I started this blog simply as a place on the web to share my cooking journey. I have always loved to cook and bake, and I wanted to share some of the methods and recipes I was enjoying with others.
But as this website has grown and matured, it has been obvious that my website attracts like minded people-people who are seeking to have better health through the food they eat. Many of us started eating this way because of health issues we faced (or currently face). Many of us have children who have perplexing health issues. Because of this audience, and the type of cooking I share here, I am often asked a wide variety of questions about healing through food, or other methods.
I have been very cautious in responding to these questions, not because I don’t care, but because I feel that I don’t have the needed expertise to knowledgeably answer your questions. Certainly, I read my fair share of research and books on healing a variety of conditions through natural means. However, in my limited exposure to health issues, healing diets, and naturopathic help, I’ve concluded that our paths towards healing are often complicated, individual, and prone to vary widely.
I also feel somewhat reserved in sharing all of my or my daughter’s story simply because I am a private person by nature and I don’t want my children to grow up and read my blog and be embarrassed about anything I shared about them online.
Yet, I do think that I can share some of our ongoing journey towards health with you, and hope that you may find it helpful in yours. This won’t answer all of your questions by any means, but it could help provide some puzzle pieces to your own health.
With that in mind, I thought I’d address this question, when to self-treat and when to seek outside help. It goes without saying that if you are facing any huge health obstacle that you should look to professional help (whether that be a more conventional doctor or an alternative one). It also goes without saying that any of my story should be taken as one friend to another. I don’t consider myself an expert by any means. Rather a fellow journeyman in the quest for healing and good health.
Those of us who feel that “food is the best medicine” often are on this path without professional outside direction. After all, eating a whole foods diet using traditional principles doesn’t really need much direction. I have been so thrilled with the testimonies of those who have given up white sugar and white flour on the sugar fast, So many find a wide variety of minor to more major health issues abate or even disappear within a matter of weeks. Sometimes the path towards vibrant health is short indeed. Within a few easy changes to their diets, many people report excellent health and energy. This goes to show how much little things can help.
Others of us have a confusing array of symptoms that traditional doctors dismiss or give coping drugs for, and often stump a naturopathic doctor too. I know a wide variety of real life friends who have puzzled themselves and the doctors they have seen with reoccurring health issues or eczema. Some of the online support groups think they have it all figured out. Just do this diet, or use this cream, or do such and such and you are sure to heal. If only it was always that simple. It really is sometimes. Like I said, there have been amazing testimonies to the power of both simple changes (like removing refined flours, sugars and oils from a diet) to more extreme diets, like the GAPS protocol or the BED which has born amazing results for many.
But sometimes it is not enough. And sometimes, it’s not the right diet for that person. Sometimes disturbing health problems are not caused by digestive issues after all.
Sometimes you need outside help to really get to the root of it all.
Our experience with naturopathic care.
Because I saw a decline in health a couple of years ago before I started this blog, I’ve seen a couple of naturopaths. I quickly found out that it could be hard to work effectively with a naturopath if you are in different worlds regarding what constitutes healthy food. Since naturopaths often use food as part of their therapy, I’ve found it important to go to a naturopath who is at least in the same book as me in regard to diet. That is, if you aren’t vegan, don’t go to a vegan naturopath. That has been my experience. In our area, there are more than a couple of naturopaths that use traditional food at part of their protocol. This is exciting.
I had seen one naturopath a couple of years ago that helped pinpoint my dairy intolerance, which was very hard for me to take out at first (as I think dairy is a healthy food for many), but have become convinced that he is right-I am just not genetically prone to digesting dairy well. He also helped me overcome my adrenal fatigue to a point. Most of all, he was able to be a calm and reassuring voice when I faced overwhelming fatigue, which is worth quite a lot when you aren’t feeling well the majority of the time.
Recently, a friend asked me what I thought about a couple of different naturopaths in the area. I shared with her that I’d personally research those who specialize in the area she felt she needed the most help. So, after researching the topic (and sending me her thoughts on different doctors), we chatted several times about some good choices in the area. She chose a doctor to go to, and I quickly followed with my own daughter (I was thankful that someone scouted out the options for me, so that I didn’t have to do as much work!).
