Dr. Michelle Salga, BTR (dip.), BSc., ND - Naturopathic Doctor
As 2021 comes to a close, and the holidays are now behind us, it’s a great time to set the stage for 2022. Some of us may believe in New Years’ resolutions while others just look at every new day as an opportunity to make a big change. No matter what category you fall into, one thing that might be holding you back each day, is your health.
Perhaps you have been diagnosed with a medical condition, from high blood pressure, diabetes type 2 or high cholesterol to name a few. You may be medicated or non medicated. Some of you are frustrated because you were not given an answer by your medical practitioner as to why you are feeling fatigued, mentally down, overweight, unable to sleep or going through hormonal changes. And you were not given any support. You were just told to ‘live with it’. Ultimately the difference between your condition getting better or worse is in your hands. But where do you even begin? Maybe it’s time to see your local naturopathic doctor to set you on the right track?
Yes, I get it, the holidays just passed and monetarily all that gift giving was a strain on the bank account. Well, there is no price on your health and surely that once a day latte purchased at your local coffee shop can be sacrificed for a better well being in 2022. Besides, the better you feel, the more efficient you will be at being financially prosperous in the new year. So, what’s the plan?
Review of your symptoms, medical history and medications: Your naturopath will take a full and detailed intake of your health concerns. The initial intake is approximately 45-60 minutes, enough time to feel listened to thoroughly and no detail is left out. Every detail is relevant in order to put together a proper treatment plan and a strategy of further investigation.
Blood tests: This is a step that is crucial to proper diagnosis. Have you had a hunch that maybe you have a thyroid problem or that your weight gain is caused by something outside of your control? That this feeling of low energy all day long must have a cause? Having your blood tested thoroughly is key to identifying if your organs and glands are working properly and if there are nutrient deficiencies that are the cause of your unexplained health issues or uncomfortable symptoms. Sometimes your GP may not order enough tests for a full interpretation and in my clinical experience with extensive testing, some diagnoses get missed because certain tests are not ordered. Your naturopath can order in depth testing to give you further clues as to why you don’t feel the way you should. Did you know that some healthy foods might be wreaking havoc on your immune system or causing that brain fog or fatigue after you eat? Well, a simple food sensitivity test could be the answer to finding out which foods are the cause.
Dietary changes: Paleolithic diet, intermittent fasting, keto diet, gluten-free diet and so on… which one is the right diet for you? Did you know that every medical condition or health concern is tightly linked to a certain diet and there is evidence linked to what you should, or should not, eat depending on your diagnosed health condition or even your individualized immune system? Blood tests can be done to show which foods your body does well with and which foods it rejects based on your unique immune system. Your naturopath can order these tests or put you on the right diet to help you feel better and optimize your health.
Natural health products and herbal medicine: Some of you may be taking a whole cupboard full of supplements that you googled or read somewhere that were good for you. A naturopathic doctor can tailor a supplement regime specifically to you and to your nutrient deficiencies or health needs. Blood work tells us a lot about which supplements you should be taking to optimize your health, and scientific evidence backs this up. How much vitamin D or vitamin C should you be taking? ‘Just the right amount’ of doses of vitamins are important to make a difference in your health. We call this therapeutic dosing.
Start the new year with doing something different regarding your health and get the proper comprehensive help you need to understand what needs to be done to feel better in 2022. As the old quote by Einstein goes, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Happy New Year and I look forward to helping you achieve your health goals in 2022. Let’s make this year different and better!