Meet Bee Westwood

We were lucky to catch up with Bee Westwood recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bee , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I found my purpose, as most people do, from the hardship I’ve faced and triumphed over in my life. Through the health struggles I’ve experienced, I found myself on a path of healing that has taught me how to help others who are suffering in similar ways as I have. As with most healers who enter the holistic realm, I was enlightened by the powers of traditional healing practices, lifestyle modifications, and a dedication to whole-food eating which completely transformed my life, and I aim to help others do the same.

But, I can’t discuss finding my purpose without mentioning one of the major catalysts for this exploration. When I was sixteen, my stepfather passed away suddenly as a result of iatrogenic harm while he was suffering from heart disease. One day, after years of serious surgeries, doctors appointments, and seemingly endless prescriptions, I came home to find him on the floor, fighting for breath and writhing in a struggle that was later determined to be a grand mal seizure.

Leading up to this, my stepdad, whom we lovingly called Bubba, had already communicated to his doctors that he had experienced a seizure on his commute to work one day. Seizures happened to be a listed side effect of a new medication he was prescribed. Although he had followed up with his caretakers to try and find an alternative, they were not willing to explore other options, and sternly encouraged him to keep taking it. His death was a major catalyst for me to start learning about the root-cause of disease, healing through alternative modalities, and taking responsibility for my own health.

This experience was the turning point that led me to face my own many health struggles that I had suffered from since infancy. Despite many desperate attempts to feel better, no one in the allopathic institution had answers or solutions for what I was going through. Once I began to heal emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I knew that I could take what I had learned and help others seeking answers to the questions I had once asked myself.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve got a lot going on – which is just how I like it! I love the restaurant world, I take on art commissions and design letterpress greeting cards, and I teach cooking & nutrition classes at a YMCA. My most important calling, however, is Olive & Dove Nutrition, which is a holistic nutrition counseling business in which I am the owner and founder.

O&D was born from many closed doors and frustrations as I tried to find my perfect fit within the holistic sphere. I always felt like I wanted to own something, to be the leader, to make decisions as close to God’s will as possible. I wanted to have free reign to help my clients as I saw fit – and I believe I have the compassion, understanding, & wisdom to know how to navigate an individual’s health issues depending on THEIR goals, lifestyle, and accessibility to resources, etc. There is so much more than knowing about a certain condition or ailment. Everyone has a unique health history, relationship to food, relationship to self, community, spirituality, etc. Health issues are multifaceted, and healers should acknowledge this and not have a one-size-fits-all approach.

My business stands for the physical realities (OLIVE) and the emotional/spiritual components of health (DOVE). The biblical symbolism is very intentional, as I wish to glorify Yahweh and all He has done for my business, and every other facet of my life. We are more spiritual beings than physical, which is an aspect I like to highlight. My clients experience their own revelations about their spiritual nature as they detoxify and mend in the physical. Everything is interconnected. It’s time the world of dietetics wakes up – it’s not about calories in calories out.

I am so blessed to have come out on the other side of health struggles. My personality, joy, and energy was subdued for many years due to SIBO, chronic fatigue, hypothyroid symptoms, horrible bouts of eczema, gut dysbiosis, weight gain, brain fog, and more. The world and all of its toxicity eroded me from the inside out. I also had a lot of emotional damage to understand and heal from related to my step dad’s passing. After coaching clients and watching them heal, I am so grateful to see the vitality re-enter their world after their light has been dimmed for so long, just as mine had been.

My business is conducted virtually, so I can do my one-on-one counseling work from anywhere! In addition, I am soon moving to Upstate New York, and I hope to add more in-person group sessions to widen the community reach and facilitate a space in which ideas and inspiration can roam freely, as well as educate women about their health and bodies in a world where that is sorely lacking.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Empathy: Having empathy is a superpower that can bring about incredible healing for ourselves and others. Contrary to what most people believe, empathy isn’t just about having experienced a situation similar to another. It’s being willing to step into another’s shoes and feel what they might be feeling, no matter how painful. It’s not about taking responsibility for their pain or their healing, but it is about seeing an individual through their own unique experience by simply listening and not assuming what we think we know about them or their struggles.

Through this process, we connect so much more to others and can understand their pain and help them not feel so alone. Healing journeys can be very isolating, especially going down alternative paths that may not be popular. But, emotions are universally experienced by us all, and they can really be a connecting point when we are willing to be vulnerable with one another. We heal best when we are supported, understood, and accepted.

2. Common Sense: This quality has been so incredibly valuable to me in pursuing my own healing, and supporting my clients in theirs. It can be critical when realizing that while what we’re experiencing in our bodies or mental state may be normalized, it isn’t normal. One of my favorite practitioners says common sense is fast, and science is slow. If a diagnostic test, treatment plan, or recommendation sets off some internal alarm bells, I have always been an advocate of pulling on that string to see where it leads.

Of course, there are many instances where science done well is revolutionary, but I’ve seen people endure the endless hamster wheel of pharmaceuticals prescribed to mask the symptoms brought on by other pharmaceuticals, all the while never actually healing from the original condition! At some point, having the common sense to say “something isn’t working” can quite literally be life-changing. This also goes for other health fads, diets, and nutritional advice that seem to change every other day.

Common sense cuts right to the chase. Clients come to me because they trust me to cut through all of the noise they’ve experienced from other health coaches, dietitians, or medical professionals. Sometimes, the answer really can be simple about why you feel unwell and then discover what makes you feel more vibrant and healthy.

3. Authenticity: I’ll never forget when a marketing professional told me that authenticity is overrated. She also told me, I might never agree, but I’ll never forget it. She was right.
Here’s my take. I struggle to market myself, which perhaps led to a slower growth for my business than I would’ve liked. How could I communicate my values and represent myself genuinely by only using a 10 second Instagram Reel? By only having 60 seconds in a BNI meeting? I desperately wanted to show people who I am and what I stand for, but I didn’t know how to do that within the framework that is popular now.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I do want to maintain my authenticity, even if it means I may have a smaller reach. I believe that the clients that you gave your undivided attention to, were transparent to, who you delivered fair pricing to… THOSE are the people who will remember you. They will tell their friends and family with true conviction that you ‘did the thing’ for them.

I am a healer. I am open for you. I’ll share educational pieces and gently correct others when I believe they have an incorrect food philosophy or skewed science. That, to me, is authenticity.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

I have a really great mom. She’s tough and soft in all the right places. She encouraged me and supported me through all of my years of study. She was there for me through long stretches of physical hardship; she spent hours researching my afflictions to help me find not only the physical, but spiritual root cause of why I was suffering.

After I had a major breakthrough with my health issues, she witnessed my transformation firsthand in a way few others have. And I know that because of this, she genuinely believes in my ability to help others, and she consistently shares my work with anyone who could benefit from it. She has always had confidence in me, whether it was my capacity to heal when I was struggling and now with my ability to help others through Olive & Dove. Her steadfast support is something I’ve adopted with my own clients, and I continue to learn from her every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oliveanddove.health
• Instagram: @olive_and_dove
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088546240134
• Twitter: www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-westwood-mscn-303573190

Image Credits

Dominique Murray
Alex Caprara