I’m paranoid about a lot of things—I believe I’m more paranoid than the average person (see, even THAT I’m paranoid about). As I write this, I’m overwhelmed with all the things I’m currently anxious about, which is why I even decided to just write to distract myself from overthinking in the first place. I won’t go into detail about my worries and woes, but I can tell you that one of the major ones has to do with my health.

Life as a freelancer can be fun, free, and fab…until you get sick and you realize the value of having a company-issued health card. Well, you can actually get this for yourself, especially when you have committed yourself to freelancing for the rest of your life. But as someone who only started freelancing this year and who is honestly still undecided whether she wants to remain a freelancer for long or not, I just can’t commit to investing in my own health plan just yet (especially since I have to worry about funds for that). What I can invest in, however, is keeping myself healthy and illness-free.

Prevention trumps cure, always

A friend brought me to Boost Vitamin Bar in BGC. When she first invited me for a visit to “Boost Bar,” I thought it was an actual, well, bar where we’ll have a few drinks. And then I wondered if maybe it’s a juice bar—something that’s still all the rage. But actually it’s a clinic, more specifically for alternative medicine. They focus more on prevention and treating the actual causes of illnesses, should you already have them, rather than emergencies and the symptoms you complain about. They address everything from common illnesses to our beauty woes.

Boost Bar was established by Dr. Joel Lopez over two years ago. He practices internal medicine, but yearned for more, better ways to treat his patients. He practiced in San Francisco for 10 years, and this is where he learned and trained in the holistic approach to medicine—cover and treat the whole person, not just her specific complaint. I had to ask why he decided to call his clinic Boost Bar, and he said it’s because it’s a place where they boost your energy, immunity, and health.

Treatments

They have various types of treatments offered, but whether you already have a general complaint or, like me, you really just want to be healthier and to stay that way, everything starts with a lengthy consultation with Dr. Joel, in which he will interview you about your overall state of your health, after which he’ll decide what tests to put you through. They’ll check everything from your hair to your urine, blood, hormones, etc.

The doctor will then discuss your results with you and put you through a treatment program that’s best for you, be it to treat causes of your complaint or to maintain your good health. He will also make recommendations on dietary and lifestyle changes you need to make, as well as some supplements you need to take to get necessary nutrients you don’t get from food.

Each person’s treatment is different, since it’s based on her interview with Dr. Joel and the test results; the tests also vary, depending on what the doctor learned during the interview. Examples of treatments they offer are nutritional medicine, to address deficiencies and imbalances in your body; detox programs; weight management systems; and IV (intravenous) nutritional therapy to improve the immune system.

Vitamin shots

That being said, after my chat with Dr. Joel, he recommended that I be given vitamin shots—I’m assuming it’s because I appeared generally healthy and just needed a little boost. The first one had Vitamin B3 and C, while the last one is glutathione for detox (and I’m guessing for an added glow to my skin). I must admit I have issues with needles, so the entire time the thick mix of vitamins was being injected into my system with a syringe, I had to take deep breaths and distract myself. They did give ample warning (I will feel warm toward the end, there will be some discomfort because the thick concoction will flow through my bloodstream but it will fade soon, etc.) so I was able to sit through the whole process calmly (albeit not without breaking out in cold sweat, hehe).

The results? Well, I have only visited once, but in the weeks, even months after, I did notice a boost in my energy, I didn’t really get sick for a while, and my skin had a healthy, youthful glow. Remember that whatever I tried will most probably be different from what Dr. Joel will prescribe for you.

If only there’s a fool-proof treatment for paranoia in general.

Boost Bar is located at 2/F Mercury Drug Bldg. 32nd St., cor. 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For inquiries you may call them at 0917-5668599, 0922-826-6101, or 02-3597009. You may also email admin@jlopezmd.com.

Photo by Trixie Reyna

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