Since first launching her practice in 2001, Orléans chiropractor Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp has been a tireless champion of her profession and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in achieving one's overall wellness.

A former competitive natural body builder, Dr. Beauchamp has long believed that a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise and proper nutrition can help prevent the severity of musculoskeletal problems and speed up recuperation.

As part of the process of constantly looking to improve her practice and in turn the health of her patients recently launched her latest venture -- the Santé Chiropractic and Wellness Centre.

At the heart of "creating wellness” is being able to properly balance the three key dimensions of personal health – the physical (staying fit), the bio-chemical (your diet) and the psychological (having a proper attitude).

At certain times in an individual’s life they will experience a range of different stresses in one, two or even all three dimensions. The key to maintaining wellness is to be aware of how each dimension is being impacted and to make adjustments in the other areas to maintain a proper balance. In order to move toward total wellness, all three dimensions must be addressed at the same time.

But before you can proceed down the road to personal wellness and vitality, it is important to properly assess where you are at now.

All of Dr. Beauchamp’s patients undergo a Creating Wellness Assessment which measures body composition, cardiovascular health, lung capacity, multi-modality stress response and strength and then compares the data to information provided by way of a questionnaire designed to assess the three dimensions of personal wellness.

The end result is a Wellness Quotient which becomes that person’s wellness baseline. The next step is to develop a personal wellness program in consultation with Dr. Beauchamp that is customized to meet their specific needs.

In the journey to personal wellness, Dr. Beauchamp is not only a health care provider but she is also a mentor.

She believes so deeply in the creating wellness concept that she has become one of its most ardent spokespeople, often giving seminars at health and wellness expos including right here in Orléans where she has been a co-organizer of the Ottawa Health and Wellness Expo since 2007.

Over the years, Dr. Beauchamp has been recognized on numerous occasions for her hard work and dedication to her patients and the community at large both inside and outside her profession having won the Orléans Business Excellence Award for Healthcare Professional of the Year and Small Business of the Year.

In January 2008, she published her first book entitled "Wellness On the Go", with co-author Andrée Benson. The same year she was named as one of the Ottawa Business Journal's "Top 40 Under 40".

Dr. Beauchamp deeply believes that creating wellness is the best and most effective way to prevent illness. Not to mention the most economic.

If you’re sick and tired of always feeling sick and tired, why not call the the Santé Chiropractic and Wellness Centre and set up an appointment to have an assessment done.

The sooner you start down the road to personal wellness and vitality the better – not only for yourself, but for those around you. And remember – every journey, from the simplest to the most difficult, begins with a small step.

You can set up an appointment by calling 613-837-2883. You can also visit their website at www.santechiropractic.com.