We think our iHerb customers are awesome and we truly appreciate their support and their patronage, but we also know that they are all real people who are doing their best to live a life of health and wellness. That’s not always an easy task. Given that, we wanted to feature some of them and get their take on the steps they take towards their own well-being and hopefully, iHerb plays a part in that. Perhaps, from their words, you’ll be able to get some inspiration to help you make positive and healthy changes in your life as well. Today, let’s meet Sheila Viers from Santa Monica, CA.
Tell us a little about yourself:
Hi iHerb blog readers! My name is Sheila Viers and I am the President and co-founder of Live Well 360. Our mission is to reinvent the fitness bag!
I live in Santa Monica, CA with my husband but am originally from the suburbs of Detroit, MI. I’ve been involved in health and fitness in one way or another since I was 15 (I’ll be 30 next month) but my relationship with my body wasn’t always a positive one. For a long time I didn’t have the best self-esteem, but over the years I learned how to treat myself with respect, to love the body that I have, and to feed it with the nutrients and healthy foods that it needs so that I feel my best.
These days, rather than dieting and exercising and trying to force my body into looking a certain way, I focus on eating foods and working out so that I feel full of energy, clear-minded, happy, and satisfied.
How did you find out about iHerb?
Hmm, good question. I think that we were spending a lot of money buying stevia at Whole Foods, so my husband (the analyst/researcher) started Googling to find a less expensive option and stumbled upon iHerb. The rest is history. Ha!
What about iHerb first appealed to you?
The price, the selection, and the fast shipping!
How long have you been in iHerb customer?
I would guesstimate since around 2007.
What are your favorite products and why?
We love Larabars… my favorites being the peanut butter cookie and the coconut cream pie flavors. My husband’s favorite is cashew cookie.
As I mentioned above, we use stevia often as a sweetener. We get the powdered form and the vanilla crème flavored liquid version, both by Wisdom Natural. I use the powder mostly for oatmeal and the liquid version for coffee or tea.
We also like Now Plant Enzymes, which we take daily to help digest pasteurized dairy product.
Navitas Naturals Cacao Nibs are another favorite. We bake them into cookies and sprinkle them on oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and frozen yogurt too.
My husband recently realized that iHerb now carries King Arthur flour, which he’s thrilled about because he loves baking bread. Dense whole wheat (with seeds and nuts) is his specialty.
What is your health and wellness philosophy?
As I grow and learn more about myself, my overarching philosophy has become to treat my body with love and kindness, and allow it to be as healthy and fit as it can be.
I think health and wellness is such an individual thing and it’s easy to get caught up in researching, looking at what everyone else is doing, and trying to figure out what’s wrong with us. Yet, I think the stress of believing something is wrong with our body, or even just stress in general, is the culprit behind many common bodily issues.
My philosophy has developed into one of letting go, not worrying so much, doing what I can, challenging myself when I feel inspired to challenge, but ultimately just relaxing tremendously on my need to be fit or healthy, and letting my body do its thing rather than trying to fix it or force it.
Ironically (or not), my body has never felt better and I’m pretty much the leanest I’ve ever been!
Do you have a favorite mantra or quote that describes how you try to live your life?
I have a few favorite quotes:
Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude toward us.
Whether you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you are right. — Henry Ford
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. – Wilma Rudolph
It’s nice to know where you’ve been, but where you’re going is more important. That’s why the windshield is so big and the rearview mirror is so small. – Ken McElroy
A long time ago I heard someone say, “Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” That stuck with me and I think about it often. So, I’d say that’s my mantra.
Do you have any current health goals you’re working toward and what are you doing to reach them or have you actually met one or more and would like to share your success story?
My only health goal at this point is to feel good and have fun. I don’t have any desire at this point to run a marathon or participate in any specific sport (other than scuba diving, which I love) but who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind. I like challenging my body, trying new workouts, etc and generally do a mix of various types of training because I think it’s fun. It feels great to see new muscles emerge or new strength during a yoga session for example, but that’s about it in terms of goals right now.
Self-acceptance, self-love, and confidence in the body that I have right now was my goal, and I’ve achieve it so I guess I’m kind of taking some time to celebrate that. 
Are there any health and wellness tips you’d like to share with other iHerb customers?
My biggest tip would be to take your power back, meaning listen to your own body above all else. A lot of people get out of whack with their body’s signals, so it might take some time to reconnect with those feelings, but they’re there. Our bodies are much smarter that we give them credit for.
Also, don’t be so hard on yourself. Let go more often. There is no such thing as perfection and we all learn as we go. There’s no finish line (it’s a lifestyle not a race) so just ease up a bit, stress less, and take health and fitness one {baby} step at a time.
Appreciate and love the body that you have, while you become your healthiest, fittest self!
Looking for vitamins, herbal supplements and other alternatives to help you keep a healthy balance in your life? Check out the thousands of products we sell at iHerb.com. Use Coupon Code WOW123 to get you $5 off any first time order.