My oldest daughter has long been prone to digestive issues as well as yeast problems stemming from antibiotics she got from me while nursing. While she seemed much improved in health, last year she ended up on another round of antibiotics. This was very maddening to me at the time, as I felt like the current naturopath she goes to for general check ups, didn’t have the resources and knowledge to prevent us from needing antibiotics in the end of a minor problem with a earache turned ugly. But it ended up being a blessing, because once a few things flared up again, we decided to bring her to this new naturopathic doctor that our friend had started seeing. This doctor is a regular MD, Naturopath and Chinese Herbalist, so he has a wide background.
He is very into traditional food, and the art of eating to promote health. I appreciate this greatly. He was also very encouraging to me, as he felt like all of the work I had done in feeding our five year old had resulted in much better health for her. I saw all of the ways that she still didn’t have perfect health and was discouraged, but he saw that all of the things I had done as preventing worse or more health problems to arise. So this was really encouraging.
The thing that is very different about him is that while many of her symptoms pointed to digestive issues, he wanted to do a wide variety of testing with her before treating her. Yes, this was very expensive. But I see the wisdom in it, because it revealed a lot of things that we could have never known otherwise. For example, her digestive system is in better shape than I would have ever guessed. Yeasts and fungi was pretty much zilch. So while I had the whole time been treating her like she had systematic yeast issues, at some point we had conquered that without me knowing. A very happy surprise for her and me both!
He also chose to do an antibody test, which showed that she reacts to eggs very strongly. As in her reaction tops the charts. She also has moderate antibodies to beans. However, all meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, and gluten-free grains that she eats she has no antibodies too whatsoever. When a friend had this test done who had serious gut issues, they literally had antibodies to every single food they ate, which simply showed that they were not digesting and processing their food right. The fact that she only reacted to a few foods was encouraging.
There were some things that could be improved upon (like low iron) and a few things that were puzzling to me, but hopefully will be fixed simply by removing offending foods from her diet. I won’t go into all of the details, but I did find the testing very interesting, reassuring in many ways, but also showing weak areas that need work. Her weak areas weren’t what I was expecting. So, for many reasons, I have found that the thorough (and expensive) testing he had done extremely helpful.
On another note, a friend who goes to him found out through his testing that one of her children had a parasite, which was causing most likely all of his symptoms. By history and his symptoms you would have definitely guessed that his issues solely stemmed from digestive issues, but testing revealed his gut in fine condition. It is most likely that the parasite issue was his sole issue.
So my personal experience has taught me the following about getting outside help:
1) It isn’t always simple, even when going to naturopaths; they often have a hard time pinpointing an individual’s problem. You do have to have patience, and sometimes visit dead ends before you find the true root of an issue.
2) While good gut health and good health in general are related, bad health isn’t always solely a gut issue.
3) Finding a naturopath that is on the same page as you in regard to what constitutes healthy food is important.
4) When simple dietary changes don’t improve health, going to a doctor who is not only knowledgeable but also experienced, can be very enlightening.
5) I feel that proper testing is extremely helpful. The first naturopath I went to did a terrible job with testing. Yes, they did order testing (and the proper testing at that), but somehow they didn’t know how to read the results correctly. A fact I found out later. But I have found knowledgeable naturopaths so helpful when using testing to find out what is really going on.
6) Just like there are ineffective doctors in the medical world, there are ineffective naturopaths too.
My encouragement to you is not to abandon arming yourself with personal knowledge in regard to your health and how to treat yourself with good food and supplements. But rather, to consider how good naturopathic care could help. I think that sometimes people do extreme measures to try to improve their health at home, when it isn’t always necessary or helpful because it doesn’t address the real issues at hand.
One example is the GAPS diet. I did a trial run of the GAPS diet with my daughter after her last run of the antibiotics. I took her off after a month because her energy was simply disappearing on the diet. With the return of grains in moderation, she gained energy immediately. After testing, we found out that it is unlikely that our daughter’s main complaints are due simply to a poor gut condition. This isn’t to knock the GAPS diet, because it can be a very helpful tool for many. We all just need to remember that the GAPS diet is a tool, not THE answer to every problem that everyone has.
I can’t promise that a naturopath can always help find answers for you, but their service has been helpful to our family. As I continue to explore other tools for healing, I will definitely share them with you all. Not because I am an expert in these areas, but because I’d love to share anything I am learning with you all!
