The Puurlee Podcast with Nika Lawrie
Welcome to The Puurlee Podcast with Nika Lawrie!
This podcast is your go-to source for transformative conversations about wellness, personal growth, and living a fulfilling life. Each episode features inspiring guests from a global community of thought leaders, along with expert insights or bite-sized practical tips. These conversations are designed to help you unlock ultimate health, build unstoppable confidence, and take action now toward a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. Tune in to discover the stories and solutions that empower you to create the life you’ve always dreamed of.
The Puurlee Podcast with Nika Lawrie
Unpacking Netflix's Controversial Portrayal of the Wellness Industry - Belle Gibson & Apple Cider Vinegar
Is Netflix’s latest docuseries doing more harm than good when it comes to how we see the wellness industry?
In this episode, I’m diving into the controversial story of Belle Gibson—the influencer who built an empire on a fabricated cancer diagnosis. But beyond her shocking deception, there’s a bigger conversation to be had: How does the media’s portrayal of holistic health impact those who are actually doing the work to help people heal?
Holistic practices and modern medicine both play a role in real health outcomes. When we acknowledge the strengths—and the limitations—of each, we create space for a more informed, balanced approach. So let’s unpack the damage caused by frauds like Belle Gibson, stories like Apple Cider Vinegar, and the uphill battle legitimate holistic practitioners face in a world quick to dismiss them.
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*This podcast and its contents are for informational purposes only and are not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or a qualified health provider for any questions concerning a medical condition or health objectives. Additionally, the advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every individual and are not guaranteed for business, personal, or wellness success. Use discretion and seek professional counsel when necessary.
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Welcome to the Purely Podcast. I'm your host, nika Laurie. Hey friends, nika here, so this is now the Purely Podcast, formerly known as Inspired, with Nika Laurie. I am bringing an episode a little bit early. I know I said that we would relaunch on March 5th, but I have some thoughts on something that I want to share with you, and I wanted to do it in a timely manner. So here's the deal. I finished watching Apple Cider Vinegar the Netflix docuseries on Belle Gibson.
Speaker 1:Belle Gibson is an Australian wellness influencer who built a wellness empire based off a fictitious story. She claimed that she had cancer and she was using holistic approaches to wellness to manage and survive her cancer. I want to be really, really clear. What Belle Gibson did is horrific. It was a scam. She manipulated people, she built her empire off a total lie, she stole from charities and she devastated people's lives. Countless number of people were hurt by her. I have to say there's not really a gray area on this. It really is black and white. What Belle Gibson did is not okay, but here's where I have some thoughts.
Speaker 1:The way Netflix and the producers presented the story really bothered me. It felt like anyone who believes in holistic health or a more natural approach to wellness is completely delusional. It's like we're anti-science quacks and I've got to say I've seen a lot of that in the media over the last couple of years, especially because of the uneasy political environment we are currently finding ourselves in. But the way this show was presented was that basically anyone in the health and wellness world is a snake oil salesman, and that just isn't the reality. It's not true. So I wanted to talk a little bit today about the truth. Here are the facts. I want to give you both my opinion but also some real. You know, this is the truth. This is where things really stand. There is real science behind how food, exercise and toxins impact your health. It's not some woo-woo science, it's called biochemistry. It's real. There are also real clinical treatments, actual medical protocols where they starve the cancer by removing food that fuels it. But most people don't just use nutrition in place of chemo and radiation. They use it with those treatments in tandem. They work together. It's not one or the other in healing is just as bad as Bell Gibson. It's like they were crazy. But honestly I feel like that approach, that story, is just as dangerous as what Bell Gibson did. Here's what really makes me angry People like Bell Gibson, people who scam, who lie, who exploit the sick.
Speaker 1:They do damage to the holistic health world. They make it harder for real experts, for the practitioners who are actually helping people. They create misinformation and disinformation and they confuse everyone. And when the media overcorrects or dismisses everything under the natural health umbrella, they're doing damage too, maybe just as much damage as someone like Bell Gibson. Here's the truth and anyone who's legit in this space. They already know it.
Speaker 1:There is a real place for modern medicine, but there is also a real place for holistic health, and the best outcomes happen when those two things work together. Let me give you a few examples. If you get into a car crash, go to the hospital. Use modern medicine. If you have cancer, things that you need to think about are nutrition, how you're managing stress, detoxifying your body, but also use modern treatments. If you are struggling with something like autoimmune disease, ibs or even diabetes, this is where modern medicine tends to fail people, because the truth is the conventional medical system. It's designed to manage the symptoms, not solve the root cause problem. That's making people sick and, to me, ignoring the root cause, just slapping a prescription medication on it and sending the person on their way. Well, that's just as irresponsible as what Bill Gibson did. That's where people suffer for no reason at all. They don't need to.
Speaker 1:And so, yeah, I have mixed feelings on the show. I have mixed feelings on how the media has been presenting the holistic wellness world. I have mixed feelings on what's going on with this crazy political environment we're in. But I think it's important for everyone to know where the facts lie. We need to call out scammers, but it's also dangerous to discredit an entire field of health just because there's a handful of frauds.
Speaker 1:I want to be very clear here. Yes, there are frauds in the holistic health space. There's many of them. But there are also frauds in the modern medical system. We have heard countless stories like Dr Death, where people have been murdered and hurt and disfigured and mistreated going through the modern medical system. There are countless stories and I mean countless stories of people who were suffering from a disease or some kind of sickness. They went through the modern medical system. They went from doctor to doctor to expert to expert and they were not helped. They were given multiple medications or sometimes dismissed and not given anything at all and sent out the door to struggle. They deserve better. Many of them found functional medicine doctors or other holistic practitioners who helped them change their diet and lifestyle and got better.
Speaker 1:So it's true, we need both. We need holistic health, we need modern medicine, we need technology, we need data, but we also need to acknowledge that what we eat, how we move, how we manage our stress, what toxins we're exposed to all of those things matter too. It's not an either-or conversation. It never has been. We need both.
Speaker 1:So obviously I have some opinions on this. Have you seen the show? I'd love to know what you think about it. Did the show rub you the wrong way? It did to me. Do you think they had a fair take on it? What are your thoughts about the media coverage lately about different holistic approaches to health? Let me know. Reach out to me at Purely on all the social media channels or at Nika Laurie on all the social media channels, or email me at info at purelycom. I'd love to hear from you. With that a reminder, we will be back March 5th with the official launch of the Purely podcast. I have so many fantastic guests lined up. I can't wait to share those episodes with you. Thank you, as always, so much for listening and I'm here for you, my friend. I'll see you in the next episode.
