We’re looking forward to introducing you to Nancy Addison. Check out our conversation below.
Nancy, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Dean Piper of W4CY radio convinced me to do a radio show over 12 years ago, because he believed in my message.
I’ve now hosted over 546 shows. Recently, I received an email from the Million Podcast group and they shared with me that my show is now listed in the Top 100 Podcasts. Not only that, it is listed as Number 1 in the Organic Food Category, listed as Number 7 in the Healthy Eating Category, listed as Number 6 in the Healthy Food Category, and listed as 30 in the Top 100 of the Nutrition Category. In addition to that, it’s listed in the Top 10 Best Organic Food Podcasts by Feedspot.
I was so thrilled to find this out! I love sharing my information with people on my show and having wonderful guests on the show to share their stories. I actually think of it as my ministry. This news made me so joyful to find out that people really appreciate hearing my information.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a nutritionist and holistic health counselor, a #1 best-selling, international award-winning author, radio show host and lecturer. My books were written after years of research to find a cure for my own health problems. I was frustrated with conventional medicine. So, I embarked on a long course of study into many different healing concepts, including ancient Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, macrobiotics, Mediterranean cuisine, natural hygiene, raw foods, detoxification, and supplement therapy. I incorporated the most beneficial components of each concept into my own system of health and healing. My personal medical doctor encouraged me to share this knowledge with others. Having been married to an environmental trial lawyer for over 23 years, I learned an amazing amount of information, about toxins in our environment, water quality, herbicides, government oversight and corruption, and electromagnetic field radiation (EMF) information, as well as many other things that impact our health and well-being.
I feel this gives me a wealth of knowledge and information that allows me to look at our health (and healing) in ways that are not taught in schools or out of a book. I also feel my counseling sessions provide a more detailed plan for becoming healthy, much more so than just a “diet”.I speak and do my radio shows, books, and articles to offer a constantly expanding body of knowledge that focuses on the benefits of establishing and maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit. I believe it all starts with nutritious food, healthy habits, and a positive mental attitude. I encourage people to follow some basic lifestyle principles, incorporate quality foods and liquids into their daily eating plan, and include some effective holistic remedies in order for them to lay down a solid foundation for being healthy.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before embarking on a healing journey researching holistic health, nutrition, lifestyle and environmental toxins, I began my working life as an art, drama, and homemaking teacher for grades 1 -12 for children with learning differences.
(I have a life-long teaching certification in the state of Texas.) I believe that education comes naturally to me. I strived to inspire my students to be their unique, creative selves.
After having my children, I retired from teaching for a while. I embraced being a full-time mother. I created my own baby food, and I taught my children from a young age how to cook and prepare healthy foods.
As I switched the ingredients in my recipes to make them healthier, my children were my taste testers and sous chefs. I also showed my children how to care for the organic garden that we planted.
Life was my canvas and my children were a part of that creative work of life. We were always designing art, drawing, writing, and developing ways to live a joyful healthy life. As my children were growing up, I was always involved in helping to make their lives and health as positive as possible. I was constantly researching health and nutrition, since I had decided to go holistic and not follow allopathic medicine any longer. After my father and my doctor both died of cancer when my son was one, I had a lightbulb moment that made me embark on a holistic path. It didn’t appear to me that the allopathic program was effective or working.
I had many friends and family encourage me to write down my health, nutrition, and cooking recipes, advice, and remedies, so that I could share this information with others. My children and my friends were some of the inspiration for the six nutritional award-winning cookbooks, and the award-winning children’s art therapy coloring book that I wrote.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
When I first started my healthy eating and holistic health journey, it was not without challenges.
Whenever we start to do something different from what we have been doing or from what others are doing, it can be hard.
Some people can see this as threatening, because it can make them question what they are doing. Changing my diet and the way I was raising my children made some people uncomfortable, and I was sometimes not included or invited to certain parties or dinners. It was really challenging at times, and could be a bit lonely. I also had people tell me that I shouldn’t write books.
Today, many years later, when so many people are sick with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other health challenges, I am feeling good and looking fairly young for my age. Some people are finally realizing that the idea of eating a quality organic (and mostly raw) food diet may not be quite as strange as they had previously thought.
These days, whenever I have a dinner or a party at my home, people love to come and see what kind of food I am serving. It is usually all eaten very quickly, and most folks tell me that my food is really delicious.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I feel my closest friends would say “what really matters to me” is that I like living a healthy lifestyle and that I care deeply about my family. I am a devoted mother and grandmother, and we find great joy in being a part of each other’s lives. I absolutely adore it when we cook and have meals together, share new experiences, and create joy and meaning in our world. It also means a great deal to me to share my knowledge of health, nutrition, and holistic healing with others.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I would be so honored if people remember me as a kind person, who did my best to help guide others in creating and living a healthier, happier, and more rewarding quality of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://organichealthylife.com/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nancyaddison
- Other: IHeart Radio – https://www.iheart.com/podcast/209-organic-healthy-lifestyle-26999927/
