Naturopath bridges gap in treatment, prevention

[BuddhaGirl]

"Like most doctors, Karen Peters is gearing up for a flu season that threatens to unleash two strains of the virus: regular seasonal flu and swine flu. But her strategy is a bit different.

As a licensed ND - doctor of naturopathic medicine - Peters believes that the body has an innate ability to heal itself. And she has some advice about bolstering the body's natural defenses, advice that goes beyond and, in some cases, seems to disagree with, media messages focused on hand washing, coughing or sneezing into elbows, getting flu shots and getting plenty of rest after the flu strikes.

For example, following natural seasonal instincts means slowing down and sleeping more as winter approaches - before the flu has a chance to take hold - but that's just the time when schools, businesses and holiday parties are in full swing.

"In the shorter, darker days of fall and winter, we need more rest," says Peters, 35, who opened her East Bay Naturopathic Clinic in Albany in 2008. "Getting a good night's sleep, and managing stress, are crucial to a strong immune system."

Read more:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/21/DDCP19NQ32.DTL#ixzz0Rl2GYGTg


Great article on fighting flu naturally!

[noiretextatique]

1. my naturopath told me to get tested for a vitamin D deficiency

something neither my doctor or my oncologist recommended. as it turned out, my vitamin D levels were very low and i started taking a supplement. now my doctor and oncologist order the test all the time, as if i didn't have to ask for it :eyes: i always do what my naturopath tells me to do.

[MorningGlow]

3. My midwife caught mine

Consequently I told my mom to get tested, and I had the pediatrician test my son--and we were ALL severely D deficient. My holistic m.d. upped my dose, however; she said my midwife was being too conservative, and the pediatrician's recommended dose for my son was WAY too low, so we upped his dose as well. (My doc is a family doctor and so knows about kids' makeup.) We've been on D supplements since late spring. I feel pretty good. None of us has been sick at ALL. Last Friday, my son got the sniffles but actually slept it off within 48 hours--a miracle for him, as he spent all last year deathly ill with one virus after another. I'm liking vitamin D!

[noiretextatique]

6. it's very important

my levels were extremely low when i had my last blood test in june, so i'm taking 5000iu per day. i don't notice much difference, but my last test showed my vitamin d level at 11, which is way too low. hopefully i wil test better next week.

[MorningGlow]

2. My holistic m.d. saved my life

I'm not against traditional medicine, but I think the traditional medical community often misses the holistic elements to health treatment and illness prevention.

[BuddhaGirl]

4. I'm not against traditional medicine either

and I strongly agree it misses the prevention aspect.

[MorningGlow]

5. And the psychological aspects (stress)

My holistic m.d. always asks about what's going on in my life and takes notes in my chart, because she knows what stress does to the adrenals etc. The great thing is that she doesn't prescribe antidepressants if her patients are stressed!

Oh, and that's another thing--homeopathic/holistic practitioners are more likely to dig to get at the root of the problem and solve it instead of just treating (masking) symptoms and pronounce patients "healed".