What is a Naturopath?
Something I often get asked is, “What’s a Naturopath and why should I come and see you?”
Here’s a brief explanation.
I would have asked the exact same question 7 years ago. I had never really heard of a Naturopath before this time.
It all started when I decided to get fit and got into the clean eating thing. Swapping out the ingredients I had known all my life for healthier options, it was a fun time, trying lots of different recipes, some worked and some didn’t! I recall a time when I wanted to make a seeded bread without the usual flour (I have been gluten free for sometime but the bread back then was like cardboard), it was full of seeds and nuts with no flour at all, well… as you can guess it was as solid as a brick.
My husband often jokes that we could have built a house with all my attempts at making ‘bread’…. ahh he is so funny 🤪
Anyway during this time I was exploring the idea of going back to study, nutrition was what I had in mind, as many years ago I had attempted to go to Uni when my youngest was just two. I lasted a semester and pulled out; the challenge of juggling 5 children, study and a home was a little too much.
In my searching I found Naturopathy and it intrigued me. So let me explain.
A Naturopath has an alternate way of looking after your health. It’s a holistic approach to wellness; finding out the real cause to ‘dis-ease’ in the body. Each person is looked at individually and we assess your diet, your lifestyle, the stresses in your life, what was happening in your world when your symptoms started, family history and your childhood.
Sounds pretty comprehensive right? Well it is. Each one of these factors can impact your health and may cause imbalances in your body chemistry which may manifest as particular symptoms.
Our bodies are complex; every pathway has a specific role, require specific nutrients and can affect many systems in our body, right down to impacting individual cells. Should a pathway be out of balance or not receiving the appropriate vitamins and minerals then that is when we see problems and symptoms which can cascade into full blown disease in the body.
It’s not only vitamins and minerals that affect the pathways but also stress, environmental factors, genetics and lifestyle choices.
I like to describe myself as a bit like a detective. Finding all the pieces of the puzzle and then putting it back together. Working out the best possible path that will benefit YOU, no one else but you. We are all different and no two treatment plans are the same. This is why your first consult with me is an hour long and if you break down the cost of an hour ($110) into ten minute increments it cost $18.33 for every ten minutes. Compare that to a Dr’s prices and well, I don’t need to say anymore.
Oh but I hear you say, theres no science in what you do! Well actually there is. I have a Bachelor in Health SCIENCE, we do Chemistry, Biology, Pathophysiology and Biochemistry. We look at Nutrition such as nutrients in different foods and their composition and how they interact in the body. We study Nutrition during the different phases of life. The list goes on, it’s a four year degree. We know our stuff!
As a Naturopath we use nutritional medicine, herbal medicine, dietary and lifestyle advice, homoeopathy and supplements when needed.
What I really love though, is the herbs 🌿
If you go back in history plants and plant materials have been used as medicines for years. I believe that the earth provides all that we need for healthy living and for cures.
Now I bet I know what you’re thinking, oh….she’s a hippy, tree hugging fruit cake. Once you get to know me you will find I am far from that image, however, I do loves trees 🌳 and fruit cake 🥮 and I do believe that we need western medicine but I also believe that natural medicine can be used alongside for a more beneficial outcome.
As Naturopaths, yes….. we sometimes have to remove certain foods from your diet, yes.. it’s going to be painful and unpleasant to make changes, yes….. we are going to ask you to exercise and move your body, yes…. we are going to teach you how to de-stress, but if change was easy everyone one would be doing it.
We do these things to help you feel better so you can enjoy your life. Nobody wants to feel fatigued, in pain, struggling to find food you can eat without feeling nauseous and bloated.
I encourage you to invest in YOURSELF, make the first step to feeling vibrant and well.
Make an appointment to come and see me, let me invest some of my time and training into your life so you can be the healthiest YOU.