Wellness expert, presenter, TV host, and bestselling author Andi Lew chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about her latest endeavors. She is also a certified food, lifestyle and wellness coach.
How does it feel to be a wellness expert and TV host in the digital age?
I was just thinking about this today actually! It’s really so funny to see everyone on social media all of a sudden being a presenter. Since the pandemic we have been inundated with streaming shows and social media platforms that demand us to deliver video content, and as somebody with 30 years experience in both wellness, and as a television and radio host, I find myself in absolute awe at people being their authentic selves, and then others trying to navigate their way into a hosting role.
The wellness market is certainly a saturated one, since we are now all finally questioning ingredients and looking after ourselves in a proactive way. I’ve been doing this for three decades now, and it transpired into receiving an 01 extraordinary talent visa to live in America. What I have to share, and teach only gets delivered with more certainty and conviction. I do see some wellness companies pop up now and then trying to ‘cash in’ on the wellness revolution.
Only those that pursue wellness with sincere interest, and for the greater good of others will stick around. I’m concerned for consumers, though who may be tricked into buying a substandard product or can’t tell the difference between quality and authenticity and sincerity. Wellness has never been a business like it is now.
What motivates you each day?
My love of serving, educating, nurturing, and inspiring others to live a greater quality of life naturally. The readers of 9 books stay connected with me on social media, and I love hearing stories about how they have changed their lives for the better, and have vitalistic they become.
My son also is my reason for being, and I jump out of bed in the morning when I’m having a chiropractic adjustment that day! I’ve been having chiropractic care regularly for 25 years and it’s one of the reasons I’m slowing the ageing process. I wrote about it in my 8 health title, Connected, a paradigm shift in how we view health, now available as an audible.
Can you briefly tell us about your message about holistic health and breast implant illness?
I’ve always been one to advocate and teach toxic free living. It was never some thing that I advocated when I put in breast implants. However, I did it for a very strong, psychological reason and oddly enough eight years ago, it really changed my mental health as a child sexual assault survivor. Having the augmentation made me feel like less of a prepubescent, self, and more of a woman with armor. Sadly, it was my protection and I had to work very deep when I was first diagnosed with breast implant illness to get ready to remove.
This period of time allowed me to save for the very expensive operation which is averaging around $14,000, get psychologically prepared and also I was on a wait list because there aren’t enough doctors that are trained to do this specialist type of surgery called complete capsulectomy. In my case six surgeons and an MRI didn’t pick up an undetected rupture which I was suffering for a couple of years.
I should have been triaged. The wait list is usually around 6 to 12 months and this new specialist surgery is where the surrounding scar tissue is removed with the breast implant bag, because there is new research now explaining that this capsule or scar tissue shell, is new types of carcinoma, including squamous, cell carcinoma, and anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
Only when they operated on me did my surgeon realize that I was right all along, and indeed the left breast implant did have a hole or a leak in the bag exactly where I was pointing to it.
Breast implant illness is a systemic response and the whole body begins to shut down as the natural detoxification pathways. No longer operate well. There are a laundry list of symptoms like brain, fog, confusion, irritable, bowel syndrome, or Crohn’s disease and other digestive issues, SIBO, autoimmune disease, depression, anxiety, inability to breathe, tinnitus, inflammation, and so many more issues.
It’s important for women to start joining the dots and remove the inflammatory driver which is the actual toxic implants. It’s not just the ingredients in these bags, but it is also the body wanting to expel a toxin through an orifice. That’s how we work to heal.
Expulsion through an orifice happens often when we are sick or healing, and it’s actually a wellness response. With implants, though, it becomes a thing called ‘contracture’ where there’s nowhere for it to leave. It’s quite a scary thing actually and I talk more in detail about it on episode 11 of my podcast Well to Do.
What do your plans for the future include?
I’m currently working on a new book about this and also a documentary. I’m living in LA and having meetings with production teams who are wanting to develop new types of wellness shows.
What is your advice for young and aspiring TV hosts and wellness experts?
Practice your craft daily. You don’t need to be in a job to develop your skills. I teach presenter workshops, online or in person. If you’re in wellness, remember the grass roots of why you started and that is the love of helping others. Make sure you continue to research and stay on top of, all the information. Continuing education is key.
What does the word success mean to you?
One of my favorite mantras is that success happens to those who are willing to do the things that others aren’t. It’s my commitment to The Wellness Lifestyle, so that you can be inspired by my actions not just what I say. And it shows! I’m often told that I look 15 years younger when I will be 50 in July.
Is there anything else you would like to say or add that we did not cover?
Please stay connected with me on IG @andi.lew or on my website. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
