Wholeness for Life is a ministry that was started by myself, Dr. Joyce Choe and my friend, Mercy Ballard. Both of us had significant health issues that caused us to research for possible causes and solutions. During our search for answers, we realized more acutely the unsustainability of current health practices and the need for a paradigm shift in society. In 2019 we coauthored The Autoimmune Plant Based Cookbook and launched our Autoimmune Recovery Plan online course. In 2020, when the pandemic began, we began training fellow Christians to recover their health for the purpose of learning how to help others in health crises. This was in another online course, Med Missionary.
Wholeness for Life grew out of our realization that many people, even those who believe that they believe in the Bible, feel that the Bible has very little actual relevance to practical, daily living. The recent pandemic brought this to light very dramatically, with the almost incessant instructions to follow the science, no matter what one believed. It was almost as if science, so called, might be at odds with belief. As health practitioners who had studied science, it seemed odd that science might not be able to support what was stated in the Bible to be truth.
We have found the opposite to be true, as we have seen that the Bible contains instruction and principles that if followed, would give the courage, knowledge, and strength of character that people need to live an abundant life. As researchers, we believe that truth should be supported by observation and we are encouraged to see that God provided for the ancient people in the Bible principles for health that were years before their time and are being proven in scientific research only today. Beyond simply searching for accuracy and efficacy, we believe that the search for truth is a sacred calling to each human, to discover WHO we are, WHY we are here, and WHERE we are going.
As we see all that is happening throughout the world, we realize that life as we know it can change very soon. We would like to help others learn the knowledge and to develop the mindset that we believe will help us to survive and thrive the future, whatever it should bring. We believe that the community you find within this platform will both help you and be helped by you.
Our Passion
Mercy and Joyce are the co-founders of Wholeness for Life and they share a passion, the passion of bringing people closer to the radiant health we all deserve.
Our Story
Before we met, we were both conventional healthcare workers with her working as a nurse for over 20 years and me working as an ophthalmologist. We both quickly realized, however, that the current health challenges facing us require better solutions than what is conventionally offered. In this era we currently live in, itâs never been so easy to lose our grasp on our health day-by-day due to the foods we eat, the lifestyles we accustom to, and the habits we forge. Mercy and I know this, not just from working with scores of other people, but especially from our own personal confrontations with chronic illness.
We spent 2016 and 2017 deep in research as we combed through medical studies, nutritional science, natural remedies, and recipes that werenât just healthy but also enjoyable. It wasnât until 2018 that it all started to come together, and our ideas turned into something tangible. We worked hard all year and in 2019 we launched The Autoimmune Plant Based Cookbook, Wholeness Market, and The Autoimmune Recovery Plan.
Dr. Joyce Choe, MD
Dr. Joyce Choe, MD, MPH, is a board certified ophthalmologist who has been in practice for almost twenty years. She has a deep interest in understanding the Bible and seeing how science validates its principles. Dr. Choe co-wrote the Autoimmune Plant Based Cookbook with Mercy Ballard. This book can
be purchased at wholenessmarket.com. They are the cofounders of the Autoimmune Recovery Plan and the she is founder of Wholeness for Life, LLC.
Dr. Joyceâs Story
Wholeness for Life is a ministry that was started by myself, Dr. Joyce Choe and my friend, Mercy Ballard. Both of us had significant health issues that caused us to research for possible causes and solutions.
During our search for answers, we realized more acutely the unsustainability of current healthcare practices and the need for a paradigm shift in society, one that would motivate laypeople to take responsibility for their own health.
In 2008, I (Dr. Joyce) was put on an antibiotic (Trovofloxacin) that was very quickly taken off the market because it caused excessive liver failure and death. Trovofloxacin caused me to develop severe muscle weakness and chronic pain, which conventional medicine had no answers for. My condition progressively worsened until 2011, when I was diagnosed with leaky gut and severe food sensitivities. I was told that my plant based diet was what had caused my problem and that the only way that I could heal would be to adopt a paleo diet.
Because of my background in medicine and my studies in epidemiology, I knew that plant based diets had been found to be superior to animal based diets in many diseases and was startled to discover an area in medicine where plant-based diets were still considered to be dangerous. I was also very intrigued to learn that the paleo diet was based on a philosophy that humans should eat according to the paradigm of evolution and a hunter-gatherer ancestry. This âpaleo dietâ was what was touted by many physicians and scientists to be most scientific. As a physician, I was no stranger to the theory of evolution, but felt that there were numerous areas of weakness in the evolutionary philosophy that were not supported by observation or scientific research.
I began researching the various diets that were recommended for my condition and experimented with a few as well. I found that plant based elimination and raw diets worked well for me, however, I questioned what would be best long term. In 2016, I visited the Years Restored lifestyle program where Dr. Mercy Ballardâwho started the program after recovering from years of debilitating fatigue and anemia–was teaching clients about how to heal using traditional, unprocessed, and plant based foods to heal the leaky gut. As I observed that the education was done in a way that was consistent with Biblical principles and was supported by scientific research, I was impressed to help share these principles with a wider audience.
In 2019, the two of us published a cookbook entitled, The Autoimmune Plant Based Cookbook. Based on the delicious recipes from the Years Restored lifestyle program, these recipes have helped hundreds of people regain their health. Furthermore, the cookbook has become the textbook for two online courses that were developed, The Autoimmune Recovery Plan and MedMissionary Training Course. During this time, we also began a weekly video podcast to encourage and educate people of faith about Biblical
principles for health and healing, even in times of pestilence.
Through these resources, many were able to use natural means to survive the recent health crisis and thousands were encouraged to stay true to conscience. As current world events become dire, whether from manmade or natural causes, we believe that there is a need for all to learn these simple yet effective methods of regaining health. We believe that all will develop a far deeper and broader understanding of their Creator as they do so and will have courage to make the best decisions for themselves and for their families, no matter how challenging the situation becomes.
Mercy Ballard, RN
Born in Peru, Dr. Mercy Ballard, MD was trained as a physician and then worked as a nurse in the United States for over 25 years. She and her husband Anthony began a lifestyle educational program called Years Restored in 2013 after she recovered her health from severe, debilitating, chronic anemia. The
Years Restored Lifestyle diet and protocol was developed through years of researching foods and therapies that have helped hundreds of people who have come for restored health.
Mercy's Story
Mercy is the founder of Years Restored Lifestyle Center and a Seventh Day Adventist Christian who believes strongly in a whole-food plant-based diet for lasting health. Mercy went to medical school in Mexico and has worked as an IV infusion nurse in the US for over two decades. When Mercy developed severe anemia and unusual symptoms of celiac disease in 2004, health care professionals could not find any lasting solutions to her health issues, so she embarked on her own journey for answers.
This is what prompted her to begin what would become a life-long study of nutrition, alternative therapies, natural remedies, and beyond. One day, by providence, a co-worker of hers introduced her to a laboratory that specialized in diagnosing food sensitivities and she was shocked to discover she had developed strong antibodies to gluten and numerous other foods she had been consuming regularly. Once she began to eliminate these foods and completely overhaul her diet and lifestyle, she immediately began to reverse her illness until she fully regained all the health and energy she had previously known.
This illness that almost took Mercyâs life turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it was the impetus that inspired her to continue her education of plant-based nutrition, natural remedies, and other natural healing modalities leading to the creation of the Years Restored Lifestyle Center.
Since 2013, the plant-based protocol and menus used at Years Restored have helped hundreds of clients find remission and healing.Â
