Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness in Women Through Self-Care and Lifestyle Medicine: Nik Sweeney
Nov 29, 2022, 09:33 AM
At ADCES22 in August, the ADCES Foundation provided scholarships to two local diabetes care and education specialists who help communities that are at risk for diabetes and diabetes-related complications. This week, our blog highlights recipient Nik Sweeney, her conference takeaways and how she plans to implement that knowledge. Donate today to the ADCES Foundation, so that it may continue to support projects, communities and individuals like those featured below.
Nik Sweeney is a National Board-Certified Health Coach and the founder of Amani Nicol Wellness, a holistic wellness spa that combines self-care with lifestyle medicine and provides programs, such as a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program, that focus on preventing and managing chronic illness in women, especially those in underserved communities. Through an ADCES Foundation scholarship, Nik was able to attend ADCES’ Annual Conference in person for the first time in three years. “Attending ADCES22 has given me the opportunity to connect with and physically see people who recognize and support programs like mine and has introduced me to initiatives that don’t exist anywhere else.” Nik also relayed her excitement around the different conversations that took place at ADCES22, especially those focused on under-resourced and underserved populations and the idea of encouraging a more positive approach to the management of diabetes.
As a small business owner, Nik can sometimes feel isolated from the rest of the practice, almost like she’s on a small island by herself. Attending ADCES22 opened her eyes to the large national effort to help people with diabetes who need it the most. The synergy she experienced from being around like-minded people who are passionate about health was especially inspiring. “These sessions boost motivation. At the end of the day, you see how many people are being helped and seeing what everyone else is doing is confirmation that you’re doing a good thing. Keep going because it’s needed.”
Moving forward, Nik plans to take inspiration from the sessions she attended and thoroughly assess her prevention programs in order to fill any gaps and increase outcomes and results. Rapid A1C testing would allow Nik and her team to be more aware of her clients' windows for progression and not miss an opportunity to delay type 2 diabetes. Nik is also interested in growing her practice outside of the clinical setting to make these services more accessible to people in underserved communities. She intends to research any community support initiatives she could have previously overlooked, such as those that combat food insecurity.
For #GivingTuesday this year, please make a donation to the ADCES Foundation so it may continue to support the work of diabetes care and education specialists like Nik Sweeney.