Something I recently watched sparked a channeled message I want to share. It’s about the collective fears, beliefs, and mindsets we hold around the health industry—things we may not even realise influence us.
I started watching Apple Cider Vinegar because a good friend said, "You would enjoy it." Normally, I don’t get into mockumentaries, especially on Netflix, because they tend to have a biased angle. This one was no different. But what struck me most was not what Netflix was trying to say, but rather the deeper beliefs it exposed within our society.
These are my observations through my lens. For those who don’t know, I am a Projector in Human Design—we are the seers. I see things others may not, and while some might say, "It's not that deep," stay with me as I unwrap the hidden layers of this story.
A Story We Can All Relate To
For those unfamiliar, Apple Cider Vinegar explores the case of Belle Gibson, a woman who falsely claimed to have cured her cancer through clean eating and holistic health. She built an empire on these lies, until the truth came out.
I’m not here to analyse the case itself—you can Google the details. What interests me more is what this story reveals about the collective fears and beliefs we hold around health, trust, and the systems we rely on.
Watching the series, I could relate to Belle’s early struggles—not the fraud, but the deep longing for validation. Like many young women, her obsession with health wasn’t just about well-being; it was about being accepted, being liked, being seen.
I myself have been on a very long journey with eating, weight & health problems. Hers stemmed a lot from neglect and a traumatic upbringing, mine like many others stemmed from high school and magazines.
If you were a teenager in the early 2000s, you probably remember:
We weren’t obsessed with being healthy—we were obsessed with being skinny.
We wanted to look good, fit in, and gain approval—mostly from the opposite sex or the social hierarchy.
Many of us unconsciously shaped our identities around external validation.
Belle’s childhood trauma of feeling unseen by her mother translated into an adult life where she sought attention at any cost. This isn't just Belle's story—it's a universal wound.
Making friends and being liked was a big part of our identity growing up. Fast forward to the social media / influencer era, and it seems that desire for validation has only evolved—not disappeared.
Now, in the age of influencers & social media, I wonder:
How many people have built online identities from the same deep wound of wanting to be liked?
Does the influencer lifestyle truly fill that void?
Or does it just amplify the craving for external validation?
This might be a bigger conversation for another blog.
The Deeper Fear: Who Controls Your Health?
Netflix does two things in this series:
It exposes a woman with a deep mental illness who deceived many.
It subtly reinforces collective fears and distrust around holistic health.
And that’s where my curiosity kicked in.
As someone deeply invested in natural health, I saw this as yet another attempt to discredit anything outside of the pharmaceutical industry, especially the alternative health industry. The show presents fictional characters (not actually part of Belle’s story) who follow alternative medicine and ultimately don’t survive their illnesses. The message is clear: alternative health is dangerous.
I watched as the family & friends didn’t trust the women that were intuitively telling themselves ‘I want to try a different route’. Some families eventually did, but they were reluctant. Of course in the end, the ones that took the alternative medicine route, eventually lost their battle. Which we know these were fictional characters, but I bet the average person watching it wouldn’t know that.
But is that the full truth?
Here’s what’s missing from that narrative:
How do we know these people wouldn’t have died anyway?
How do we know chemotherapy would have saved them?
Why is one path framed as "the only option" while the other is dismissed as reckless?
We will never know these answers. Because the real conversation we should be having isn’t about which system is right, but rather who gets to decide for you?
In a perfect world, we would all just follow our intuition and not worry what others opinions are. However, as we dive into the depths of fear and death, our minds begin to take over and we naturally move towards ‘safety’.
This isn’t just about chemotherapy—it’s about how deeply we cling to what feels safe, even when another path might serve us better.
Why We Fear Stepping Outside the System
One of the most telling moments in the series was when a husband confronts his wife, who is exploring alternative treatment:
The husband starts to get angry at the wife for following in Belle’s footsteps when he has his suspicions that she is a fraud. As he argues with her and tries to stop her going down the alternative medicine route, he is essentially saying to her: "Go back to chemo, like everybody else does, because I can't handle YOU dying."
This scene exposes a deeper collective fear—the fear of losing control.
He wasn’t just scared of her death; he was scared of her making a decision that went against what he had been taught to believe.
He needed her to trust the system because if she didn’t, what else might be a lie?
This is the psychological root of our collective resistance to alternative health. It’s not just about medicine—it’s about the fear of questioning the system itself.
Who’s to say that this woman isn’t wiping years of her life sitting in that chemo chair?
Who’s to say that going on a retreat in south America isn’t going to simply add a few more happy years to her life? The only person that can answer this is you.
Trusting Your Own Intuition For Your Health
Every path—pharmaceutical or holistic—carries risk. But what isn’t a risk, in my view, is trusting yourself.
Even when it goes against everything society tells you.
Even when others think you’re crazy.
Even when “science” and “research” say otherwise.
The reality is:
Both the pharmaceutical and holistic industries make money.
