FIND OUT WHY I LOVE NATUROPATHS

by 2015, General, Guest Posts

This article originally appeared at http://www.ellefitactive.com/blogs/ellesblog/53575109-find-out-why-i-love-naturopaths.

After years of trying to figure out how to manage various health issues such as food intolerances, chronic fatigue, scoliosis, anxiety, injuries and maintaining my general wellbeing I have come across a variety of brilliant health professionals. So.. drum roll, please… I have decided to introduce guest blogs from different health professionals to give you an insight into what they do.

First up!

NATUROPATHY

This guest blog is by Talita Sheedy a Naturopath I met whilst doing my Yoga Teacher Training. I am currently seeing her to manage chronic fatigue flare-ups, energy levels, and general wellbeing. Highly recommend her!

Enjoy reading 🙂

Lahlita favicon

Never heard of a Naturopath? Or always wondered what is it that they ACTUALLY do?

 

I have found there is such a gap in modern medicine from the super healthy to the very unwell. There is a lot of conventional medicine that assists people struggling with disease states, however, who is supporting those that don’t have a disease but want to improve their health and get more out of their days for fitness or simply wellness purposes? And who is educating those who want to prevent disease or actually are struggling with a health condition and aren’t getting results with conventional medicine?

Well this is where a naturopath comes into the picture and all of the above covers pretty much everyone! Most people are looking to improve their health to a degree or treat a condition or prevent ill health.Some may think that naturopaths are ‘old school and hippy’ but today’s modern naturopaths while they still embrace the beautiful traditional medicine they are also medically trained and integrate modern medicine plus scientific evidence into their treatments.The beauty of naturopaths is that they are also trained nutritionists and herbalists. We use a combination of treatment methods depending on the condition, such as nutritional medicine, herbal medicine, flower essences, essential oils and more… depending on the individual practitioner. Naturopaths offer a holistic integrated view to your health status and most are open and willing to work along side doctors to implement the best possible outcome for your health condition.

The Holistic View

Naturopaths are wonderful at looking at the bigger picture (the holistic view), which uncovers what other aspects of your body are contributing to your presenting symptoms. We all at some stage have experienced low energy, well a naturopath can assess whether this low energy is coming from liver stress, gut inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalance etc, to name a few. So rather than just feeling you need more coffee, a naturopath will look deeper into what is laying underneath these surface symptoms.The advantage of acknowledging what your body is telling you and working through this prevents worsening of the condition before it gets to the point that you need to seek serious medical health. Remember PREVENTION IS KEY.Our bodies are what carry us through life and without regular upkeep, nourishment and maintenance, how can we expect it to keep up with all our goals, successes and opportunities of our future.

Integrated Healthcare with your Doctor

Doctors predominantly treat conditions or dis-ease with pharmaceuticals, however a naturopath uncovers any other contributing factors to the condition, such as nutrient deficiencies or an unbalance of another system in your body that is affecting the outcome of treatment.

Such examples:

– Surely we have all heard about the benefits of probiotics after antibiotics to assist the repopulation of beneficial gut bacteria to reduce the instance of candida overgrowth (thrush symptoms can appear)

– Did you know that if you are taking the Oral Contraceptive Pill it depletes your Vitamin B status? B vitamin deficiency can lead to neurological imbalances such as anxiety, low mood. Also being low in B’s affects our energy and cognitive processing.

– With naturopathic support we can help reduce and prevent cardiovascular disease with nutrients such as magnesium to reduce blood pressure, CoQ10 to support cellular health and heart functioning to reduce the instance of heart attacks or stroke

– Anxiety/ Depression: before going down the medicated train for emotional disturbance, naturopaths can assist to identify what is happening biochemically that is contributing to your feelings. It can be as simple as nutrient deficiencies, or a gene mutation that requires extra support. With the incline of medicated mental disturbance in society, more understanding of the individual health state needs to be addressed prior to being medicated. There are many aspects of your physical and emotional health that can be attended to by your naturopath and they put you in touch with other practitioners that you can help you work through these periods in life. Medication should be the last resort, as the short and long term side-effects can deliver more health concerns to what you originally presented with. There are many options available and seeking a naturopath who specialises in the mental health field is highly recommended.

What else can Naturopaths do?

Naturopaths can assist with most health issues including: hormonal imbalance and conditions, fatigue, dietary needs, digestive disturbances, liver stress and detoxification, skin disorders, thyroid conditions, inflammatory/ musculoskeletal conditions, allergies, immune dysfunction, anaemia, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, pre-conception care, pregnancy, childhood illnesses, weight concerns to obesity, ADHD, the list goes on.Naturopaths work from foundational health then upwards, to identify links and contributing factors to the dis-ease. Dysfunction throughout the body that are addressed to identify the cause are digestion, liver, adrenals, nervous system, immune, dietary and lifestyle factors, endocrine (hormones), inflammatory response, oxidative stress, deficiencies.As you can see there are many components that make up a healthy functioning body. So seeking advice from your qualified naturopath is not only recommended with any health state but also through wellness states to optimise your wellbeing and ensure you are one the right track with your health. Society is flooded with marketing and information about achieving a ‘healthy life’ however everyone is different and requires different care. Therefore naturopaths individualise your healthcare to suit exactly what your body requires from the cellular to skin level.

Overall Naturopaths are passionate about their profession and live what they advise to their clients. This contributes to their investment and motivation in assisting with your health journey. Naturopaths work together with you to identify the root cause of symptoms to then formulate an individualised treatment plan to suit your lifestyle. As a naturopath, I endeavour to motivate and inspire my clients, whilst educating you and your family to make the right choices for your health. It is an ongoing journey as we develop, change and grow through life, so embrace the advantage of having a naturopath guide you through the excitement of health.

A question from Elle – why is stretching important for our wellbeing?

From working in the area of mental health with my naturopathy, I’ve found that stretching is the perfect way to connect the physical body to the mind. This being a huge benefit for conditions such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression even conditions such as restless legs. To be able to slow the mind and focus on one thing, that being your own body, helps draw attention to our physical functioning. By noticing how our body feels, how it responds and changes combined with deep inhalations and exhalations will beautifully support in reducing of dis-ease throughout the body.

Yours in all things natural,

Talita Sheedy
BHSc (Nat) Adv Dip. Arom

JOIN THE LAHLITA NEWSLETTER

Nunc consequat justo eget enim finibus porta. Suspendisse orci nunc. Nunc consequat justo eget enim finibus porta. Suspendisse orci nunc.

Jet baby photo

Welcome to Lahlita Natural Medicine.

Join the Lahlita Natural Medicine mailing list to hear about workshops and tips for you and bub. 

PLUS, to celebrate selling over 1100 copies of Baby, It’s Only Natural I’m giving you 20% off the purchase price when you sign up below!

Welcome! Please check your emails to access your Baby, It’s Only Natural 10% off discount code.