| Conventional medicine looks at the symptoms above and tends to focus on medications for each symptom. Most conventional medications suppress symptoms so that we don’t notice them. Maybe the heartburn medication worked for a few months but now your heartburn is back. Maybe the tension headaches subside with medication but now, they’ve returned as migraines. Another medication or two is prescribed for new symptoms and this often continues for years. Surgeries are usually the next step when the medications can no longer suppress symptoms. It’s these limitations of the conventional medical system that causes patients so much frustration. The reason so many of you have sought out naturopathic medicine or functional medicine is because of those frustrations and limitations. As an N.D., I know that naturopathic medicine or holistic medicine should be the first step during any imbalance. My life’s work is in empowering and supporting you as we rebalance your health. If you are reading this newsletter, you value natural methods of health care and you’ve felt the difference it can have on your quality of life. What have I been doing during the stay at home order? LOTS OF LEARNING!!! Though I am a specialist in using dietary and holistic approaches for digestive, autoimmune, and complex medical conditions, I have to tell you in all honesty that I promise to never stop learning. The 4 conferences that I attended this past year (I also spoke at 3 of them, what fun!) each had at least 3 major concepts or newly discovered treatments or tests that blew my mind! It just taught me that although I have spent 15 years gaining the knowledge that I have to help you all, that scientific progress and knowledge is forging ahead at a lightning pace, all the time. I value the ability to keep on learning and I hope that you will continue to benefit from my care as I stay on top of current literature and continue to blend my new knowledge with my tried and true treatments. I am here for you if you are ready to start or continue your path to healing and living your best life. If you have family or friends who are frustrated with their conventional health care, they can contact me for a free consult. If you or someone you know is struggling with a particularly difficult or complex health concern, I offer specialty protocols for Hashimoto’s Disease and other complex autoimmune diseases. Complex autoimmune disease is one of the areas where natural medicine excels in comparison to conventional medicine. Conventional medicine approaches auto-immunity as inflammation that needs to be halted and typically only through the use of medications, some are immunosuppressive and others may be strong anti-inflammatories but what they have in common is that both categories come with a long list of potential side effects. We’ve all seen the commercials for the medications with the long, long list of side effects (including death!)!! |
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| In a holistic medicine approach, we reveal and address the underlying cause of the imbalance in the immune system and seek to correct it. We help to calm and balance the immune system through treating the gut, using diet therapy, and by offering suggestions for lifestyle changes, all of which help to calm and reverse the immune system attack on our tissues. I deal more in the realm of side benefits than side effects when using these treatments and (just in case someone is needing to be on medications) feel very confident blending these holistic approaches with conventional medications. There is no conflict with making diet changes while you are also on medications. Warning; using diet to help your auto-immune disease may come with some of the following side benefits: increased energy, improved digestion, clearer skin, weight normalization, and mood balance. Now that’s a commercial that I can really get behind:-) In some cases, a complimentary approach is needed. If you are already my patient, you know that while I value conventional medicine and recognize that holistic medicine does have some limitations. I believe that the blending of the two is really the sweet spot for how we can treat tough illnesses and also restore health and balance. An example, if you have a nasty gut infection, you might still need an antibiotic but while using it, we might have you change your diet and protect your microbiome through probiotics and diet changes. Once the antibiotic is done, we would continue the work of rebalancing the gut to help return it to its state prior to the infection. |
| If you or a family member are currently taking prescription medications or are in the middle of a care plan with a conventional medical team, but your health isn’t improving, please let me know. We can discuss a complimentary medicine approach where we blend your current care plan with a naturopathic care plan. _______________________ This has been a particularly difficult year. Many of us have had a tough time prioritizing our health care needs. Maybe you’ve found yourself behind on ordering supplements, maybe your pantry has slowly filled with more processed foods than usual. It could be that you’ve had a solid natural health care approach but, as the year went on, some of your old habits have returned. As you know, my passion is in helping patients with complex health care issues, particularly digestive disorders. If this year has left you needing more support or you are ready for a fresh 2021 start, I’m here for you and your family. Offering telemedicine via Zoom with extended services outside of the Washington State area. Contact me today for an initial consult or a second opinion about your health care needs. |