Naturopathic Medicine & Dietary Changes

I've been working with a Naturopathic Doctor since December because I was feeling very overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and unhappy. In addition to overall exhaustion and sadness, I was gaining weight, breaking out, and had terrible anxiety. I didn't want to leave the house or have guests over because of how I felt. My symptoms and my lifestyle were all playing into this ongoing defeat.

Although the symptoms aren't entirely gone or "cured" yet (I don't think they ever will be; depression or anxiety take time to work through and both are a lifelong battle) working with my doctor has been an incredibly insightful experience. She has worked extensively with me using acupuncture, homeopathic drainage (Unda therapy), natural supplements, and basic self-care routines to restore some of the natural health and vitality that has dissipated over the years due to stress, environment, and overall health.

So what does this treatment plan entail? Well - let me start by saying that being an ND would be no easy feat. When I first came to Melissa I was just excited to try acupuncture - I had always heard of it and wanted to try it. I figured she would do a couple treatments, and the  Then I found out that naturopathic care is far more than just acupuncture - it's an entire overhaul of everything you're doing, from your thoughts and activities to your diet and lifestyle. Medical doctors are not trained in nutrition, but many Naturopathic schools train their doctors and acupuncturists in both diet and illness treatment.

Back to my point - the Treatment Plan. ND's take into account your entire wellness, including your mind and mental health (which medical doctors either ignore or treat much more compartmentally instead of holistically.) First, my doctor had my basic blood work done. It came back showing that inflammation in my body was double what the HIGH range should be! A high level of inflammation is a 3 and I am a 6. Even though everything else was running normally - normal cholesterol, blood pressure, etc - my inflammation was through the roof. Along with low vitamin D because I live in the Northwest and there's only three months of actual sunshine here.

With the high levels of inflammation and being overweight, my doctor stressed the importance of self-care in combination with an anti-inflammatory diet. I went strong on the AI diet for about 12 days, lost a few pounds, and when I faced another considerably stressful event related to finances, I totally went off the deep end. I couldn't focus on caring about what I ate or what I felt because I was so wrapped up in how hard things were.

I kept going to see my doctor, every Saturday, for one hour - for acupuncture and treatments as needed. Even on days I really didn't feel like getting up and getting out, I still forced myself to go and forced myself to be honest with her; "No, I didn't follow the diet this week. Yes, my stomach has been hurting again. No... I didn't do my self-care routine. My back has been killing me again." I was continually inspired by her ability to encourage me in a non-judgmental way; we all know how judgmental or harsh MDs can be. (Not ruling out MDs - just saying, some of them can be thoughtless and harsh.)

Spirituality, naturopathy, and holistic health in general is a topic that seems to freak some people out. They think that "hippie stuff" like "natural treatments" and "homeopathic remedies" are just hogwash that should be thrown out along with 18th century witchcraft. Many people are quick to assume "The FDA knows best, the government wouldn't feed us anything that isn't good for us, and corn syrup is fine in moderation." I've even heard people go as far as to say that gluten-free diets are just a fad diet. When you look at the general dismay our country is in - in terms of mental health, physical health, obesity, depression - it's important to take a closer look at underlying causes, instead of covering up our symptoms with continued prescription drugs.

After a few visits with Melissa, I decided it was just time to get back to basics. Back to everything basic - taking care of myself. Doing laundry. Hanging up my clothes. Feeling prepared for each day. Detoxing negative energy at the end of each day by spending time by myself doing things I love - like writing, reading, or watching YouTube. Back to basic, wholesome, homemade foods. Back to what I know in my heart is best for me. But for those of you who, like myself, experienced harsh criticism at a young age for attempting to do something you wanted to do, you know all too well the fear that's associated with trying something new or advocating for your own needs. There's a sense of discomfort - that you don't fit in - if you don't eat gluten, if you don't eat meat, if you don't eat certain foods, if you don't like sugary desserts. People become defensive about their own choices when they see you making better ones.

I wanted to share this inspiration I felt because I think it's important to remember that we are all human, we all make mistakes - maybe you have been the food pusher, the one telling someone to get off a diet and eat cake with them, the one saying "I would die without 'X type of food' in my life!" When people say negative things about your choices, or poke fun at your decisions or lifestyle choices, that's their own insecurity. Because if they don't recruit more people like them who are on their level, they will be the outcast instead of you (in their mind).

These are just some of my thoughts regarding lifestyle and diet choices. It's no one else's problem what you eat - is it affecting them directly? No. Will it hurt their feelings if you don't eat their special dessert (they made it JUST for you) or if you don't want to participate in traditional holiday meals? Maybe. But is that really your problem or your fault? Not at all, in any way. You can simply say "Eating this way makes me happy" or "I really appreciate you making this for me, but I'm having a hard time with sugar - would you mind if I took some to work and shared it with my coworkers?" or honestly, what works best sometimes is simply saying "I'm allergic." Who can argue with that?

Anyway, to wrap this up - I am embarking again on a purely, 100 % gluten free, dairy free and soy free diet. I will admit - it's very challenging, but the payoff is extremely rewarding. In just 4 days my skin has calmed down - just last week I had the same acne on my face that I'd had for weeks that simply wouldn't heal. And 4 days into cooking my own foods and eating delicious, health replacements, my skin and digestion have drastically improved.

