Chemmart Narellan pharmacist Joanne Vella inspired by Mum to find answers to help people regain control of their health

Inspired by her mother Maria, who was born with a heart defect, Narellan pharmacist Joanne Vella is focused on helping people regain control of their lives and improve their health.

A pharmacist for 26 years, Camden Park’s Joanne Vella teaches people about the impact of lifestyle and nutrition choices on their health so they can make positive changes. Pictures: Robert Pozo

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INSPIRED by her mother Maria, who was born with a heart defect, Narellan pharmacist Joanne Vella is focused on helping people regain control of their lives and improve their health.

Maria relies on a number of medications that are essential to her wellbeing but, with her daughter’s guidance, she has made some diet and lifestyle changes that have resulted in her avoiding a host of additional medications.

“My mum is a living example of how it can be done,’’ said Mrs Vella, of Camden Park.

“If you fix the underlying health of the body, you can prevent other things going wrong.’’

The pharmacist for 26 years is not advocating that people stop taking their medication, but she said some diet and lifestyle changes can improve health and reduce the amount and dosage of some medicines.

Mrs Vella, 46, who works at Chemmart Pharmacy at Narellan Town Centre, said weight gain and the often silent problem of fatigue were the two biggest issues facing women in the Macarthur area and all over Australia.

She said people today led very busy lives and the pressures of juggling working and raising children was taking its toll on many women.

“Fatigue can cause a number of problems such as joint pain, memory loss, depression and weight gain,’’ Mrs Vella said.

Mrs Vella said there were no fads or quick fixes to good health and she believed in a simple and practical approach.

To help, Mrs Vella has founded a business called Practical Pharmacist to show people, including men, how to get to the bottom of their health problems and make positive changes.

“There are often underlying issues as well and if we can find out what they are we can work on those,’’ she said.

Her programs, which can run for six to 12 weeks, are conducted via Skype so they fit in with people’s lives.

She takes people’s current lifestyle into consideration and recommends step-by-step changes for lifelong improvements.

“I teach people to make one change at a time so they are not overwhelmed,’’ she said. “Make one change and make it a habit and build on that.’’

Hers is a common sense approach.

“I help people help themselves. Simple and practical is my motto. There are no fads and no quick fixes,’’ she said.

The mother-of-two also dispels many myths including that fats are bad for you and should be avoided.

Mrs Vella points out good fats including nuts and avocadoes should be eaten because they can assist with weight loss.

She is also a believer in increasing a person’s incidental exercise to improve their overall fitness.

This can include taking the stairs instead of the lift at work and going for a walk at lunchtime.

She said people had to be realistic about their health goals such as losing weight because there were no quick fixes.

A love of science is what inspired Mrs Vella to become a pharmacist.

Now that winter has hit, Mrs Vella is urging people to resist the temptation to stop exercising.

“If you have stairs in the house, use them because it’s good for circulation and your metabolism,’’ she said.