I’d love to hear your experience with naturopaths. Have you found them helpful, not helpful? Or like us, a mixed bag, depending on whom we went to?
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Allison
I wish I could find one within reasonable driving distance from me!
KimiHarris
Allison,
That is hard! We still ended up driving 45 minutes to our new naturopath, but I have had friends who have flown or driven hours to visit a certain doctor. There are some naturopaths who are willing to consult you over the phone and are able, I believe, to refer you to nearby labs to get testing. That could be an option!
Rebekah
Kimi – would you consider an additional post on what to look for in a naturopath? How are we to tell a good one from a poor one? I’d sure love to find a good one in Illinois!
Michelle
Thanks so much for sharing your words of wisdom & your experience. I’ve been so weary of the “try this, it will work for everybody for everything” mentality. Your perspective is refreshing. (I haven’t had experience with a naturopath but have been leaning toward finding one.)
KimiHarris
Michelle,
Just because a diet, supplement or removal of a certain food works for one person, they think it works for everyone. 🙂 It is easy to do.
We’ve had quite the journey in working with naturopaths, but overall, it’s been worth the time and money (right now, it’s literally emptying any reserves we have to take our daughter in, but we think it is worth it)!.
Kristen
What a great post. Thanks for sharing your story. This is perfectly timed for me. We’ve been on a similar journey with food and needing to seek professional help and realizing that I may be putting our family through unnecessary suffering. I appreciate your encouragement and your story in finding out what the real issues were once you sought testing and proper help. I’m on my way with you!
KimiHarris
You are very welcome! It feels really nice to get more concrete answers rather than trying to figure things out on my own. 🙂
Karen
Thank you for sharing this. My natural tendency (and I suspect for many) is that once I find something that works for me, I often think that it will work for everyone else. But each person responds to food differently, and I suspect this is why there is still confusion for many regarding what constitutes a healthy diet. I really appreciate your blog and it has led me to investigate food preparation in ways I had never considered. Although not all of it has applied directly to me, I appreciate what you have to say.
caitlin
Would it be possible to get the name of the naturopath you are visiting? I live in the area and have just begun looking for one. I am pretty new to the natural health world and I would love a reliable place to start. Thanks.
KimiHarris
Caitlin,
Sure! I will send you an email. 🙂
Kassie
Thanks for this post! What test did he do? I would love to get it done for my family.
KimiHarris
Kassie,
Many tests. We tested for several individual vitamins (Vitamin A and D plus iron), had a metabolic panel done, did the antibody test, another test which tested the digestive bacteria and other things (like parasites). I think those were the main ones……It involved getting blood drawn and doing a stool test.
Stephanie
I’ve used integrative medicine, and found it very helpful (also covered by my health insurance at the time, even better). I’ve also been fortunate to have a couple of standard MDs with holistic outlooks who definitely helped point me in the right direction and were happy to work with me when treatments weren’t necessarily what I wanted to pursue.
I do appreciate point #2– sometimes it becomes too easy to find one issue and blame everything on it. Our bodies, and the way we interact with our environment, are complex and it’s not all about the GI system.
Celeste
Hi Kimi, I’ve been following your blog for just a short time but you have been helpful in so many ways. We too are on what seems to be a neverending journey of healing our daughter. She’s almost two and since she was about 6 months old has suffered from food allergies/sensitivities as well as environmental and extremem eczema. While she has come a long way I know we have a few lingering issues. We have tried taking things in and out of her diet, seen a number of doctors (and naturopaths) and have yet to truly find that one person that makes a total difference. This post has revived me to be able to get back out there and find that person that can maybe put these last few pieces (at least I’m hoping they are the last pieces) of her puzzle together.
Stephanie
Hi Kimi, I stumbled upon your website about 6 months ago, or jeez maybe more time flies! I subscribed immediately and I love your research and approach.
I’m a holistic health coach/cook and I really appreciate this article. I work with clients all over the country and everybody has a different set of needs. I just wanted to say thank you for posting this and acknowledging that there is no one way or one diet that works for all. I love your recipes and followed your sugar cleanse, in fact today is my last day in a 30 day challenge. I’ve recommended that my clients take a look at your sugar cleanse challenge, if we decide a sugar cleanse is needed so they can see they are not alone 🙂
Thanks again, keep up the great work!
