it? Because I know you started your life with a debilitating illness, so maybe tell us a bit about that.
02:36 Renee
Yeah, so anyone that meets me would probably never know I'm very private person until writing this book. And now sharing my story, which I want to thank everybody that's been so supportive in, because it's been really cathartic for me just to speak on. But I grew up, I was always healthy, vibrant, energetic child. Never had any problems until one day I just started becoming really ill. And from the age of eleven to about age 14, I severely struggled with health issues. And my parents were wonderful. They brought me to every doctor, every imaginable tests and tests like you would not believe. But nothing was coming up. Then maybe it's anxiety, or maybe you're having a growth spurt. Maybe these are growing pains. It turns out nothing that was of the case, but my body was actually attacking itself. I ended up in the hospital, fighting for my life.
03:40 Renee
Two heart surgeries later, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, lupus. And I was told that my heart was failing me and that this was only the beginning and that I was going to have a long road ahead of me because other organs were going to be next in line that I would be dealing with. So, I was dealing with some pretty severe inflammation at the age of 14, and I was really living in a theatre of war, basically being in the hospital for about six months watching other children, I witnessed loss of life and grief and sadness and uncertainty. So, coming from this situation where I was so ill, and I was giving a label and a diagnosis that I was going to have to live a life of limitation and restriction, and I probably wouldn't be able to go to college, probably wouldn't be able to have a family.
04:44 Renee
Your life is forever changed. You're going to live a life on medication and one surgery after the next. Those were things I was not willing to take lightly by any means. So, I did what no class could teach me, and I sought to learn as much as possible. What could I do to engage lifestyle changes? First, to get on the other side of this or see what my body could do for me, instead of just understanding that the answer was my body was going to fight the autoimmune. So, I wanted to know, how can I correct this? What can I do to persevere? And over the course of the next five years, I was actually able, with lifestyle changes, to remove myself from meditations slowly, impatiently, and change my life to a point where I was in remission and my life was finally, I was getting on the other side, still very closely monitoring what was going on.
05:49 Renee
I fell in love at age 18, and I entered into a beautiful relationship and friendship. And the relationship I was in turned into an abusive relationship, which I was unknown, or I was uncertain of this because it was all I had ever known. And that relationship ended after we ended up in a terrible, nearly fatal car accident. So, my life was at risk. I found myself on my way back to the hospital once again, and a place that I was way too familiar with, but my autoimmune had actually triggered and was reactivated. So, after this whole journey of everything that I've done to overcome and also privately protect myself from the outside world without people wanting to know what I was suffering from, my autoimmune was back in full swing. So, I then made changes in my lifestyle to change not only nutrition, lifestyle, fitness, but how can I strengthen my mind and persevere, even in the face of setbacks?
07:03 Renee
Because health is not more than just the absence of disease. It's about how you feel, your energy, your mood, who you surround yourself with, what gives you a healthy life. So, from this standpoint, this is where I really dove into a deeper level of health, lifestyle and preventative medicine and functional medicine strategies. So this is what led me today. This is the most condensed version of my background, but this is what led me to really propel my thoughts to share with other people that suffered needlessly and help them appreciate every day, because it truly is a gift.
07:47 Russell
So you give us lots to talk about there. So, you talked about the Lupus diagnosis. That must have been pretty horrendous. So, you talked about almost, I'm not going to accept that, what am I going to do? And you dug yourself into the research and you said you made lifestyle changes. So, can I ask what sort of things you did?
08:06 Renee
Yes. So specifically, for functional medicine practices, I really dove into nutrition. So I was also told no, doctors were telling me at the time to change my nutrition, but there are things that you can do to help your body thrive. And rather than taking things away, I said, what can I add to my plate? What can I do to make myself healthier? What can I do to improve my health? Anything that could increase immunity. I was researching anything that would help fight inflammation, because an autoimmune disease is really an inflammatory response of the body attacking itself. So, I really dove deep into that. And then I focused so much on self-healing, which was through sleep and through movement. I was also told, be very careful, don't get involved in activities that could really get your heart rate up. But I said, let me see what my body can do for me.
