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Team WHIP held a health session on Saturday focused on “being C.E.O of your health.” Several panelists discussed many different avenues of health and how to take control of your own health. 

“Being transparent — that is one of the key factors into the CEO of your health. You have to be transparent,” said Team WHIP Founder Narfunda Ross.

Despite the busy weekend, 16 participants attended the event at the Valley Sportsplex on Saturday. 

Team WHIP is a local breast cancer awareness organization that works to provide support and resources for those battling breast cancer. The organization was founded in 2015 by Ross, a breast cancer survivor, after she organized a cancer walk for the community. 

However, Saturday’s event addressed how people can take charge of their health from every angle. It was open to the public and was free to all. 

The first panelist, Lisa Alford, is a yoga instructor from LaGrange. She began the group by leading them in 20 minutes of yoga exercises. She shared tips on techniques people can do from their desks at work. 

She said many of the stretches can help relieve stress throughout the workday.

The guests also learned about the importance of nutritional health from Dr. LaDarius Martin,  registered dietician and doctor of Public Health. He spoke about healthy eating habits and gave tips on what to watch out for on a nutrition label. 

For example, he said to beware of items that say “no sugar added,” because they usually have additives that contain hidden sugars. 

Shandi Blackston, who had her last cancer treatment the week before, talked to the group about advocating for yourself as a patient. 

Ross said Blackston talked about how “you are the expert of your body but the doctor is the expert in the education of the anatomy.” By trusting yourself as well as your doctor, she said, you can take better care of your health.

“Without communication from us, they don’t know what to treat,” Ross said. 

She also advised people to ask for details from their doctors. If you don’t understand, ask them to explain it in layman’s terms. 

Serena Rudd, an author and multi-language consultant, spoke on the importance of emotional intelligence. She advised putting away the mask of saying “I’m fine” all the time and being transparent about your health needs.

Torrance Rudd, Serena’s husband and pastor at Power Chapel Ignite Church in Lanett, talked about the wellness of the body, mind and soul. 

“Our spirit is different from our soul and our spirits can adopt other spirits without us knowing it without us even knowing,” Ross said. “So we have to be very careful where we place ourselves.”

Team WHIP will be hosting a Mommy and Me event to talk about the importance of self-examinations for breast cancer soon.