Anyone who has taken the road less traveled regarding health care has empowered themselves whether they are male or female. I found by the time I was in my early 30's that standard allopathic medicine would not work for me in the long run, and while I always had a medical doctor for ‘just in case,’ my chiropractor was my primary source of health care. Later, for several years, my acupuncturist was the person who took care of me. Tied I would guess in importance, was my massage practitioner.
My message from the universe said that I would not make my living as a healer, so while I did a few massages for money, for the most part I have given my knowledge to those who were interested in learning. The trick is to find someone who is interested in learning.
Today, many women practice alternate healing methods and have very successful businesses. My only hope is that I have opened a few eyes, starting a few brains thinking about alternatives.
At any rate, I am oddly but well educated. The massage license requires continuing education. Thankfully, the human body is what I really like to study!
How does consciously eating whole, unprocessed foods contribute to improved health and quality of life for women specifically?
The things I have studied have only empowered me. I was studying nutrition and alternate healing methods before they were in vogue and I was looked upon in my family and by some friends as a nutcase. So I just kept experimenting to learn what foods worked for me and which healing modes were useful for me. I even wrote a cookbook to show how to use whole wheat and honey in recipes.
The state of health many Americans find themselves in is a direct result of how or what they have eaten. I include myself in this as all that sugar and white flour I have consumed are the reasons for any ill health I have today. Therefore, anyone who drives on by fast food emporiums, stops at the Co-op and picks up fresh food for dinner and fixes a nice dinner of veggies, whole grains and healthy meat, will reap a harvest of good health. The tricky part is to figure out which foods your body wants! What works for me very likely will not work for anyone else except generally. Generally, veggies, fruits, whole grains, limited sweeteners such as honey, agave and stevia, and some meat and fish grown without hormones is a rule of thumb. A book from 40 years ago suggested ‘eating as close to the ground’ as possible – meaning as little processing as possible.
What does it mean to be a fashionable feminist of your generation?
I have never been fashionable but instead wore clothes that I thought suited me. Fortunately for many years I was slim and trim, which made it much easier to buy clothes! Today, it is more like if it fits I guess I will buy it. And then there are shoes. My taste ran to pretty shoes, but the years of working at Boeing and needing sturdy shoes to cover all the territory required broke me of the habit of buying them. I still have umpteen dozen shoes, lots of them black, in different styles. So I guess I have thumbed my nose at the fashion industry partly for looks and partly for the dollars involved with being fashionable. I quit carrying purses years ago as I spent lots of time in Seattle and purses are simply targets for thieves.
What/who inspires you? Who do you admire most or look to as a role model?
I don’t remember anyone at Boeing who mentored me or provided a role model. Mostly what happened when a woman made management is that they became one of the good old boys. I never aspired to that.
Some of the women from church have been role models. They lived their lives in a principled manner, kept their minds in good order until very late in life.
What are five fabulous things about being you? What are you most thankful for in life?
The way my mind works has been a constant source of amazement. I don’t understand why other people don’t understand! Many things are so simple, so how can people come to such odd conclusions!
Helene's Healthy Whole Wheat and Honey Brownie Recipe:
-2 one ounce cubes baking chocolate
-1/2 cup butter
-2 eggs
-3/4 cup honey
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
-Sprinkle with nuts
Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave using a similar method. Mix in rest of ingredients and bake in a 9 x 9 pan for 35 minutes at 325 degrees, or until edges come away from pan.
