The Eternal Path to Wellness

INTRODUCING ANTI-AGING EXPERT: CHRISTIE MACARTNEY

By SB Veda

“I believe that people deserve a better answer to greater health and wellness rather than a prescription drug.” – Christie Macartney

Most people flow through the channels of life along the topography of nature and nurture, propelled mainly by the inertia of events – with few actually taking bold decisions to take control, and live on their own terms.

Christie Macartney, our magazine’s newest contributor, despite having worked in areas of interest to her namely, human resources, occupational health and safety and food safety, found herself re-evaluating her own path while at the bedside of her ailing mother, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2003.

Shelley Flynn, Christie’s mother, was known by all who had come into contact with her, including this writer, as a warm-hearted and kind human being, whose caring character lent itself well to her profession as a nurse. Diagnosed at a late stage in her illness, her family, including Christie had but three months more with her before the disease tragically took her life.
Many would have been encompassed by the darkness of such an abrupt end to the days of a loved one, and Christie was devastated – but rather than letting her grief consume her, she looked inward to find out how she might make a difference in people’s lives.

Christie’s exposure to Canada’s universal healthcare system in and out of doctors’ offices, exam rooms, and hospital chambers, during this period of duress, left her with considerable disillusionment about it. She was left in the aftermath, wondering whether she could do something to prevent or pre-empt the suffering, which her mother and family had just endured. So, she made a life-changing decision: to dedicate the rest of her life to the cause of preventative health, wellness, life extension, and improving quality of life.

christie from fbWhile soul-searching for her next move, she had an epiphany: rather than joining the medical profession, she thought her time was best building on skills already developed to help people sustain and extend their days on this Earth, in optimum health and leading the highest quality of life.

She went back to school to learn more about nutrition, health, personal fitness training, and yoga, getting healthier as she learned. Ultimately, she ended up embodying the end-goal, which she had become determined to champion in her studies.

Never a victim of the bulge (I can attest to that, having grown up in the same neighborhood in Ottawa as her) she not only made the necessary adjustments to fashion her body into her calling card but she also was able to seemingly turn back the clock. Physical imperfections were angled out and smoothed in a feminine manner; lines diminished on her face; her energy level rose.

In short, she was able to meet the challenges of life with the vigor of her youth without sacrificing the maturity of her perspective.

Her journey was not without its doubts. She found her decision, her resolve, her ego being tested at every turn – but in her heart, her overriding belief that a passion to help others would overcome any challenge, sustained her through these uncertain times. She focused on details often ignored or forgotten by most, and found herself swallowing her pride to ask for help when needed. She cites these as key elements to making her own way in life.

She explored and experimented with nutritional supplements an aids, discovering and then marketing the weight loss, energy performance, and anti-aging product line called Isagenix. As a member of their marketing team she joined one of the fastest growing companies in North America.

Next, she amalgamated and organized her varied knowledge set, and combined them with the nutrition and fitness practices gained from her studies in a systematic manner with a view to helping other people. The efforts culminated into a revolutionary anti-aging program, which she aptly called: Transform and Take Flight Into Your Life. It is a not only a health and wellness program but also streams into each and every facet of life due to Christie’s experience with motivation, personal growth, and HR counselling, making it an all-encompassing performance enhancement suite: a one shopping for self-improvement, if you will.

Through the program, Christie has helped scores of people look ten to fifteen years younger – and that’s no exaggeration. The results attained through her coaching, and personalized approach to helping clients is nothing short of astounding.

Preparing for this introduction, I ask her about recent challenges as the youthful mother of two teenage boys is constantly testing herself. She mentions an experience entering a Spartan Race. It included a 5 kilometer run with 15 obstacles up a very steep hill at a local downhill ski resort called Edelweiss near Ottawa. The heat reached a level of 40C with humidity, and her body, mind and spirit challenged throughout, describing her ordeal:

Christie Spartan Race“I thought of giving up multiple times as I tried to catch my breath and let go of the pain. All I heard in my mind was to take one step at a time and to know that I would finish. I could see the finish line, I could already feel the excitement as I crossed the finish line and so I continued to maintain focus.”

This determination has been essential to her success as has her conviction in the cause of wellness.

“I believe that people deserve a better answer to greater health and wellness rather than a prescription drug. If I gave up on my dream, my legacy then that would imply I’m giving up on the people I care about and that is not an option,” she proclaims with a fervor that is indicative of a person possessed of a mission help make life better for others.

Many find keeping up this level of effort difficult over time. So, how does Christie sustain her intensity over the long-run? The answer is simple and best presented in her own words: “I continue to take one day at a time knowing that what I do makes a difference”

Always mindful the significance of her role as a mother, a guide, a mentor, her actions are continually framed by her desire to exhibit qualities, which they too can emulate. “I am a role model to my children and show them that anything is possible,” she says.

She dares to tread the path first written about in Herotodus’ Histories, and sought after by scores since: that eternal journey towards the fountain of youth.
christie outdoor rock climbing
I am proud to say that Christie is someone whom I have liked and admired for decades, now, hence, I am beyond pleased to welcome her to our team at The Global Calcuttan. I hope you enjoy her column, and for those of you, who want more, please don’t hesitate to contact her directly at: christiemacartney@rogers.com. And you can check-her web-site at: www.ChristieMacartney.com

Her articles will appear in the Health and Wellness sub-section of the Lifestyle heading on our main menu with brief introductions in our main posts slider. As always, the team at The Global Calcuttan welcomes your feedback on her articles.

To read her first article, called “Weighing in on Business Travel Road Warriors” please click on the following link:
STAYING HEALTHY ON THE ROAD

One Comment on “The Eternal Path to Wellness

  1. What an inspirational story! I’ve added this site to my RSS feed.

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