What is Naturopathy and What Does a Naturopathy Practitioner Do?

Well first, it's important to differentiate between a Naturopathic Doctor and a Naturopathy Practitioner. A Naturopathic Doctor (ND) has a licensed medical degree. They too go to medical school; their curriculum is just different than that of a medical doctor. Naturopathic Doctors do blood work, run tests and can even perform surgery if they want to. Their treatments consist of homeopathic treatments, specific foods, herbs, vitamins, minerals etc.

A Naturopathy Practitioner has a certification. They too provide naturopathic treatments and care that consist of natural foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs, essential oils etc. The major difference is that NP's do not have a medical license. They cannot diagnose, do blood work or perform surgery. So, their way of getting to the root cause of an illness is just different and a bit more extensive than a naturopathic doctor. Neither are able to take insurance, but it's usually more affordable to see a naturopathy practitioner than a naturopathic doctor.

Naturopathy is essentially preventative care and could be defined in several ways but for now I like to use the definition of naturopathy is the art of staying healthy, of being an advocate for one's health, and of taking care of oneself by natural means.

But how does naturopathy come into play after illness or disease has already set in? This depends on the individual. A practitioner will first try to find the root cause of the problem by examining all aspects of the patient's life by asking A LOT of questions. This questioning is important because it helps determines a person's epigenetics.

Epigenetics is a field of study that examines gene expression. We all have genes handed down to us from our parents, but how these genes choose to express themselves is determined by the internal and external environment that we provide our minds and bodies. A naturopathy practitioner can determine the type of environment a patient provides by asking questions and getting to know how they live their daily lives.

Some examples that contribute to gene expression are:

• The food we eat

• sleep

• career

• stress levels

• the type of home we live in

• if and how many kids we have

• what our personal relationships are like

• what our romantic relationships are like

• physical activity

• how much time we spend in nature

• internal dialogue

• spiritual beliefs

You get the idea...

In naturopathy, if one part of a person is ill the entire person is considered ill. So, when a practitioner identifies the imbalance, they will recommend a treatment plan that will provide the right type of environment to promote natural healing processes to begin. In addition, they will provide emotional support, stress relief, spiritual guidance and/or mental health care (which may be outsourced). The mind and the body function as one unit; what's present in the mind is present in the body, and what's present in the body is present in the mind.

This can be explained scientifically by what's known as the humor. Humor is the body's interior environment which is provided by all of the fluids in the body that consist of blood, lymph, and intra and extracellular fluid. Everything that enters our body either through the food we eat, the air we breathe, or the thoughts we think (which release hormones) enters into our bodies and becomes absorbed by these fluids. These fluids then circulate through our entire body bathing every cell, tissue, and organ. These fluids provide the environment for everything inside of our bodies. The fluids in our body is what every organ has in common. So, if one organ is exposed to toxins, or high levels of cortisol for long periods, they all are. Whichever organ or system shows symptoms first is determined by our epigenetics.

By the time symptoms begin to show, the imbalance has already been present in the body for months, maybe even years. This is why true natural healing takes time and patience. It's much easier to stay healthy than it is to get healthy. It won't happen overnight. While working with a NP, they will help educate you and support you through that journey to stay on track and motivated.

Therefore, a naturopathy practitioner is a health educator who seeks to optimize the overall health of an individual seeking a healthy life. When illness is present, they adhere to what Hippocrates called the inner physician: The natural process of self-healing.