John Coombs, holistic wellbeing specialist and ecology and living systems strategist, is clinical director of Global Health, which he founded in 2010 after he and members of his family had suffered serious health issues that weren’t able to be resolved by conventional medicine. Now, he and his team of therapists treat people from all over New Zealand and even Australia.
John’s original university study was in calculus and physics, but when his wife became seriously ill with cancer, and he cared for her and their young family of five children, his own health deteriorated. He then set about applying his scientific bent to finding and testing options for good health and wellbeing. With his own health restored, he became passionate about treating people holistically, and treating the underlying causes of illness before they become serious enough to disrupt family and work life, as his own did.
“We get involved with a lot of clients where fatigue or stress are setting in and whose quality of life is deteriorating. We help people get their zest and energy back, and improve their quality of life,” he says, with a proactive approach that uses a combination of improved diet and high-tech treatments that give them confidence and peace of mind about their future health. “It’s all science-based,” he adds. “The science we are using is up to 20 years ahead of conventional medicine.”
John works directly with authorities in the field of epigenetics (the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression, for example by environmental factors such as diet or exposure to electro-magnetic forces, rather than alteration of the genetic code itself) and hormone treatments. He cites Dr Bruce Lipton, who undertook the first stem cell research, and with whom he made The Global Health Show, a series of television programmes on wellbeing, initially shown on Sky TV and now available on the Global Health website. He also works with Dr James Wilson, a world authority on fatigue and adrenal fatigue, who has recently published a book called ‘The 21st Century Stress Syndrome’; and Dr Darryl Turner whose area of expertise is hormone health and thyroid testing.
“Our treatments have no side effects,” he says, “and don’t involve drugs. We use a combination of personalised nutrition and a variety of high-tech therapy treatments.”
The initial assessment involves, among other things, scanning a hair follicle, which results in a detailed report that covers hormone assessment, brain function, heart function and any nutrient deficiencies, among a raft of indicators. John is careful to ensure that the initial assessment is affordable, and that he keeps prices at a level that affordable to most people. It’s certainly cheaper, he points out, than the cost of falling. Sick, losing quality of life or having to take time off work.
“Ideally, we’d reach people in their fifties, who are starting to plan ahead, so we can put proactive warranties in place for their future wellbeing.” With 12 therapists available, offering expertise in 30 different treatments, Global Health is able to assist clients with pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, heart health and other serious diseases, as well as mental health, sleep and brain issues. Many treatments include proper stress management programmes that help “retrain clients to live in a more mindful and manageable ways”.
“We also do work to help with nutrition and digestion naturally so you are not stuck on antacid drugs…. Nutrition is basic, yet most people are not sure what to eat. We give personalised assessments to determine what’s right for them,” says John. “Often a husband and wife do not need the same thing, so we help combine plans to suit them.” This involves developing personalised nutrition plans that also take into account the nutritional needs of your partner, so that meal times and food selection work easily for both.
Assistance for arthritis covers more than 10 modalities, depending on the person, and includes osteopathy, remedial therapeutic massage and hypnotherapy.
When it comes to high tech options, the clinic also boasts a hyperbaric chamber and an ozone spa, as well as a PEMF therapy device, which stimulates the flow of blood through the body and which you can hire to treat pain, sleep problems and anxiety.
“We’re the number one wellbeing centre in New Zealand, and our combination of treatment programmes are world pioneering and involve cutting edge science and technology as well as natural approaches. We’ve been treating people from all over New Zealand. We also treat members of the local community to keep well so they don’t suffer expensive hospitalisations and loss of quality of life.”