Today, as more people become disillusioned with conventional health care, they are now eager to take charge of their own health, more and more people are exploring the wide array of health option that natural medicine has to offer, for many, it marks the beginning of a new perspective on health.

We have become accustomed to not understand the conventional medical treatment we receive and have learned not to ask a busy doctor too many questions. In fact, we turn the care of our bodies over to physician, with the understanding that they know best.


Naturopath healers emphasize the opposite, the responsibility for health is yours. “You must learn to be an active participant in your well-being, not a passive recipient of medical care“. Educating, empowering and motivating the patient to adopt a healthy attitude, lifestyle and diet. Since they specialize in non-invasive, gentle lifestyle therapy, they can offer almost unlimited recommendations. Instead of prescribing a standard treatment for a common health complaint, a naturopathic physician can provide an individualized approach. Teaching the patient how to live healthy is among a naturopathic primary goal. During office visit, time is devoted to explaining the best diet, habits, and attitudes to prevent disease.

The doctor-patient relationship begins with a thorough medical history and discussion aimed at getting a detailed picture of a patient’s lifestyle. Naturopaths urged patients to consume whole foods, which are largely unprocessed or unrefined, and to avoid those foods that are relatively, high in fat and sugar, and low in fiber. Although theseguidelines apply across a wide spectrum, a naturopathic doctor will take care to customize a diet program to suit each patient.

Naturopaths believe in the body’s ability to cure itself and regard disease as a violation of natural law. Any number of conditions responds well to naturopathic healing, including cold, flu, allergies and digestive ills, as well as particular autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. After identifying the condition that causes the illness, a naturopathic physician discusses with patient the most appropriate methods for creating a return to health. They aim to educate patients so that they can avoid many illnesses that affect millions of people.

The person is viewed and diagnosed as a whole. The Naturopath works to understanding the patients as an individual and believe it is essential when searching for causative factors. All illness has a cause, which can be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, or a combination of some or all of these. Symptoms indicate the body’s attempt to fight the disease-they are not the disease itself and should not be suppressed. If the cause of the imbalance is not removed, the response will continue wither at a lower level of intensity or intermittently to become chronic disease. Fever and inflammation are a good example of the way the body deals with an imbalance that is hindering healthy function.

The naturopath treat root causes, not symptoms. The goal is to identify and treat the cause of the problem. Naturopathic seeks the underlying cause of a disease, especially as manifested in the four major elimination system: the lung, kidneys, bowels, and skin. The belief is that the body has considerable power to heal itself, and that the role of the physician is to promote and enhance this process, preferable with the aid of natural, non-toxic, non-invasive therapies. Naturopathy is one of the complementary medicines (like chiropractic) that require its practitioners to complete four-year, postgraduate training with admission requirement similar to those of US medical schools. Naturopathic physicians can play an important role in guiding patients to discover the appropriate action to take in the care of their health.

The best prescription given is knowledge.

Additional information on naturopath:

Herbal medicines are frequently used.
Homeopathy and acupuncture are frequently used to stimulate recovery.
Hydrotherapy and various types of physical therapy may be required.
Relaxation techniques are often suggested to alleviate emotional stresses.
Dietary supplements are used to overcome nutritional deficiencies.

Diet:
In order to keep toxins to a minimum, a naturopathic diet should contain limited amounts of animal products. In fact, such food may be excluded altogether, thereby avoiding saturated fats. A high value is placed on food from plants, such as fruits, vegetable, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. They provide the adequate level of nutrients and high amounts of dietary fiber. Salt, sugar, and food additives should be excluded when possible. The preferred drink is purified or distilled water. Clean living is among the foremost goals of naturopathy.