Tara Rosas
Excellent post, Kimi. Thank you! I believe that this is a very healthy approach to natural healing. I’m one of the people who found complete healing of Crohn’s disease through the GAPS Diet, but I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think it’s an amazing healing protocol for a large majority but that’s not to conclude that it is always the answer. We must always remember bio-individuality and keep an open mind.
I’m now in the process of getting my holistic health counseling certification and would love to know the name and contact info for this naturopath you have found success with for reference. Would you mind e-mailing it to me? Thanks. Great post!
KimiHarris
Hey Tara!
I will email you his information. 🙂
Robin
This really is a helpful post! Our son has had issues for years, and we’ve never had any idea what was causing them. His new doctor – a pediatrician who seems to prefer natural methods – ran blood tests, and found allergies and adrenal problems. It is involving a rather restrictive diet, but I’m grateful to have some direction, after years of trying things and guessing!
T
I would love your naturopath’s info, too! Thanks for a great post.
KimiHarris
Emailed it!
crystal
Hi Kimmi, Could you tell me what tests there are to find out if you have to much yeast or fungi in your system?
KimiHarris
Crystal,
I don’t remember the exact name of the test, but it was a stool test, I can tell you that. 🙂
Lisa
A stool analysis, Metametrix is a lab with am excellent reputation that does this. You can also use a stool analysis to check for parasites (although false negatives are common), undigested fats (meaning enzyme supplementation is probably needed), presence of lactobacilli, and gliaden IgA antibodies among other things.
Karen
What is BED? I must really be out of the loop because I have never heard of this.
Thanks!
KimiHarris
Karen,
It is the Body Ecology Diet. 🙂 (Founded and created by Donna Gates).
Michelle
Kimi,
Our paths have been very similar, including a recent pleasant surprise of better test results than expected with our 5 yo daughter. We are real foodies but I realized, after 3 of the 4 family members stumping many doctors with comments like “out of my league”, “never seen such a sensitive child” and “there is something we are missing here” that we need a lot of support. I have been able to assemble a health care team including our md, naturopath, acupucturist and chiropractor who are all very involved in our ongoing care, plus specialists as needed. I share the input amongst these medical personas, and make decisons as they come up individually. I totally agree with all of your points above and would add one more suggestion to all…make sure you get copies of all of your test results! This information is about you and your body, and it enables you to be an informed patient if you see a different dr. who may have a different, complementary perspectve. Plus then in the future you can always refer back to it.
Lisa
We have used a doctor that is both an MD and a naturopath and a firm believer in WAPF principles. She really helped my husband. She doesn’t see children, though, so I took my son to an MD that specializes in ASD and using diet and supplementation for any kind of condition. He helped my son tremendously. Through muscle testing (that was later confirmed by expensive bloodwork) he saw that my son had extremely low levels of seratonin and dopamine. We also had the IgG blood panel done to check for food sensitivities and discovered he had several. The combination of GAPS, elimination of the offending foods (until his gut heals), and the supplements have changed the while dynamic of or family.
Archer
As an aspiring naturopath, I love how balanced you are Kimi! I’ve appreciated that in your writing over the years.
Rachel
Oh, it feels so nice to hear that. I’ve been suffering from digestive problems for years and then when I see certain diets, like a green smoothie cleanse diet or something of that nature I wish that would fix my problems. I eat really, really healthy, but I’m still sick right now. Had a test done…mold toxicity…not too good. I follow the BED diet for the most part, though occasionally I have a homemade cookie or homemade dairy free ice cream and that doesn’t seem to bother me. I never had serious yeast issues, I did go on a candida diet for a few months and that helped clear it up. Thank you for sharing what you have, it means a lot to me.
Kaycie Rosen Grigel, ND
Hi Kimi–
Thanks for sharing your experience with naturopathic care. As a naturopathic doctor and food blogger, I can tell you that you are absolutely right in saying that every practitioner you meet (naturopath or no!) will have an individual approach to health and nutrition, though one thing to make sure of is the education your naturopath has received. At least here in Colorado, we don’t have any regulation of naturopathic medicine so anyone with any type of education can call themselves an ND. So, even though we each have an individual approach your naturopath should have the same basic doctoral-level education and have passed board exams that qualify him or her to practice medicine. Thanks again for your post!
