Plants have been used to support health for thousands of years and are commonly still used all around the world. Most pharmaceuticals, such as aspirin, are derived from plant medicine. Plants have unique properties, such as fighting viruses and modulating hormones, that still have no pharmaceutical equivalent. Many people believe their bodies know how to assimilate whole plants better than synthetic chemicals, and they achieve multiple positive effects at once with fewer side effects.

Our bodies heal while we sleep. They thrive on routine. They need exercise to initiate metabolic processes and move waste out of cells. But what if you aren’t sleeping well, or you’re too tired to exercise, or you haven’t found a routine that works for you? This is where holistic wellness support comes in, by addressing foundational aspects of wellness. A healthy lifestyle is important so that healing can happen.

Nutrition is the body’s fuel. It’s the building block for all the cells, hormones, energy…everything! This makes diet a foundational aspect of health. Better yet, nutrition is something we have some control over. Our modern diets and modern agriculture practices, however, make it hard to get all the nutrients we need without lots of effort. Pesticides, hidden sugar, and other detriments to health are common in foods, making dietary education necessary.

Were you told your autoimmune condition was going to permanently hamper your life, or that methotrexate was the only way? Were you told your diet doesn’t matter or that your brain fog just didn’t have a cause? Were you told your symptoms must be all in your head, or you’re crazy for feeling that something is wrong in your body even though your labs are normal? Were you told exploratory surgery was the only option? I hear this all the time. I was also told these things when I was sick! If you’re hearing this, it may be time for a new perspective. Or, if you’ve been given a diagnosis or treatment plan but you just don’t understand what it all means, I’m happy to help explain and make sure you understand your health picture.

The longer the body has been out of balance, the more help it needs to regain health. For example: if toxins have been accumulating in the body unchecked for years, then the liver may need more detox support than the body is able to make on its own. When the brain is inflamed, or stress levels are high, the body often needs more melatonin (sleep hormone) than it can make in order to induce sound sleep. Working with a qualified professional to safely dose supplements can accelerate healing, boost energy levels, promote deeper sleep, and more.

We live busy lives. We do more activities and see more faces in a month than our ancestors could have ever imagined. All of this stimulation drives up our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and leaves our parasympathetic nervous system (relax & digest) lacking. Awareness of when this is happening is key to mitigating the stress response and modulating our nervous systems. A relaxed nervous system is necessary for immune system function and healing. Two ways to achieve this healing state are through meditation and breathwork. Meditation can shift your brain wave activity and boost immune function in as little as 30 seconds. Your breath is uniquely powerful because signaling from your lungs goes two ways: your brain automatically controls your breathing rate, but you are also able to consciously control your breathing rate, which affects your brain!

Did you know your body is talking to you—constantly? Did you know you can learn to tune in? Learning to interpret your body’s cues can reduce pain and promote an awareness of your own health and internal emotional processes. When you form a relationship with your physical body, you are better able to work with it like an old friend, feel thankful for all that it does for you, and give it what it needs. This perspective shift actually influences your immune system and promotes healing.

Sometimes regular lab work doesn’t cut it. For example, it doesn’t detect most cases of Lyme disease. It doesn’t catch the chronic infections that are responsible for “interstitial cystitis” or chronic sinusitis or a non-healing wound. Standard labs don’t identify mold toxicity. Standard GI and parasite tests miss a majority of infections. This is where tests like Igenex, Microgen, Genova, and Parawellness are life-changing. I do not order lab tests but I can inform you about which conventional and unconventional lab tests you can ask for.

Our bodies are covered in a layer of fascia connecting our toes to the top of our head. When one rib is out of place, or one joint is swollen, our whole fascia is slightly torqued—which means pain in our foot can actually be caused by imbalance up in our hips! Manual therapy can correct structural imbalances and relieve pain and tension. Other hands-on therapies include stimulating acupressure points (using the Chinese Medicine meridian system), craniosacral therapy, energy work, and tapping (EFT). Other forms of energetic modalities that can help guide healing include homeopathy, applied kinesiology, TBM, NET and ART. If you’re feeling stuck, we can discuss recommendations for types of new practitioners you can explore.

Sometimes oral dosing isn’t cutting it. Some people who have been sick for a long time benefit from supraphysiological dosing of nutrients or nutraceuticals. Injection or IV dosing allows a more systemic effect, allows for a much higher dose, and can bypass gut absorption. This can be helpful when high doses of an oral substance would require taking 30 pills a day, or when someone doesn’t like taking things orally, or when the gut is so inflamed absorption just isn’t happening. IV therapy options include: ozone IV therapy with UVB light as a potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapy, IV vitamin C for immune support, IV glutathione for detoxification and antioxidant effect, and nutrient IVs to support the body’s many biochemical processes. I do not administer or order IVs, but I can educate you about injection and IV options.

There’s a time and place for everything, and that includes pharmaceuticals. It’s important to know what drug options exist, such as low-dose naltrexone (LDN). I do not prescribe pharmaceuticals, but I can educate you about pharmaceutical options and side effects. Safe prescribing of pharmaceuticals involves knowing drug-herb interactions and drug-supplement interactions. Many drugs are necessary and lifesaving therapies, but deplete nutrients or minerals over time or cause gut dysbiosis. For example: did you know statins deplete CoQ10? And metformin depletes B12 and folate? And oral birth control pills deplete a long list of nutrients? It is important to know how to safely counter these effects.

Most pharmaceuticals contain fillers, food dyes and additives that cause allergies or adverse reactions. Sensitivities are common in chronic illness because adrenals are depleted, histamine is high, and the limbic system is overactive. Luckily, compounding pharmacies exist to formulate medications without these. Creams and suppositories can be made to deliver antibiotics locally and avoid systemic side effects. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) can be made at personalized doses. Bioidentical hormones can be compounded in forms ranging from troches to capsules to creams. Compounding allows room for personalization and caters to the individual. I do not prescribe compounded medications, but my familiarity with the pharmacies allows me to educate you about medication options.