Here are some delicious replacements for your typical American diet:

Unhealthy Choice                                                    Healthier Substitute

Cheeseburger, fries, coke	Hamburger patty, side salad, and handful of fries
Cheese smothered omelet	2 fried or boiled eggs, avocado slices, and fresh fruit
Cinnamon roll	Steel cut oats with almond milk, cinnamon, agave, and blueberries or fresh fruit of your choice or try it with nut butter and a banana for a creamy variety
Deep dish pizza	Gluten free or whole grain pizza crusts, store bought pizza sauce, cheese substitute, tomato slices, mushrooms
Regular soda or diet soda	Carbonated water with lemon, cucumber, and orange slices or herbal tea poured over ice with lemon
Regular dairy milk	Coconut milk is the creamiest replacement. It also contains more nutrients and minerals than dairy milk - specifically iron, which can help those who are anemic or low in iron levels, and phosphorus, which strengthens bones.
Potato or tortilla chips	Raw unsalted nuts (1-2 ounces) or homemade kale chips; nuts provide fiber and minerals such as selenium (a mineral that protects cells from damage) and kale has an abundance of vitamin A - amazing for skin, hair, nails, and Vitamin K, which helps your blot clot normally and can prevent your bones from fracturing prematurely.

Theses are just some of MANY ideas for substitutions. Sorry for the long article, but I feel it's important to explore these issues and tell others that I, too, have felt miserable from the inside out - and that you (and I) can, and will feel better when we make mindful choices for our bodies and minds.

Life at Home

I love this picture of my Mom and I from my wedding day.

When anyone says anything negative about me, and I'm sure they do, I can at least say with certainty that I am loved - and that I have a lot of love to give.

Unfortunately, a lot of times, that love is masked by a lot of pain or regret or disappointment or resentments. The past year (and many years prior) have almost seemed like a test. As if I were navigating a video game of my own life, seeing myself through the eyes of Mario - finding coins, losing coins, losing chances (lives, in the game), then suddenly I am hopping over clouds, grabbing fireballs, throwing them at anyone who stands in my way, and leaping to the end of the level, on my way to fight even bigger bosses. (The only thing I can say with certainty that I skipped out on is the mushrooms.) I'm sorry and you're welcome for the terribly relatable Mario metaphor, but you 70's and 80's kids will totally get it.

Anyway, my point is that my life has not been easy. But we all make mistakes because we are human. We are humans dealing with - or ignoring - our own emotions. We are so afraid, in fact, of our own emotions that we mask uncomfortable feelings with material comforts. Food, alcohol, painkillers, eating disorders, video games, or any other excessive compulsion that becomes a lifeblood to escape discomfort. If there is one thing i have learned in my 26.9 years on this earth, it's that pain is inescapable. The pain of not having enough, not being enough, not living up to others' standards of us. Most of the time, this is what causes our own pain, and we don't know why. We can't pinpoint why we are feeling upset about something we "should be grateful for"; we can't figure out why someone else's unhappiness is bothering us so much; we can't help but want happiness for those we care for, but at the expense of what? All this worry causes us more pain. But because we are human, which has yet to be fully and completely 100% understood or explained, we still feel pain. It's a natural part of life, much like happiness. But because pain hurts, we don't accept it into our lives: we avoid it. Think of the last time you were angry - there is most definitely pain behind that anger. There is pain behind every mechanism of defense. There is also generally a positive intention behind those mechanisms. Think of negative people you've known - those people are in a lot of pain.

I don't really know what made me think of this. I have been struggling with a lot of pain throughout the years and have learned the best ways to cope and understand it. For me, understanding is key. If I don't understand how things work, I don't embrace them. So i have taught myself about pain, emotions, feelings. I have done some damn hard work on myself! I think about my parents a lot and I miss them. I worry about losing them eventually. The pain of loss is of course inescapable, but it doesn't have to be avoided. At one point or another we are all faced with a "gun to our head" moment where we are forced to do something that burdens others but that makes us - ourselves - feel good. It empowers us. It enables us to move past discomfort we have toward our own emotion because that pivotal moment requires us to make a life altering decision.

For some people, though, they get stuck in normality and material comforts. Yet, they are in pain, but it had been so internalized that they become unaware of its existence. And suddenly their job is gone. Or their house. Or a loved one decides to leave. Not to say any of that isn't devastating - just saying that it is easy to be swept up in our comfortable lives, if they are comfortable. Its easy to avoid pain and discomfort. Because as long as we avoid it, we are free from the burden of pain. We are also free from the joys of life, because without pain, there can be no joy. It's easy to overlook what's important to us (and whom) because acquiring what makes us happy takes an extraordinary amount of work - physical, emotional, and mental work.

When my parents pass onto the next life, it will be a pivotal moment for me. It will no doubt change my life. I will look back and regret the fights we had or the regrets of not doing or being enough. I will most likely at that time reevaluate my surroundings to see if I am living the life I really want to be living. But why do we need those moments to move up and make changes? Most likely because those moments involve immense amounts of pain and suffering - and it is only through feeling and experiencing pain that we can move forward and become better people.

I challenge you to cherish the people you love, forgive the people you hate - (or at least say a prayer or have hope that they one day can be as smart as you are) and take this moment to reevaluate your life. Are you living the way you want to be? If you're not, what's holding you back?