09:08 Renee
And you really have to trust your intuition. And I love being active. I thrive off of it. It's so good for the mind. And in helping facilitate sleep, calming your mind, your nerves, there's so many benefits to physical activity. So I really dove into that and there was such a reward and there were things that were improving along the way. Now, I wasn't running marathons.
09:40 Russell
No. So, you talk about nutrition, and I'm a bit of a nutrition sort of junkie, as it were, as well. I'm fascinated by the subject. So, you talked about not taking anything in, but adding things in. So, what were the things you added in? Because, famously, some of your American additives on food are quite the problem, actually. So, I was just intrigued how you might have moved things around on the plate.
10:08 Renee
Well, I grew up in a time during the 90s, everything was like, not low fat, a lot of quick things that were very processed. But I'm naturally, I'm Lebanese, and Italian. So, I started following more of a Mediterranean diet, which is really what I've grown up eating. But I eliminated the processed foods and I said, I'm not falling into this low-fat trend. And I really started reading a lot on how healthy fats can help decrease inflammation in the body and fight inflammation and offer so many healing benefits. So, I started increasing fatty fish, nuts, seeds, olive oils, and it did help over the course of time, it does. And eliminating processed foods, really anything that is from the earth, I just tried adding as much as possible.
11:06 Russell
Yeah, it seems bizarre to people that so many of our modern conditions are actually down to the food we eat. But there's so much research now around microbiome and the guts, heart, brain, triune and all that sort of stuff. It seems extraordinary because it's so obvious to think that's how I feel. What you put in was what you get out. It's quite peculiar, isn't it?
11:32 Renee
It's true. Well, food is information, and it can also help your body identify things of areas of weakness or areas of allergies. And just like you said, the microbiome, I was so concerned because I was on so many different medications or antibiotics, and it really destroys the gut lining. So, I was all about healing. What can you do to heal your body? And you'd be so surprised when you make these choices, how they create a measurable impact on your well-being, how you feel.
12:07 Russell
Yeah, no, it's absolutely I totally agree with you. I remember earlier this year I had to have some antibiotics and I was sort of moaning at the doctor saying, that's my microbiome trashed. But it's amazing how quickly you can get it back, if you're really mindful and conscious about what you're eating and also what to avoid, because your body is quite robust and you can get it wrong a few times, you can still continue and get it right. And it's interesting having a condition as severe as Lucas and being able to I mean, obviously you went through a proper medical procedure, set of medical practices.
12:40 Renee
I truly believe that there is a balance between Eastern and Western approach to medicine. So, the doctors are absolutely phenomenal and they are there for a reason. But there has to be an approach where you are working cohesively with nutrition and also holistic changes in your lifestyle that can enhance your recovery or your well-being. And even if you are extremely healthy today, there's still age-related disease and there are still things that can happen to us in the course of our lives where we can experience things that we're not sure why that are happening. Whether it be skin issues, health issues, allergic reactions. There are things that we can do lifestyle wise that can help.
13:27 Russell
And it's interesting, isn't it? Because remember a good old colleague of mine talking about this drive to become a personal scientist, you become a scientist for yourself because actually you know yourself better than most other people because doctors can be very protective of their craft almost and they can often dismiss all these things and it's a shame, isn't it, really? Because we're all on the same side.
13:48 Renee
I appreciate doctors so much and what they do to get to where they are and the knowledge that they have but at the same time, sometimes you may only have 20 minutes with the doctor you have your whole life with yourself. And from my perspective, I had to become my own practitioner. No one knew what was going on with me and I suffered for a very long time and when you start to listen to your body and understand your body you can really persevere and find ways to strengthen in areas of weakness.
14:24 Russell
Interesting. So, I know you've written a book so you better tell us a little bit about this because I'm guessing there's more detail in the book about this approach and practice well tell us more about that.
14:33 Renee
Yeah, so I really stay away from the idea of a diet. I don't like the idea of restriction because it's not sustainable and life is short, we only get one life, you have to find a way to enjoy it. So, I really look at life in such a beautiful perspective. I have such an appreciation every day for every day that I wake up, every day that I feel good and the little things. So, I really focus on what can you add into your life to make it better and live fully without restriction but also have enjoyment in it and in doing these things where you're fostering your health and your mind and your body.
