Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Berrios.
Karen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Karen Berrios, founder, and creator of Kareliz Wellness, a company inspired to spread health by promoting nutrient-dense foods and supplements to help people thrive on their wellness journey.
In 2014 my life radically changed as I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. An amazing invitation was given to me, to embark on a healing journey and bring order to my body, mind, and soul.
Early in my healing journey, I chose to follow a holistic approach to heal. I changed my nutrition and followed a plant-based diet. I also implemented nutritional supplements to nourish my body and boost my immune system. Along with physical activity, emotional and spiritual healing, I believe this to be the best plan for health and longevity.
My long and ongoing healing journey not only inspired me to share my path with others by writing my experiences in my blog but it also encouraged me to create a brand that offers powerful superfoods. A brand that supports valuable nutrient-dense foods with therapeutic qualities for everyone to enjoy. As a Peruvian native, I knew my birth country offers some of the most amazing and most potent superfoods in the world and I wanted to offer them to you.
The journey has been long but today, I am pleased to announce that I am cancer-free. I am very excited about my new mission which is to not only share my journey to bring encouragement and hope to others but also endorse health-giving products that cultivate a healthy and nourishing lifestyle.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My new path came with many challenges for sure. I not only faced a cancer diagnosis but my decision to follow a holistic healing approach came across as if I was challenging the medical community and those close to me. Choosing to follow the road less travelled caused much undesired additional stress to the already stressful situation.
Some of the most significant struggles were to make decisions on my healing protocols and facing the fear factor. Undeniably we all face fear specially if given a potential terminal illness diagnosis. Everyone around me encouraged me to act quickly to follow through with conventional protocols that did not resonate with me. Although I didn’t fully understand it at the time, the treatment options laid out to me were not making sense for my healing. The idea of removing an essential organ and submitting myself to radiation to bring healing to my body did not make sense. So, it was most definitely a struggle to not only face cancer but standing firm with my decision which contradicted the norm flow of treatment.
Choosing a holistic treatment approach felt more rational to me. I started to gather facts and prayed for much guidance and direction. Finding where to go for treatment and researching for the best healing protocols was exhausting. Although my husband and children were supportive of my choice, I knew they were scared for me. I knew I had to embrace myself for what was coming ahead and became my biggest advocate to stay firm with my choices.
Fear is most definitely our biggest enemy. We tend to make crazy choices out of fear and perhaps these choices can be potentially life-changing. Fear is draining but understandable specially if one faces life-changing circumstances. For me, my biggest support during this difficult process was my relationship with God along with surrounding myself with like-minded individuals that understood and supported my choice. Finding the right doctors was key and I will be forever grateful to all of them that extended a helping hand of support during my healing process.
I am happy to share with you that after all those struggles and challenges I am now cancer-free!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
One of my biggest advocates and one of my dearest doctors, Dr. Antonio Jimenez from the Hope 4 Cancer clinic in Mexico, recommended I follow an instructional program to learn more about health and wellness. So I went to his recommended school, Trinity School of Natural Health and earned a certification as a CNHP, Certified Natural Health Professional. Currently still enrolled to earn my degree as a Doctor of Naturopathy.
Through the certification program and personal cancer journey experience, I learned so much more about health and wellness. This learning process led me to the creation of my business. The idea of developing a new brand felt exciting and scary at the same time. However, having experienced cancer up close, I was not going to let my fear of failure stop me from creating a business I knew can help others sustain a healthy lifestyle.
I was borne and raised in Peru until age 16, that’s when my family and I moved to the United States. The US is home now but I knew Peru offers the most exotic, nutritional, and delicious superfoods in the world. So I went ahead and partnered with the most sustainable manufacturing companies in the country to bring these amazing life-giving superfoods to the United States. The process has been long but extremely rewarding, this is not just a product packaged with my label. Behind my products, there is a story of hard-working men and women in Peru along with a long travelled journey of seeking to source the best quality of products to make them available to you.
My company’s mission is to inspire a healthier lifestyle by connecting people with high-quality nutritional supplements and real food. I believe that combining nature with science will deliver ideal solutions to achieve optimal health. My products are of the highest quality, sourced directly from farmers in accordance with fair and sustainable trade practices. My superfoods are organic and free of gluten and toxic chemicals. Along with my team, we are proud to have earned our organic seal certification along with quality standards that support the premise of clean therapeutic grade formulations. Our products are produced under a strict quality management system in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s).
Our superfoods include maca, camu camu, cacao, and lucuma powders which provide a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, immune-boosting nutrients that support our vision to keep you at optimal health. I have personally visited the farms, spoken with farmers, visited the processing plant and seen how the entire process works. Excellence and passion are components that drive me to bring you only but the best Peru has to offer.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
When asked the meaning of success, many of us believe success represents wealth, fame and respect. I used to believe that myself! Somehow, our culture fosters this belief yet I’ve personally met countless people that have achieved that so-called claimed success yet felt unfulfilled and unhappy with their lives. Perhaps those touched by an illness understand how this process can humble you. How your priorities can drastically change when your only focus is to get through the day. What once seemed to be the ideal definition of success, somehow it no longer seems to make sense and our perspective changes.
No amount of wealth, fame or respect can impact another human being as much as the fragrance we leave behind in their lives. Success to me represents, a daily decision to get through the day in peace, in joy and being able to bless others with my words, my actions, and my work. I strongly believe we were created to connect with others, do life together, grow and impact others in a positive way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 41593 WINCHESTER RD STE 200
Temecula, Ca 92590 - Website: www.shopkarenberrios.com and www.karenberrios.com
- Phone: 833-527-3623
- Email: [email protected]
Photo credit:
Loi Serrano Fiorella Cortez Karen DeMamiel
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