01.31.15 My Experience with a Naturopath

I want to preface this post by saying I don't have a serious illness, disease, or any other ailments that have led me to a naturopath. Partially out of curiosity, and partly due to recent experiences, I wanted to see what kind of insight a naturopath might have for me.

At work we go through very busy and stressful periods. Every day is go-go-go, but there are certain times during the year where even THAT gets ramped up.  Last time I went through this, I got pretty bad stress/anxiety. I was getting stress headaches, feeling fatigued all the time, and even feeling dizzy.

I decided to see a naturopath because I want to make sure I am well prepared for next time. Since I don't eat a lot of meat, I feel like maybe I'm missing some basic foundation so my body can thrive in these situations. I was mostly concerned about vitamin B's and protein.

I wanted someone who could look at my lifestyle, diet and other situations, and give me some tips for strengthening my body from the inside. I definitely looked in the right place.

I met with a doctor and we discussed why I was there, she asked many questions, and listened intently. She was super sweet, into a lot of the same things as me, and we gushed over how much we love the Oh She Glows cookbook. Is it weird that I kind of want to be her BFF?

Then we went through my normal diet. According to her, I have a pretty good foundation, I just need to introduce more protein into breakfast (vegan protein powder being her suggestion) and add more substance to my afternoon snack, especially if I have a yoga class that night and don't plan to eat dinner until 9pm.

She gave me a few supplements, explaining why/how each one would help. What I liked about this was that she gave options - vitamin D? Doesn't matter where you buy it. Magnesium? Doesn't matter what brand. The only one she particularly stressed was a certain vitamin B "stress blend", because of the high dose and my high stress/anxiety related to work. If I was going to spend the money anywhere, this is where, she said.

I'm very fortunate that I could make an appointment like this without a serious illness. I am extremely grateful for a healthy body. Now I feel that if something were to come up, it's the first place I would go again.

Time to get get hopped up on some supplements and hopefully get back on the right track! If you're looking for a naturopath in Ottawa, let me know :)