15:25 Russell
It's interesting, you sort of comment that wellness has become a more dominant lifestyle value which is quite interesting, isn't it? Because we almost go from knowing nothing to knowing so much. We're at the mercy of fads aren't we? Lots of people who are just talking, pushing diets and it's not about diet, it's not about regimes, it really is about an overall approach. But you mentioned also that you started to work on your mind as well so can you take unpack that a little bit more for us?
15:56 Renee
Yes, absolutely. So, your mind is your biggest muscle and like working out in the gym, you have to work out your mind as well. And we will all face traumas in our life, whether they are big or small, but how you respond to them and how you are able to handle things as they come. Because this is life. We're all going to experience troubles at sometimes, whether it's family, children, relationships, finances, a job, health issues, there's something. But what can you do to make it easier to get through day-to-day life without having to first have to look for medication or first have to look for what can we do on our own to really strengthen our mind? I really dove deep into this after being subject to a drunk driving accident that nearly took my life. And it changed the whole trajectory for me because I was doing all the right things to control my health.
17:00 Renee
But the trauma of that really was triggering and that was something that I had to really dive deeper in. So, for me, I really focus on a lot of empowering mind techniques, whether that be how you approach each day, whether that be through writing your thoughts out and journaling them, how you start your day, if you start it with meditative experiences. You don't always have to be sitting in silence. There can be meditative moments in your life where it brings you to the present moment and it's also grounding and calming, which in turn calms your nervous system, which strengthens your immune system. It's a full approach.
17:46 Russell
Absolutely, yeah. I mean, we're all just chemistry, electricity, and processes, aren't we? And once you understand how that works, it's quite straightforward to be able to get a grip of it. So, tell us more about the book. Where can we find it, what's the calls, who's it written for?
18:01 Renee
Thank you so much. So, I initially wrote this, just I was wanting to help my sisters. I have two sisters and God bless them. Thank God they've never had any serious health issues, but they're always looking to me for the health answers. So, I said, let me do something. And it turned into much more than that. And I had so much fun writing it and I really just wanted to share it with anybody that maybe wants to just look at living a healthy life in a different lens. So, the book is called Live Beautiful. It's a compassionate balance Guide to everyday wellness and Well Being. II also have a website, Livebautifulbook.com, and I'm available to speak and connect anytime. I love connecting with the community and audience and meeting new people. It's been one of the most rewarding processes of this whole journey.
19:00 Russell
Absolutely fantastic. I was just looking at the profile on Amazon and amazing. 24 five-star reviews out of 25. I mean, and the other one was four stars, so that's pretty impressive. Some of us didn't like the picture or something or cut the finger or something.
19:15 Renee
So funny. Yeah. So, no, I'm so grateful. And the book just launched and went back and forth on the COVID of the book for a while, which was interesting, was initially going to be a flower or the ocean. And when I was speaking with the marketing team and they said, Renee, you emulate fitness, and if somebody doesn't know you, they would never know the health journey that you've gone through. And this shows resilience and strength. So, I took their guidance on it. But I really hope that it helps. Even if it was to help one person feel a little bit better or gain some healthy insight into living a healthier, happier life, then it's a total win.
20:04 Russell
Yeah, I totally agree. Well, that's been absolutely fantastic. And lots of common sense and good practical advice as well. So, thank you.
20:12 Renee
Thank you so much.
20:13 Russell
So we've been talking to Renee Marie Joyal, but on the website, it's Renee Marie, and the book is called Live Beautiful, and the website is Live Beautifulbook.com. So, there you go. And I see you're on Instagram as well, no doubt, as Live Beautiful, by any slim chance.
20:30 Renee
Yes.
20:31 Russell
Yeah. Strange. That well done. Great. Well, it's been a joy to talk to you today, and I love what you said. It's an absolute inspiration. So, thank you so much for joining us today.
20:40 Renee
Thank you so much. It's been wonderful.
20:43 Russell
Thank you. You take care.