My first visit with the Naturopath Doctor was exciting.
In a 1-hour consultation, I felt like we made more progress with my health issues than the past few years with my regular family physician.
My regular family physician tends to dismiss everything I tell him and I feel like I’ve had no resolve for any of my digestive and reproductive issues. [I’m not saying that all family physicians are like this. I know there are great doctors out there.] I’m looking for a new doctor, but no one seems to be taking on new patients right now, especially because I already have a physician. I would have to first terminate my relationship with my current doctor and go on a wait list, which of course is a big risk when I’m not guaranteed to find a doctor right away. So I’m still on the hunt.
This is partly what made me seek out a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. Because it’s a private health care service, finding a doctor is easy and quick. The only downside is the cost. My insurance covers $15 per appointment, so most of the expense is coming out of my pocket. I’ve heard so many great things about ND’s, so I feel like the benefit will outweigh the cost.
I arrived about 15 minutes early and was greeted by the ND himself. He gives me a warm smile with kind eyes, while shaking my hand with what I think is the gentlest handshake I’ve ever felt. I feel like I’m crushing his hand and I quickly loosen my grip. I’m given a few forms to fill out which are mainly about my health history and present concerns that I would like to address. After filling out about 4 pages, we head into his exam room for the consultation.
The next hour was life changing.
After a brief chat, the doctor told me about his training and background. Impressive to say the least.
“What do you know about Naturopathy?”
Oh shit.
I mumbled something about treating the whole person and made wild gestures with my hands.
He smiled and nodded in a way that made me feel like a genius. I like him already.
I learned that Naturopathy is based on a holistic approach to health. In other words, it looks at the person as a whole. All of the psychological, physical, and social issues that make us who we are today are taken into account. You cannot treat an illness until you find and address the root cause of the illness. The goal is to help the body heal itself rather than using medication (unless necessary, of course).
The doctor told me that his main areas of clinical interest are gastrointestinal health, detoxification, and treatment of anxiety and stress related disorders.
The next hour was filled with relief. He listened to me as if what I was saying was the most important thing in the world. He didn’t dismiss anything I said. He was empathetic.
He even cracked jokes when he sensed that I was starting to squirm when talking about my poop.
That’s a good doctor.
Hi Angela. Just wondering when you are going to write Part 2 of your journey to Naturopathy? We are all looking forward to reading it with gusto.
Hi Angela, seeing a Naturopath is great step towards whole health, they’re very popular here in Oz. Hearing how expensive medical treatment is in the States, I’d recommend seeing an ND who is skilled in complementary therapies like acupuncture, live blood analysis etc. that way you get the most out of your visits. BTW if you’ve got sensitive gut issues, live blood analysis might be of help to pinpoint causes. It’s fascinating stuff.
Thanks for your inspirational blogging :) Kitty
I will never regret going to an Naturopath Doctor. I had had digestive problems since I was a teenager (about the past 15 years) after 4 weeks after seeing the Naturopath doctor and doing everything she told me to do, I had no digestive issues. It was incredible! I tell everybody about it and recommend anyone and everyone to make the switch!
I also suffer from digestive issues and ovarian cysts. I was vegan for 5 years and had to starting eating meat and other animal products again because my body simply cannot digest whole grains very well. I suffered for years from bloat and constipation despite being extremely active and drinking lots of water. I now avoid almost all grains because the high fiber content is too harsh on my body. I also try to eliminate as much sugar as possible and as a result I feel much better. On a vegan diet I also noticed that I was emotionally more unstable than I am usually am. I felt cognitively sluggish and very moody.
I understand that diet is a very personal choice, and me making the decision to stop being vegan wasn’t easy. I always support local farmers and make sure what I consume was procured as humanely as possible. In the end, I feel so much better mentally and physically now that I stick to a more well-rounded diet without an emphasis on grains and sugar. I hope you’re able to come to a resolution that you can be happy with concerning your diet.
Angela, I definitely think you are on the right track seeing an alternative doctor for digestive problems. I have suffered from horrible digestion my whole life (and so has my mom, grandmother and great grandmother –so I think it’s genetic) and my mom and I started seeing a traditional Chinese herbal doctor last year. My problems (as did my mom’s) completely went away! I never knew that food didn’t have to be painful. Now I can eat just about anything (as long as it’s semi healthy) without a problem :) All the best to you! Keep us posted on your experience!
Thanks for your best wishes!
I’ve had terrible luck with doctors just feeding me medication and am thinking about seeing a neuropath for a whole myriad of issues. Price is holding me back.
have you been back to the naturopath or are you still seeing him? i’m curious to hear about what additional treatment, etc he has recommended.
Loved this! I had a lip/skin issue all summer. I saw 3 doctors and one specialist. Nothing helped. I went to see a woman who had just gotten her naturopath certificate (degree?) and not only was it super affordable, she helped me solve many problems in two visits. Who knew my body wasn’t producing enough bile to digest foods and I had free roaming toxins causing so many ills? Now I’m newer than new…I love seeing how people are looking for alternative was to heal!
Hello Angela,
I have recently discovered your website after, again, experiencing very painful gallbladder attacks. As a former student of Nutrition/Dietetics, I strongly believe in the power of nutrition and how it can prevent and treat many illnesses. What I am finding, again, on my new health journey, is how many people in general, including MD’s and Nurses, do not feel the same way as I about the significance of nutrition. I, as you, felt as if the doctors I spoke with were not fully listening to my concerns, my suggestions, and overall my view-point. None of my arguments were taken into account as if I was just some ignorant person who just experienced my first attack and didn’t know a thing about the situation. They were not interestest in my opinions, my eating habits, how my past likely influenced my problems. The Doctor I spoke to was actually quite rude to me and the other doctor I spoke to made this funny smile at me every time I talked about how eating healthy again, specificallyl going Vegan again might really help me. I was not asked to talk to a Nutritionist and was simply given a note that asked me to eat “bland” low-fat foods until my gallbladder was removed. Being the Foodie that I am, I was somewhat insulted by how the third Doctor viewed healthy food, food that is not loaded with fats and Cholesterol as bland. Whenever I mentioned the idea of keeping my gallbladder and going Vegan people laughed at me. “Why eat healthy when you can get it taken out and eat what you want?” “Why waste your money on organic food?” “Eating Vegan will not help you.” “You will never get the protein you need if you go Vegan.” What is interesting is that now that I am eating mostly vegan foods, I have not had any noticeable health issues. Of course, I probably should eventually have it taken out, but still believe that I should continue eating mainly vegan foods after it’s gone. I know it will very much benefit me more than people understand. I just wanted to say that I am thankful that there are people out there, like yourself, who believe in the power of food. My dream is to prove many people wrong. To help people understand that food can change your life and that even if you are an MD or have a Nursing Degree, it does not necessarily mean you fully understand the main cause or treatment of an illness. We are still discovering new findings, daily, about nutrition and our bodies. Everyone’s body is different, every situation is different, and I have this feeling that certain people are not taking the time, or are not given the time, to really research a client’s illness or give them the care they need. Just my thoughts.
Thank you!
Corrie Cunningham
I’ve been suffering with candida and yeast imbalance for some time and have tried a number of remedies recommended by my Naturopath. I was keen to the Lady Soma Candida Cleanse, because it is an all in one candida cleanse, containing anti-fungals, enzymes and probiotics, so I only need to take one product, instead of a whole series of different formulations. I took the full dose to begin with, and was pleased with the results, which started to kick in within about a week. Now I just take 1 capsule per day of the Lady Soma pill as a maintenance dose and that seems to be keeping things under control for me. For the first time, I feel like I have found a simple long term solution to keeping my candida at bay.