Rachel
This is a good reminder for me. My son is on the GAPS diet and has seen wonderful results to major digestive issues. I’ve also seen my allergies get much better. But it’s good to remember that while so many problems do stem from diet and especially gut issues, the same thing doesn’t always work for everyone else.
We’ve spend lots of money on our 5 year old also! Between naturopaths and occupational therapists for sensory issues we’ve had to cut down on everything else. But having a little boy who can enjoy life without being in pain (without having to take drugs to do this) has been so worth it!
Annie
Thanks so much for sharing your journey. I too have been on a long journey to identify and heal confusing health issues in myself and my daughter. We tried the GAPS diet and found it was not a good fit – my daughter could not digest the high level of fat and the promise that it would heal sensitivities to foods like dairy and eggs never materialized, making the diet far too restrictive.
I would just chime in that on this long, long road I’ve found it’s important not to write off any discipline or area of medicine. For example, I stopped taking my daughter to see an allergist for a year and a half, and exclusively used a naturopath. A few months ago we re-tried the allergist route (per our naturopath’s suggestion) and through some skin prick testing got the very surprising results that my daughter had become allergic to many foods in her diet and that many of them were very high in salicylates. With the removal of high salicylate foods from her diet she’s doing so much better. So we never would have found that answer if we hadn’t given a mainstream allergist another shot (these sensitivities were not discovered through the “alternative” bloodwork allergy testing). The lesson I learned is that we as moms are the managers of our children’s healing journeys, and the more experts we can rely on the better (especially when what we’re trying isn’t working).
Heather
Hello Kimi,
Thank you for your well written, balanced article. I would love to have the contact information of the naturopathic doctor that you are working with.
Thank you!
N.
Kimi, this post is exactly along the lines of what I’ve been learning the last couple months.
I have gone short periods on the BED three times now, usually only lasting from two to six weeks, but always felt amazing while on it, then as I started eating sugar again, I would binge on starchy foods, try to go back on the diet, fail, binge some more, and finally give up trying to ‘diet’ and eventually my bingeing problem would taper off. This ‘food addiction’ has been a struggle for me and a source of guilt and shame and embarrassment, periodically over the last 8 years, especially since it leads to weight gain and unhealthy self-image.
A family we have become close with from church has been learning extensively about homeopathy and kinesiology, so their son does muscle testing for health issues and then makes homeopathic remedies specific to one’s body’s needs.
A few weeks ago, after doing the BED for 6 weeks, I had their son do his muscle testing on me because some of my health issues weren’t clearing up from the BED as I expected them to, and I was having new problems I hadn’t had before. It turns out that all my symptoms pointed to parasites, and my muscle test showed a large quantity in my system. So it has been such a relief knowing that, what I originally thought was just my own lack of discipline in sticking with a healthy diet, was actually hungry parasites causing the addictive behavior.
So what you’re saying about one size fits all diets is so true, everyone’s individual needs are different, and it is so wonderful to have a doctor/naturopath or someone like our friend who can get to root of the problem through tests and help you finally treat the real problems.
I still think the BED is a great cleansing diet for those times we do want to help our bodies cleanse, though it’s also nice to know it’s a means to an end, not a lifelong restrictive regimen that’s limiting one’s enjoyment of good foods that God created!
Thank you Kimi for your many wonderful posts about your journey towards better health for your family.
Justine
Thank you so much for this article. This is exactly what I needed to read at this time. I have had problems which started after an allergic reaction to an antibiotic a while back and thought I had figured out that it was a gut issue. And then I reduced everything to digestive problems and started going on a cycle of just trying reduce yeasts and such. While I still maintain that diet is enormously important for me, I think you are right to address that there are other factors to consider. I too tried the GAPS diet and thought that was my golden solution, but also started losing energy and had poor digestion even then. Thank you so much for this article to help ease my mind. I am definitely still on the path to good health and realize that it is individual to us all, but I very much thank you for sharing your story. Sometimes I feel quite alone with my issues and find that when I talk to friends or family or doctors of any kind, they just try to so simply diagnose me. I truly thank you for sharing your story.
Jen
Kimi, I have just started exploring the Naturopathic/Homeopathic side of treatment. I just was not getting the right answers from the Allopathic doctors. While diet and real food had helped with many issues, fatigue still plagued me.
