The WHY behind Pure Balanced Life

Join us in this episode where Heather gives the WHY and her inspiration for Pure Balanced life.

00:00 Introduction to Pure Balanced Life
03:04 The Importance of Science-Based Health Information
05:49 Personal Journey and Family Influence on Health
08:04 Understanding Addictions and Their Impact on Health
10:36 The Role of Nutrition and Gut Health
12:54 Looking Ahead: The Journey to Optimal Health

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Pure Balanced Life
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Transcript

Welcome, I am so glad you're here. I am your host, Heather Holker. I could not be more excited to finally be bringing you pure, balanced life. This is something that has been in the works for us for so long as a place to educate and inspire, to bring you the science-based health information you need to achieve your optimal health. 

You know, never before have we lived in an age where we have so much health information and yet it's being skewed or used inappropriately for marketing purposes or for the shock and awe from our clicks and comments on social media. I get so fired up when I see this happening because I know it's leading people away from the real health information they need that will actually make a difference in their life, and for the health of their family. As a busy mom, I know time is precious. So to see the time and money wasted on these marketing ploys makes me so upset. Pure Balanced Life was created as an educational platform to give you the trusted science-based health information you need to achieve your optimal physical and mental health.

I have been in the health industry for over 25 years as a nationally ranked athlete and health professional, specializing in functional medicine research and how to internally, through what we take in our body and externally, through our movement and activity, bring the body into balance. As a former Mrs. Utah with a platform of children's health and type two diabetes prevention, I have always been an advocate for healthy foundations and how to prevent disease. Today, with over 80% of diseases being preventable and up to half of all premature deaths falling into the category of preventable through lifestyle choices, what we know is that issues in the body begin with an imbalance, which creates a snowball effect of other issues.

Life is an absolute gift and is too precious to either shorten or not be feeling your best. Bringing the body into balance and keeping it in balance is vital for life long and optimal health.

I want to start off by giving you little background into how Pure Balanced Life came to be because each one of us has life experiences that makes us who we are and why we do things the way we do. And I love that. It's what makes each of us so unique in our life journey. It gives us so much purpose and helps us to grow. It makes us so much more that we are able to share with others.

My foundation and passion for health and bringing the body into balance started with my mom. Like so many of you, our mothers have such an impact on who we are and what we become. I love my mom. I am so grateful for everything she has taught me through the journey of our lives together.

Before I share the story, there are a few things you need to know about my mom. She was always very interested in health, nutrition, and healthy living. Both of my parents were very active and health-minded. Just to give you a little glimpse, when I was a child, I really struggled with breathing issues and asthma. The doctors were always prescribing or wanting me to try another medication. But my mom, being holistically minded, always felt there were underlying problems, things that were actually causing my breathing issues. 

Now, this was in a much different age of information and how you go about searching or researching. The internet didn't exist. So she would go to the library and look up on microfiche in medical journals and encyclopedias, things such as food colorings and toxins and VOCs, that could be causing my breathing issues so that she could then limit my exposure to these things. She was always researching how to strengthen my lungs with exercise. I can tell you I did a lot of swimming. And I went from being a child who had been hospitalized over and over again to not even needing medication by the time I was 16, able to experience firsthand how the body can heal when given the proper lifestyle choices. I always say in another life, my mom should have been a naturopath or a functional medicine practitioner because she was living that even before it had a name. 

Well, when I was very young, my mom got a tumor on the back of her head. After the surgery to remove it, she started to have horrible non-functioning migraines.
light, movement, sensitivity, it was really a challenge for her to function. The doctors prescribed her painkillers and now, this was over 40 years ago when there really wasn't as much research or any research on how addictive these medications were or could be, she got horribly addicted.

When I was a child, I remember my mom going to several facilities to try and detox off of the prescription drugs. I didn't really know a whole lot. I was very young. I just remember going to different homes of friends in our church or distant relatives where my two sisters and I would stay, while my mom was in the facilities and my dad was working.

When my mom was sober and in control, it was wonderful. She was a very dedicated and loving mother. I have so many happy memories from my childhood. But as anyone who has either struggled with addictions or has a loved one who struggles, you know that your life and decisions no longer become your own.

