Why I ventured into Food and Herbal Medicine – CHINENYE AMOS

MRS. Chinenye Joy Amos is the Managing Director of 1Life Nutraceuticals Limited, a Nutrition and Naturopathic Medicine service provider based at Umudim, Nnewi in Anambra state. A National Certificate of Education, NCE holder from the National Teachers Institute, Miss Amos also studied Nutrition and Naturopathic Medicine at the Green center academy Lagos. She later obtained a diploma certificate in skincare from Kegy’s Gym and Spa, Kaduna as well as Desharon Skincare Academy. In this Exclusive Interview with OLISEMEKA SONY, Mrs. Amos shares her experience in alternative medicine practice and other issues. Excerpts:

How long have you been in this new vocation and your experience so far?

Well, I have been practicing Nutrition and Naturopathic Medicine for over eight years and surely it has been quite a rewarding experience for me to do something that is not common in this part of the world.

And it stems from the fact that treating people with food and herbal medicine is a passion I have and I do it with so much Joy and peace.
However, just as with everything else in life, I have had ups and downs in this vocation but the setbacks had never deterred nor slowed my desire to reach the pinnacle of my career. One thing is that winning has always been my ultimate goal in the end.

On the other hand, I have been in the skincare business for two years. I will say that I am still at the teething stage of the business but it’s equally exciting and I look forward to using it to help a lot of people.

This type of practice is relatively unknown in this part of the world, how did you find yourself there and why?

It came naturally to me. I had always loved taking care of the sick and so developed the desire to study Medicine and Surgery but along the line due to family issues and lack of money, I could not achieve that dream.

But, that setback did not completely neutralize my desire to pursue a career in medical sciences. However, as fate would have it, my mother suffered tuberculosis/pneumonia in 2005 and was placed on daily injections for three months and daily drugs for one year but in the end, there was no relief or recovery.
At a point when we were almost giving up, someone gave her herbal medicine and she vomited all the poison in her system and made full recovery.

That particular incident enkindled my interest in herbal medicine. From that moment, I made up my mind that if I couldn’t become a medical doctor, I should become a herbal doctor.

I started the practice of using food and herbs as medicine in December 2018. Then, I had a secondary infertility issue for seven years and I used a combination of diets and herbs to cure myself from the pelvic inflammatory disease and I became pregnant. Largely, I started practicing from inspiration and started seeing results, then I decided to go get professional training.

That was what drove me to get enrolled at The Green Center Academy, Lagos where I studied Nutrition and Naturopathic Medicine.

Can you us about this treatment therapy and what it costs patients to get them?

The treatment is primarily the application of a detailed food plan and herbs or just a food plan depending on the nature of the illness. The cost depends on the sickness and severity of it. And it ranges from N1,000 N500,000.

Can you also explain how a special food plan can cure ailments that drugs cannot?

Food is medicine. It’s one of the secrets many people don’t know. According to a historical account of creation, as recorded in Genesis 1:29, Man was made from the earth and God Almighty has also commanded man to get their food from the earth’s source which is a plant. By eating the right kind of diet, the body can take care of certain ailments.

Sometimes after taking drugs, one needs to review what they eat, because if you eat right, the body will get healing.

One thing you must know is that cells in the human body renew themselves every 28 days and what we feed it will determine how healthy it will be during this recycling period. An example is the cancer cells or microorganisms that feed on industrial-produced sugar.

Now starve them that sugar and you will discover they die naturally. That is how it works.
And what do you have to say about the widespread practice of drug use without a doctor’s prescription in Nigeria?
It’s very wrong and dangerous to the body. Unfortunately, we don’t have a system to regulate drugs sale and use in the country.

But I can tell you that majority of the fatal sickness we are seeing today stem from the wrong use of medication and poor dieting.

What differentiates your treatment from that of orthodox medicine?

The difference between our treatment and that of orthodox medicine is that we encourage the use of herbs, food, air, water, sunlight, and anything nature has provided for healing, while orthodox treatment makes use of drugs, injections, drips, and surgery for healing.

What’s the difference between your massage therapy and the conventional ones?

Well, there are different types of body massages ranging from therapeutic to erotic and so on. Many people don’t know that massage is a great tool for relaxation, pain relief, easing muscle tension, and more.

It involves using different pressures, movements, and techniques to manipulate muscles and other soft tissues in the human body. By slowing down your nervous system, massage therapy can be used to release stress and tension, provide relief from symptoms, heal injuries, and support general wellness.

And we have different types of massage therapy. Swedish massage is typically a full-body massage that uses a gentle touch. It’s a good pick for people new to massages as it is usually helpful in calming the nervous system.

Deep tissue massage, on the other hand, is the type designed to get into the muscles and tendons to release tightness that usually occurs as a result of repeated use or inactivity like sitting, driving etc.

It’s usually recommended for people with injuries, general muscle tightness, and chronic muscle pain.

We also have sports massage which is also similar to deep-tissue massages, but they zero in on the muscles that take a beating when you play sports or do another repetitive physical activity.
Then, there is trigger point massage where the therapist uses focused and direct pressure to target those spots.

This increases blood flow to the areas, helping them release. This type of massage can also be helpful for people with chronic pain.

We also have another one called, myofascial release which requires the therapist to knead and stretch the muscles and fascia in order to work out tension and tightness. It’s recommended for opening up the tightness in the neck, shoulders and upper and lower back. Lymphatic massage is also carried out on people to help lymphatic fluid flow more freely through the body.

It’s the most suitable therapy for people with inflammation — including people with illnesses like arthritis, as well as people who have had mastectomies, which often involve removing the lymph nodes.

Prenatal massage also comes in handy to help pregnant women relax and address the aches and pains of growing a baby. It is very helpful for taking pressure off the hips and reducing swelling in the feet and legs.

Then, there is the erotic massage which is the use of massage techniques by one person on another person’s erogenous zones for their sexual pleasure. Not all massage therapists perform this kind of service on clients.

However, my own type of massage is majorly for relaxation, releasing tension and improving blood circulation.

We perform massage techniques like Swedish massage, Deep Tissue, Facials, Full body polishing, vagina steaming etc.

How much does your massage and other treatments cost?

Well, our service fee is largely determined by the cause, nature and gravity of the ailment as well as the time it takes to treat the patient. However, there are certain services that are constant.
For instance, we charge N10,000 for Swedish massage, N15,000 for Deep tissue massage and N5,000 for Facials.

Similarly, a client is expected to pay N10,000 for a Full Body Polishing Massage service while we charge N3,000 for Vagina Steaming. We also charge N5,000 on Food plan for any sickness apart from cancer.

Who are the target of your treatment and why?

Our treatment is for everybody, ranging from the old, young, male and female, especially women with female disorder and those that are trying to conceive.

Do you have an office or hospital where you treat patients or clients or you visit them?

Yes, we have an office where we render services to clients and it is located at Eme Court Road Umudinkwa, Umudim, Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra state. We are equally accessible through our social media (Facebook) page ‘1life Nutraceuticals LTD’ or email 1life Nutraceuticals@gmail.com. Our official contact line is 08184321684. Thank you