When South African women receive a cancer diagnosis, the focus quickly shifts to treatment – surgery, chemotherapy, radiation. But for Cancer and Wellness Coach Sally Wellbeloved, there’s a crucial step missing in this journey: preparing the body and mind before starting treatment.
“Wellness isn’t something you add on after a diagnosis – it’s the foundation,” says Wellbeloved, who works with women across the country to help them approach cancer with strength, resilience, and empowerment. “When you go into chemotherapy, you’re essentially entering a war zone. You can go in wearing pyjamas, completely unprotected, or you can go in with armour, with a sword and shield. The stronger and more prepared the body is, the better it will respond to treatment.”
Wellbeloved knows this personally. As a breast cancer survivor, she endured her own gruelling chemo journey – one she says nearly cost her life. What she wished she had known then is now what drives her work today: guiding women to strengthen their bodies through detox, nutritional support, gut health, and immune system resilience before they start chemotherapy.
But for Wellbeloved, cancer treatment isn’t just physical – it’s deeply psychological. “So many women carry shame when they’re diagnosed, as if cancer is a personal failure. They often retreat inward and don’t talk about it. But healing requires honesty, vulnerability, and community. We need to give women the tools to face not only the treatment, but the emotional and mental toll it takes.”
This holistic approach – addressing body, mind, and spirit – forms the heart of Wellbeloved’s work. From helping women detox from everyday toxins in their homes to reconnecting with their sense of worth and identity, she is changing the conversation around how women approach cancer.
Unu Health, a leading South African virtual health platform, has chosen to profile Wellbeloved during Women’s Month as part of its campaign highlighting women who are making a tangible difference in healthcare.
“Stories like Sally’s are vital,” says Tania Joffe, founder of Unu Health. “Too often, women go into cancer treatment without fully understanding how they can prepare their bodies, or how much their mental state influences recovery. Sally is helping women take back control of their health in the most difficult of circumstances, and that empowerment is exactly what South Africa needs more of.”
Wellbeloved also believes that women must stop outsourcing all responsibility for their health to the medical system. “Doctors play a vital role, but we can’t ignore the everyday choices we make – what we eat, what products we use, how we manage stress. Every small change is a step towards a stronger body and a healthier terrain for healing.”
Her message is clear: cancer doesn’t only require medical treatment – it requires preparation, resilience, and an empowered mindset. And with voices like hers leading the way, South African women are being reminded that they have more power over their health journey than they may realise.
To find out more about Sally, please find Sally on Facebook on @SallyWellbelovedWellnessGuideandCancerCoach
For more information on Unu Health, please visit www.unuhealth.org