Starter Story Carla Weekers
Bridging the gap between the medical world and lifestyle
In early 2025, business advisor Marion Schepers spoke with Carla Weekers (46), a specialist in lifestyle and hormone balance. In 2024, she called on the StartersCentrum Limburg for help to realize her entrepreneurial dream. Read the interview Marion had with Carla below. The photos are by Carla Weekers and taken by José Donatz fotografie.
“Listen to your body when it starts to whisper, before it starts to scream,” Carla from Kelpen-Oler urges people. During the many years that Carla worked as a practice assistant and nurse in healthcare, she spoke to many sick people.
And she only saw the urgency of changing lifestyle when people could no longer do their daily activities because the body was sick (screaming).
Too much stress, high cortisol levels, hormone imbalances, feeling listless on the couch, insulin resistance, not understanding why weight loss isn't working, having trouble remembering a grocery list—all signals that the body is out of balance. "Social background, genetics, and upbringing all play a role in lifestyle. Every system is different, and that requires awareness," says Carla. She wants to bridge the gap between the medical world, medicine, and lifestyle. "What's going on in your body that's caused you to develop symptoms, and how can I help people become more aware by listening to their bodies?"
In addition to her work for the social enterprise 'Voeding Leeft, specialist in developing and implementing lifestyle programs', She has been an independent lifestyle coach and hormone specialist in her own company since 2025 Carla WeekersShe emphasizes the power of Machteld Huber's Positive Health movement. Carla sees lifestyle as a healing art, or even more so, as the art of living.
At 17deWhile lying in the hospital, a nutritional assistant gave her a book by Louise Hay—"You Can Heal Your Life"—which gave her the insight that there's more to life than just a pill. "A drug doesn't cure, it's a pill; your lifestyle is your medicine. Which, by the way, doesn't mean you can cure or prevent everything with your lifestyle. I will always refer someone to their GP if necessary. Collaboration and connecting are powerful assets."
What does a consultation entail? ‘It’s like a holistic, home-based conversation (accessible) with attention paid to the person in front of me. What is the person’s lifestyle in terms of diet, exercise, sleep, and stress? What are their blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels? What medications are they taking? And what effects do those medications have on the body? With my nursing background, I can perform those basic tests myself.
I know what a vulnerable body feels like and I want to make a difference by offering a path alongside the regular healthcare system. Prevention through lifestyle changes is the new path. As a starting entrepreneur, you take a leap of faith and have to fly. I'm so glad Marion Schepers of StartersCentrum Limburg crossed my path. I feel seen by her and receive the confidence and support to fly.