I waited for about 6 months until I felt comfortable with this one Homeopath that I was looking into. I just went last week and found out that he and his assistant (who is a WAPF chapter leader) follow the WAPF lifestyle. That was a huge relief. But more than that, he said that I sounded like a textbook case to him. WOW! I had always been an enigma to the other drs. Textbook sounded like a dream come true.
So although I fought it and thought food alone could heal, there sometimes is more that needs to be addressed. I am just now starting the protocol that he prescribed. He says it should only take a few months. I am hopeful. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this info. Very timely and reaffirming for me.
Jessie
Thanks for sharing this post. I think it is very helpful.
I ended up at a integrative medical practice for some issues & they referred me to a sister-practice that has a naturopath. One important thing to note is that very few states have regulations for naturopathy. My naturopath is board-certified in Oregon & has a 4 year degree from a naturopathic medical school. However, I’ve seen people put themselves out as naturopathic doctors who have correspondance school degrees or certificates in things like aromatherapy.
I found out about Weston Price Foundation from the naturopath & bought my copy of Nourishing Traditions from his office. I didn’t really know very much about naturopathic medicine when I started seeing one – it was from the referral. So I was very fortunate to end up with a very good doctor.
I think that naturopaths are very interested in you as a whole person, which I appreciate. I’ve not found that so much in mainstream doctors.
Catherine
What lab did he use for the testing?
Jenny Odegard
Great Post, Kimi.
One thing I have learned throughout the past 12 years as I attempt to get back to robust health – is that there is a difference between a generally health promoting diet… and a diet that targets a specific disease or condition. Both are useful, and they often overlap, but when you are attempting to address a specific health condition, you first have to know what it IS, or what is causing it. This is where testing is extremely helpful. Find yourself a doctor who can help you figure out what testing to do – and if every mainstream doc you visit orders up the same three tests and then gives up, find a different kind of doctor!
My MD (turned natural med doc) and a subsequent naturopath used Diagnostechs lab and Enterolab to test for adrenal issues, food sensitivites, yeast, and parasites – all of which has helped me feel much better as I follow their recommendations based on the testing results. If I didn’t KNOW for sure that I had gluten intolerance, my ideal diet might look very different than it does!
L
Hi Kimi,
I, too, would like the name of the naturopath. I have gone gluten free and we’ve also done the SCD diet. I am now going back to the SCD diet. Have had allergy testing, but I pretty much reacted to everything….interesting that your post mentions that it could be just the way my body is digesting things and not necessarily an allergy. The quest for health is arduous and I really appreciate your posts and honesty. Thank you.
Nathalie Coggins
Are any of you familiar with the Medical advocates that are out there? I found one that is amazing. I was skeptical at first, but I had tried acupuncturist, chiropractors, naturopaths and was still confused. Dr. William Kay, MD has given me so much help in navigating through my health care needs and those of my loved ones. He left the world of surgery because he realized that he couldn’t practice true medicine and has now become a Medical Advocate. He is familiar with both the allopathic and functional medicine world and works in a very holistic way, and he is also gluten free.
Check out his website:
http://www.informedhealthadvocacy.com/
Theresa
Love your site … very helpful! ~ I have been seeing a naturopath for several now and initially was happy to find someone who listened to my symptoms. Over time though I found that “I” was the one making the recommendations to address my concerns (like could it be what I was eating, should I go toward a more vegan diet, could I have adrenal issues, etc.). After a while, I felt like I was paying to tell him what to do. I also found that while tests may have shown that I was very reactive to cow’s milk and eggs, I was just sent off with no real plan on how to cope with my feelings of “what do I do now” (given that both are pretty much in so many foods/diets). I also found out (expensively) that prescribed products like colostrum or supplements contain the very thing that I had issues with … made me wonder what this naturopath was thinking. (Made me feel like I was just being used as a guinea pig.) I switched to another naturopath who I initially liked but then found that this new naturopath did not hear my symptoms so my thyroid medication was reduced which spun me downward. I was lucky that my MD encouraged me to see a naturopath but would put his foot down when he saw that I was getting worse instead of better. (Sadly, my MD had to retire so I am on the hunt to find another MD who actually listens.) I switched naturopaths (again) but am taking a more “I respect you yet I need for you to listen to what I am experiencing” approach now along with I research the ingredients on any supplement a naturopath recommends. I have been very sensitive to all meds and supplements and from what I have been reading on adrenal issues, it all makes sense what I am experiencing (fatigue being the greatest issue) has been caused by my thyroid, flawed immune system, and adrenals. I truly need to eat veggies and greens (especially) but I tend to fall into a rut and eat the same meals. I really need a class or something on how to make salads so interesting without having to buy out the produce section. ~ I have asked a friend who is having similar issues to join forces to help each other (as she is limited by her insurance or monies). This article came as a boost to our spirits to peacefully become warriors for better health.
