Naturopathic Medicine 101: The Foundations

Naturopathic Medicine, or Naturopathy, is a practice of preventing, assessing and treating conditions of the human body and mind. By integrating conventional health sciences with a range of natural therapies and traditional medicines, Naturopathy treats the patient's mental, emotional and physical states for a lasting effect. The foundation of Naturopathy is the philosophy of the "healing power of nature". This means that the body has its own healing energy within and with the help of naturopathic treatment, the body can repair itself and recover from illness if it is in a healthy and supportive environment. Medical Doctors, being human beings too, also must rely on this.

The Role of the Naturopathic Doctor.

   A naturopath aims to educate, empower and motivate the patient to assume more personal responsibility for his or her health by adopting a healthy attitude, lifestyle and diet. They do not simply treat the manifestation of a disease and its effects but rather search for THE CAUSE and treat it, rather than the effect. Prevention of disease is accomplished through naturopathic education which builds a lifestyle that supports health and well-being, in both the short & long term.

Kansas City Integrative Health is a comprehensive care clinic located in the heart of Overland Park that focuses on addressing the root cause of your condition, changing your physiology to support healing, and to prevent future progression of any disease process. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

Your Food, Healthier: 3 Easy Ways to Avoid Consuming Chemicals

Environmental toxins are associated with infertility, autoimmunity, cancer, PCOS, endometriosis and more. Avoiding these chemicals is one of the essential steps to getting to adequate health. Here are 3 tips that will allow you to avoid these health-harming chemicals daily.

1. Wash your produce thoroughly. In general it is best to buy organic, especially the dirty dozen, but if it is not in the budget, then was your fruits and veggies with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. This has been shown to wash the pesticides off.

2. Store your leftover food in glass. Plastics containers often contain chemicals that can leach into your food and interfere with your hormones among many other bad effects in the body! Store your leftovers in glass or ceramic containers instead, if this isn’t possible, then be sure to avoid heating or microwaving any food in plastic, the heat encourages the transfer of plastic particles to your food

3.  Stay away from Teflon and other non-stick pans, they release toxic chemicals into the air, including agents used as chemical warfare. Swap the no-stick option out for alternatives including glass, stainless steel, or cast iron.

Cold Weather, Cold Sores

Colder weather has arrived in Kansas City, and it is here for the season. These temperature changes can affect the immune system, but also the change from being active and the increase in stress can decrease the immune response as well.

Some individuals experience cold sores more frequently in the winter time with the colder weather. While everyone doesn't get them, most people have the antibodies to the virus that causes cold sores. These cold sores, otherwise known as oral herpes simplex, can cause painful sores on the lips, or inside the mouth and is often associated with swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches. 

While the best way to keep these cold sores from recurring is to have a robust immune system, there are some other ways to keep these sores at bay. 

Change the Lysine to Arginine Ratio
The herpes simplex virus needs arginine to thrive, while lysine causes disruption in the virus's replication.

Eating foods high in lysine decrease its ability to replicate.
These include:

Flickr Creative Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/effinpeaz/ 

• fish
• yogurt
• kefir
• cottage cheese
• papaya
• beets
• apples
• apricots

Avoid foods high in arginine:

• wheat
• soy
• lentils
• oats
• corn
• barley
• eggplant
• tomato
• chocolate
• peanuts
• almonds
• cashews
• most other nuts and seeds

Also, some vitamins, including vitamin E, have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of these cold sores. 

Stay tuned for the next article which will give easy health tips for keeping your immune system in tip-top shape!

Come visit Kansas City Integrative Health to learn more about how you can beat the cold without getting sick all the time, we are conveniently located in the heart of Overland Park.

Naturopathic Medicine Week 2014

The year 2014 has embraced a historic – and holistic – shift in health care choice. 

Under a new provision in the affordable healthcare act, insurers are not allowed to exclude licensed health care professionals who want to participate in their plans.  The intent is to give consumers greater choice among different types of health care providers.  Patients are meant to have access to holistic health care professionals such as naturopathic physicians, chiropractors, and acupuncturists.

 Holistic health care relies more on lifestyle changes and natural solutions and less on invasive procedures, surgery, and prescription drugs.  40% of Americans are taking greater control of their health by using holistic medicine.  Within this 40% is a small but growing number who are seeking care from the “general practitioners of holistic medicine” known as naturopathic physicians. 

 Congress has declared the second week of October as Naturopathic Medicine Week, recognizing the ability of naturopathic physicians to “provide safe, effective, and affordable health care” and urged Americans to learn more about this form of medicine.  So, the second week of October is a good time to visit a naturopathic doctor (ND) and size up see how this approach is potentially a fit for you.

 The naturopathic approach emphasizes the body’s inherent self-healing ability – a clear divergence from conventional medicine, which tends to focus on managing sickness.  As an ND myself, I emphasize the necessity of staying well by attending to such things as balanced nutrition, sufficient exercise, quality sleep, stress management, proper hydration, breathing patterns, and emotional health.  These elements of preventive care are vital because more than 75 percent of health care costs in the US today stem from preventable chronic illnesses. 

 It’s stunning that nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese…tens of millions are afflicted by conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes…and 70% of us report suffering from stress (which itself can lead to such problems as heart disease and depression).  Our fast-paced, high stress, “Big Gulp” lifestyle has brought about this plague of chronic illness and an intense focus on sickness management.  The result is that, while our country spends far more per capita on health care than any other nation, we rank just 37th in average life expectancy. 

Naturopathic doctors have been around for decades; “pioneers…who have been practicing integrative medicine all along.”  Today, 4,400 NDs hold a license, having graduated from accredited 4-year naturopathic medical schools.  What I thrive on as an ND is working closely with my patients, guiding them toward a restoration of health.  NDs in general use a range of non-invasive approaches such as physical medicine, oriental medicine, botanical medicine, mind-body medicine, lifestyle counseling, and nutrition counseling.  I aim to be the future of medicine – focused on the whole person and empowering him/her to take a more active role in maintaining good health.

The symptoms of chronic illness, and the costs, are spiraling all around us.  It’s important to realize that disease-causing pathogens are no longer the only or main threat to health.  We are: our lifestyles, our love of fast food, caffeine, sugar, fat and, in general, life in the over-stimulated lane.  People are discovering, though, that natural medicine is a better way than prescription drugs and surgeries to get on a healthier path.

 So, please join with me the week of October 6-12 to celebrate Naturopathic Medicine Week.  It really offers a glimpse of the evolution toward holistic care – and greater consumer choice.