Both have people pushing agendas.
Both have people who genuinely want to help.
So what is the solution? Discernment.
The truth is, many alternative healing methods are free—things like:
Breathwork
Grounding (barefoot on the earth)
Herbal remedies that have existed for centuries
These don’t make anyone money, which is why they aren’t pushed on the mainstream level. But if something free and natural works for you, why dismiss it just because it doesn’t fit the standard model?
Being Stuck In Your Mindset - With Only One Road Out
That brings me to the next point, the fears and beliefs that we hold in the collective around the medical system. I watched in this series so many characters were so firm in their ways. The doctors & nurses claiming that ‘medical School’ told them that you can not cure cancer with healthy eating.
One thing that deeply pains me in this world is meeting with people who are so stuck in their mindset. I am not saying you cannot have your beliefs, by all means have them and own them. My favourite people are those that are firm in their beliefs, but will also listen to yours.
I have some questions for those that are set in their minds:
Why are we then not allowing others to have theirs?
What in your belief do you feel so deeply about that nobody can ever question it?
Do you actually deep down believe that maybe it isn’t fully true so you need to protect it as much as you can so that you are not exposed to a web of lies and are told that maybe you are wrong?Where in your childhood did you seek to be heard?
Did somebody question your belief and you shut them down only to tell yourself that you WILL NEVER allow someone to ever shut your beliefs down again?
I often question myself too, what my beliefs are and why I believe them. I like to think of myself as a flexible believer. Once coming from someone who was deeply rooted in believing that the medical system is the only way. I grew up with that. I am still so deeply surrounded by it. But I was able to say, hold on a minute, my body is saying no to these things. I believe there’s a natural alternative. I believe in nature, because I have felt it with my own body in how healing it can be.
So why wouldn’t I believe in it?
I often say to people ‘if you strongly believe in only one way, then you have no exit plan’. I encourage you to always question all your beliefs. Believe it to be true and may not be true at the same time.
Alternative Medicine Often Takes Us To The Root Of The Problem.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself—do I really know what each pill in my medicine cabinet does? Or has it become so routine that we rarely question if it’s truly helping us heal, or just keeping symptoms at bay?
One of the most powerful aspects of alternative medicine is that it encourages us to ask a different question: “What is the root cause of this issue?” More often than not, the answer isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, environmental, or even energetic. When we start addressing the deeper layers, we often find that we no longer need an endless supply of supplements, cleanses, or prescriptions—because we’ve actually healed the underlying imbalance.
Yet, in contrast, pharmaceutical solutions often come with lifelong prescriptions rather than permanent solutions. That’s not to say they don’t have their place—modern medicine has made incredible advancements—but it’s worth asking: Why are we conditioned to treat symptoms rather than explore deeper healing?
Take, for example, how this series portrays coffee enemas—a practice many have found beneficial. They exaggerated a character’s use of it, making her seem extreme, subtly implying that holistic approaches are dangerous. But is that really the takeaway? Or is it another way to discourage people from looking outside the conventional system?
This is why discernment is crucial. Whether it’s a mainstream treatment or a holistic remedy, ask yourself: Does this resonate with me? Does it feel right for my body?
There are alternative treatments I’ve personally rejected, while others have been life-changing. The key is learning to trust your body’s wisdom, rather than blindly following any system.
Ask ourselves, why are we so afraid to step beyond the old model? Why not allow both systems to work together rather than forcing a false choice?
Thankfully, more doctors are beginning to integrate functional and holistic medicine, recognising that true healing is not one-size-fits-all.
I believe in both science and nature—we are evolving, and technology has allowed us to live longer, healthier lives. But let’s not ignore the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is first and foremost a business. Solutions that don’t require lifelong dependency often don’t fit into that model. At the same time, we need to be mindful that the holistic space isn’t immune to profit-driven deception either. There will always be those selling quick-fix “miracle cures.”
At the end of the day, healing isn’t about choosing sides—it’s about choosing yourself. Listen to your body, think critically, and trust your intuition, especially for your health.
Final Thoughts: Own Your Beliefs, But Allow Others Theirs
One of the most painful things to witness is people so stuck in their beliefs that they refuse to question anything.
You are allowed to believe in pharmaceuticals and still question the system.
You are allowed to believe in holistic healing and still acknowledge its flaws.
You are allowed to hold your truth without forcing it on others.
You are allowed to use both pharmaceuticals & alternative medicine in unison.
The deeper question is: Where in your life do you shut people down because their beliefs threaten yours?
Because if your truth is strong, it should be able to hold itself. It doesn’t need defending.
So, next time you hear a health claim—whether from a doctor, an influencer, or a documentary—pause.
Feel into your body.
Ask yourself:
Does this resonate?
Use your critical thinking.
Use your discernment.
And most importantly: Let’s create space for each other’s truths. Respecting another’s path doesn’t dismiss our own.
Adelina xo
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