Jody
I can’t even count how many times traditional medicine has led me down the wrong path, feeling horrible, and taking too many medicines. Since turning to a naturopath, I take one medication (which will most likely be forever due to autoimmune thyroid issue), have resolved depression and migraine problems, and have more energy than ever before. We did the same extensive food testing. I have been able to reintroduce everything except milk. For some reason, milk and I don’t get along, even though I absolutely love milk. So sometimes, I will just suck it up for a day and deal with the resulting sinus issues and headache and enjoy a huge bowl of milk-covered cereal. Also, even though the test may not show an allergy/sensitivity to food, pay attention to what your body tells you after you eat it. If you have gut or sinus issues after eating something, it’s likely not a good choice. Best of luck in your pursuit of good health.
Will
Seeking the “rigth healthcare” is not easy. Today there are so many different paradigms of medicine to choose from that it can be overwhelming. Even once you are involved with a certain paradigm of healthcare, there are often times when conditions change that may require another discipline. If you have questions, which everyone does, you may want to consider hiring a private medical advocate with cross paradigm experience to help guide you.
Kate
Your naturopath sounds like just the kind of person I’m looking for, but I’m not local. Do you know if he accepts patients using skype? If so, could you send me his details.
Thanks. Very informative post, as per usual.
Melanie
Thanks Kimi for sharing this.
Could you please send me the info on your naturopath also?
Much appreciated.
Melanie
Candice
I love this – we have a Naturopath who is also and MD too but he does not delve into the Chinese Medicine at all so we see an NAET practitioner too. We were dealing with a severe skin issue with our daughter which the regular derm diagnosed as perioral dermatitis – “we don’t know what causes it but here are some steroid creams” – I didn’t go with my gut and used those darn creams but anyway, live and learn. The NAET Dr was the one who helped us get to the bottom of it and clear it up when even the ND was at a loss. The body is multi-faceted and even Naturopaths tend to only look at the physical aspect.
Sarah
Hi Kimi,
I’d like to know the name of your naturopath, please. I also have a 5-year-old, and have some health concerns that her regular pediatrician hasn’t been able to help with. Thank you!
Lindsey @ The Herbangardener
Hi Kimi,
Thanks for posting this; really well said.
I used to steer way clear of western medicine & doctors… until I got sick and kept getting sicker and sicker; it was very bad. The alternative remedies may have been marginally supportive but finally I steeled myself and saw an MD. It was a months-long process of medical testing for so many things, but finally they discovered I had Brucellosis, a bacterial infection similar in some ways to Tuberculosis. It’s so rare here in the U.S. that they didn’t think to test for it at first. And now — although I’m still wary of western medicine and doctors — those antibiotics have saved my life, so of course I have a really different outlook on it all now! haha!
I guess all to say… if I had gone to an alternative health practitioner I think they would likely have told me I had a bad gut, or adrenal fatigue, or chronic fatigue, or some other such thing. However the little niggling feeling inside me knew it was something more than that. So I’m glad I ended up actually seeing an MD.
They have their place, though there are so many that don’t listen. You’re so right — with any practitioner, western or not, they have to listen to you and not assume you’re crazy or making it up in your head, and be willing to think out of the box.
Some doctors don’t even seem to want to get involved in puzzling cases. It’s so helpful to find a practitioner who is willing to get to the bottom of the problem no matter what.
And most importantly, we have to listen to our own little niggling feelings… they will steer us in the right direction!
Thanks Kimi.
Nice to see you still have your blog here.
~Lindsey~
Heather
Could I also get the name of your naturopath? I’ve had a really hard time finding an integrated doctor in Vancouver! You are a lovely woman.