Nostalgic For The Future » Naturopathy

Progress

sage eyes — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:26:22 +0000

It has been a few weeks since I started following my Naturopath’s suggestions. I’m excited at my progress and the changes in my body.

I joined a gym and started cardio and strength training 3-4 days a week, with a goal of 5 in mind. That had been something I’d talked about doing but never followed through with until now. My body is still adjusting, and I’m pretty sore, but I’m also very out of shape, so I know it will get better in the coming weeks.

I’ve been taking extra magnesium and zinc. Both of these vitamins seem to be helping with my premenstrual symptoms, well, at least the physical ones. I’m also having fewer migraines, and when I do have them they are less severe than before. I’ve also been keeping a food diary so I know exactly what I am eating and

I’m trying to incorporate more stress releaving activities in my life as well. I’m trying to be more organized with planning and follow through on school work during the summer, so I can build better habits for fall quarter.

Overall I am pleased with my progress and can’t wait to take a look after a few months and see the changes.

On The Hunt Again

sage eyes — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:28:28 +0000

I’m on the look out for a new job again, and within this week I’ve applied for 2 positions at a new tea bar/tea emporium that is opening up in my city, and received a pseudo job offer to help out at my Naturopath’s office. I would be thrilled with both.

The tea company seems like a good bet with flexible scheduling, and it’s still a privately owned company, which pleases me. I’d get to learn even more about tea and put my(if I do say so myself) excellent customer service skills to use for a company that actually appreciates them.

My Naturopath’s office is set back in a wooded section with beautiful landscaping and tons of wildlife. That would make me so happy. It’s such a calming and beautiful facility. The thing that struck me the most during the informal interview I had with the clinic’s owner, was that she said being committed to constantly improving your health was a job requirement. Who wouldn’t want that?!

I’m excited about moving on from where I am now. I’m just not as passionate about the position anymore, and feel overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated by the company. I know I know, join the club, right? I suppose it’s the curse of being Generation Y. I expect far to much out of my employer. I know how far I’m willing to go if an employer will support me and encourage growth, and it is pretty far. I’d like to see some reciprocal growth, both mine and the company’s.

Mother Nature is my MD

sage eyes — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:41:52 +0000

Next week I will be embarking on a new adventure. No, I won’t be scaling Mount Everest, or swimming the Amazon River, though at times it feels as big as those tasks. I will be entering the world of health care with active hands. In an effort to become more involved in my own health and wellness, I will be going off the grid of the American Health Care System, and into the world of Integrative Medicine.

I have an appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor on Friday. Unfortunately, in the State of Ohio, Naturopathic Physicians are not licensed, so I will continue to keep a primary physician licensed by the state for blood work and other tests that my ND won’t be able to request. The MD I will be keeping works with an Integrative Medicine center, so they won’t be prone to looking at me like I am crazy when I say I’m taking herbs as part of my treatment.

I’m really excited. I feel like I can really take control of my own health and provide good care for myself in times of sickness. Through the process of research, I feel I have been able to locate a very competent ND, and I really hope this will be a positive process. I have also learned quite a lot about health insurance and HSA’s(Health Savings Account) and the medical system in the US as a whole.

I’ve been studying herbalism in my spare time for over a year now, and I love the learning process, so I see this as just another step in the right direction. I’ll be posting about my experiences and what works and doesn’t work for me, as well as my impressions of Alternative Medicine as a whole.