Most Loved Health Blogs of 2017: Meet 2nd Prize Winner Stacey Chillemi

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Written by the Healthline Wellness Team

For our Most Loved Health Blogs contest, readers voted for the health bloggers who inspire them to live stronger, healthier lives — and the results are in!

Stacey Chillemi of The Complete Herbal Guide came in second place and wins a prize of $500 to help forward her mission of inspiring others to take a holistic approach to health. Read on to learn more about her!
Back in 2011, Stacey Chillemi experienced what she refers to as a spiritual awakening, and set about reshaping the way she looks at health. Working with an herbalist, she began to take a holistic approach to wellness as well as managing her epilepsy — incorporating yoga, meditation, positive thinking, and an improved diet and lifestyle.Now a published author of more than 20 books, she has appeared as a wellness expert on shows like “The Dr. Oz Show” and attracted an enormous following as the founder of The Complete Herbal Guide. Attracting millions of readers each month, the site is a repository of information on nutrition, holistic wellness, and information on supplements and vitamins.We caught up with Stacey to learn more about her mission and what she loves most about sharing her story.

Q&A with Stacey Chillemi

What would you say is the mission of your website?

The Complete Guide to Natural Healing believes that food, vitamins, supplements, and alternative medicine can be your best medicine. This website will show you the truth about health and wellness, so you can help your family and closest friends get even healthier. You’ll learn exactly what you should do and how to eat to get healthy, exercise to get your leanest, healthiest body, and how to take control of your family’s health using natural remedies as medicine.

What made you want to start sharing your healing journey?

When I saw the traumatic change in my life — all from changing my thoughts and lifestyle — I thought to myself that if I could improve my physical and mental health by making simple lifestyle changes, can you imagine how many millions of people I could help if I was able to share my story and teach others the tools, techniques, and strategies I used to improve my epilepsy and overall, physical and mental health? The lifestyle changes I made can apply to all conditions and illnesses.

Many people reached out to help me when I was struggling with my epilepsy. It was now my duty as a good human being to use my knowledge, health experience, speaking, and writing skills to help others so they can live happy, healthy, and productive lives, too. Everyone deserves to be healthy and happy.

When did you first notice that your posts were really resonating with readers?

It was when I wrote an article teaching others how to cope with illness. I’ll never forget it. I received an email from a woman who told me that she was planning to die by suicide, then she came across my article on how to cope with illness. She said that she applied my tips and followed the regimen I created. Her life turned around.

Not only was she feeling better, physically and mentally, she realized that she had a purpose in life and for the first time she felt positive and motivated to live life to its fullest. It was then that I realized how powerful the words of wisdom could be, and how they could create such a huge impact in someone’s life. It was then that I realized my true purpose in life. I also realized that I was making a difference in other people’s lives and to me, that is the best accomplishment anyone could ever achieve.

On your blog, you’ve said that you’re grateful for having grown up with epilepsy and other life challenges. How did you come to reach this perspective?

Having epilepsy and going through traumatic life-changing obstacles, helped me see life from a different perspective. I can truly say that I don’t think I would have been as compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others if I didn’t go through all the things I did in life. Of course, I wouldn’t want to go through everything I went through again, but it was all the obstacles I endured in life that taught me to live with an open heart filled with love.

I don’t judge and there are no walls barricading my heart. I see no faults in others and I feel for others as they face their own daily battles. How can you criticize others’ imperfections when we carry just as many imperfections ourselves? As soon as you are willing to let go of the ways of the world and create your own path and purpose, you will experience a life filled with health, happiness, and prosperity the way you never felt it before. It has always been my dream and passion to help others get to this point in their lives.

What’s one of your favorite posts on The Complete Herbal Guide, and why?

I may sound a little biased, but my most favorite post is the one I wrote called, Why I Do What I Do — How I Found My Purpose in Life. It’s about my amazing journey in life from childhood until the present. Every time I read it, tears come to my eyes as I am reminded of everything I’ve been through and how I have come so far in life. It re-instills hope into my heart and reminds me why I started this all. I want to show others that if I can do it, so can you.

If there was one thing you would change about the way the world approaches wellness, what would it be?

I would like to see the world become super conscious of the foods they eat and the products they use. So many things claim to be healthy but aren’t. People need to become aware of the ingredients that are in the foods they’re eating. Many of the ingredients in the foods we eat can cause damage to our body and mental health. Even some of the beauty products we use can alter our hormones. I also feel that people don’t realize how important it is to develop healthy sleeping habits and to manage stress. It’s time that people took a moment to view their daily lifestyle and find ways to incorporate simple lifestyle changes that could have a huge impact on their health.

Also, it’s not all about looking like a supermodel, either. True wellness is when you feel good physically and mentally and you are happy at the stage you are in life. If you’re healthy and you can look in a mirror and say, “I feel good and I love myself” — that to me is true wellness.

Follow Stacey’s journey and learn about holistic wellness on The Complete Herbal Guide. You can also connect with Stacey and her team on Twitter and Facebook.

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