My mom was not drinking when I was young, but what we see with addictions and how it alters the brain, is that addictions are usually not just limited to one. Addictions begat addictions.

And by the time I was 12, she was an alcoholic, drinking along with the pills. And anyone who has experienced that firsthand knows that alcohol and pills are disastrous. My mom had lost all control.

I remember just mentally preparing myself for the call that my mom had passed, that she hadn't made it, which I think at any age is really hard, but especially as a child, when your parents and family are your world, it was really challenging. 

As the middle child, I just always wanted to fix my mom. I wanted her to be better, so our family could be happy and together, so she could be present and be there, so she could be my mom.

I don't believe there is anything stronger in this world than the bond between a mother and her child. When you see that mother choose her addictions over her children, you have such a grave understanding of how our body is an instrument of our mind. Addictions, whether they be to drugs and alcohol or even to food, sugar, caffeine, which is a very real addiction because it's mind-altering, will cause a host of other issues in the body. Or even if it's an addiction to something externally we're doing, like being on our phones too much, excessive social media or gaming, they all create imbalances in the body, which alters the brain. This changes how we function and ultimately, our ability to choose. And so, how to bring the body into balance and keep it in balance, so the body is healthy and strong and functions optimally and is ultimately free of addictions, so we have our agency and are living a pure, balanced life, has been my life's work for over 20 years. 

With my post-graduate studies being with functional medicine, our nutrition, what we take in or don't take in our body, is the single greatest factor for bringing our body into balance because our body is always regenerating with the nutrients we give it every single day. Our gut is the epicenter of the health of our mind and body.

With your gut health being everything, then healing the gut, so that you have optimal absorption of nutrients, and keeping it healthy so that your body can continue to regenerate and allow you to enjoy optimal health, should be at the forefront when you are thinking about your health and the health of your family. 

It has been an awesome journey of experience for me with Pure Balanced Life over the years with life transitions, from being single, and you know how that goes where you can be super hyper focused on yourself. At that time for me, I was competing professionally in my sport and fitness modeling for Nike and Adidas. I wasn't thinking about or worried about anyone else's health other than my own. To the transition of motherhood. Bringing each child into this world where you are now completely responsible for the health of this tiny little one as they grow every day. While meanwhile, finding that proper balance of caring for others while still taking care of yourself mentally and physically, because you know if you don't, the ship goes down.

I have loved helping people of all ages and backgrounds bring their body into balance.

The body is miraculous. It is the most precious physical gift we will receive in our life. And we only get one. Learning how to take care of your body to keep it in balance is the key for optimal health, to stay well physically and mentally so that you look and feel your best and really love your body, and everything it's able to help you achieve in life. That is what the Pure Balanced Life is all about. 

On this podcast, we'll have short, very actionable episodes that give very clear and concise information for mental and physical health, as well as longer episodes where we interview top leaders and pioneers in the health and wellness industry. I am so excited to bring you these episodes. You are going to love them. 

Just know that the Pure Balanced Life is about mind, body, and balance. It was created for you to give you clarity into your health and the health of your family. It is your trusted podcast for expert and simplified health information to save you time and money and give you confidence in your health choices. My goal is to help you become your own health expert.

My inspiration for health and to help others reach their optimal health began with my mom. Now I want you to take a minute today and think about your life and the health journey that has brought you here because our why gives us so much purpose and becomes our strength and determination on our own individual quest for our greatest health.

There will be days when it seems so much easier to not do the things that will bring you optimal health, but I can promise you, it is always worth it. Your daily health choices are an investment in you, into looking and feeling your best today and in the days to come. And that is a gift that will not only bless you, but also your family and friends, all those who you love, and who love you.

So what's coming next? Join me in the next episode where we talk about the single greatest decision we make in our day to bring our body into balance.

You guys, thank you for joining me today and allowing me to share my heart and the story behind Pure Balanced Life. I am so happy you're here. Get ready to simplify your health and feel inspired and empowered with the tools you and your family need to reach your optimal health.

Be sure to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you know a friend who would love to feel more confident and in control of their health, please share this podcast with them. Life is always better with friends and together we can create a life that is happy, healthy and thriving. I can't wait to continue this journey with you. Welcome to the Pure Balanced Life.