A few pieces of news:

In June, I first started seeing an osteopath and I have had a total of two visits with her. Yesterday I ran for 53 minutes pain-free, which is the longest I’ve ever been able to run in my life. I am amazed. I am hoping to make that 60 minutes later this week...

Thanks to discussion on the forums re: Ron’s rebirth as a type A, I blood-typed myself this morning and confirmed that I am indeed type O positive. I would be quite disappointed to find out otherwise! I know you were all on the edge of yours seats… And yes, I have measured myself many, many times and I am definitely a Gatherer.

I am writing my first set of naturopathic licensing exams on Tuesday (NPLEX Part I)! One day, five subjects, five exams… And then relative freedom until September!

While studying for the past six weeks I have discovered how effective good nutrition, exercise, power-napping, and meditation can be in learning and concentration. Most recently I added L-theanine to my supplement pile on the recommendation of a co-worker and have found it very effective at reducing anxiety and increasing my focus!

Less than one year from now (May 2009) I will be seeing patients in the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic at my school (Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine).

The month of July for me means studying. On August 5th I am writing 5 exams in basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, and pathology) as part of licensing to eventually become a naturopathic doctor. All naturopathic students finished 2nd year write these exams on the same day across North America! Needless to say, there is a lot of material (2 years’ worth) to review, so my body and brain needs support. A smoothie is a great way to add a lot of extra nutrients to your diet, so I thought I’d share my morning smoothie recipe which is made up (almost) entirely of Gatherer superfoods:

Ingredients:
Watermelon chunks
Frozen pineapple chunks
Frozen mango chunks
Frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp lecithin
1 Tbsp ground flax
½ scoop Protein Blend O
½ scoop Harmonia sprouted greens powder
Cranberry juice
Pineapple juice

Directions:
1. Fill 2 cup smoothie cup with fruit, lecithin, flax, protein powder, and greens powder.
2. Add a splash of cranberry juice, a slightly larger splash of pineapple juice and fill rest of cup to cover fruit with water.
3. Let sit for approximately 15-20 minutes (while you shower, get ready for the day, whatever).
4. Blend together and drink.

I usually drink half of this mixture before eating the rest of my breakfast (usually an egg and some kind of vegetable) and then the other half as a snack later in the day.

In addition to the above, I am also taking fish oil and Catechol twice per day, as I find these supplements help with focus and concentration, as well as supporting my body through stress. I also make sure to have at least one cup (but not more than two) of green tea in the morning to energize me.

This blog is kind of a mish mash of recent professional experiences…

In early June I was privileged enough to spend a week at the D’Adamo clinic in Connecticut observing Drs. Colicci, Tran, and D’Adamo. By far, this was the best experience I have had observing at a naturopathic clinic! They were open, communicative, and patient with me and all my questions and allowed me to learn and hone so many skills.

If you are unaware of what a visit to Dr. D entails, let me give you a quick run-down. In your first appointment, you come prepared with a questionnaire about your past medical history, family history, and current concerns. You go through a series of measurements, including those outlined in the GenoType Diet book as well as other measurements to evaluate gut health and body composition. One of the residents takes your case, gathering all the info you can provide about your current concerns and past medical history. All that info is used to fuel GenoType SWAMI to create a totally individualized diet plan for you based not only on your genotype but also on your specific health concerns and goals. Your next visit you meet Dr. D who also gathers info about your history and current concerns and performs a physical exam. Then the exciting part comes. Your individualized diet plan is printed out for you and an individualized supplement protocol is also created for you and then you are educated about your health, how your plan addresses your needs, and your genotype by Dr. D.

I really enjoyed this approach, since it is truly the most individualized plan possible and, perhaps even more importantly, the patient is actively involved in learning about him or herself and enlisted in the plan to improve health. Ultimately we are each responsible for our health and it is only we who bear the consequences of our life choices. Therefore, it is so important that the patient be heard and involved, something I think is too easily overlooked in all sects of medicine.

This visit really helped me to refine my own vision for how I want to work with my patients in the future. In less than one year, I will be a student intern in my school’s naturopathic clinic actually treating patients! And, in two years I will have graduated and will be ready to start treating patients using whatever modalities I choose. My plan has always been to use Dr. D’s work with patients, not only because I already know there is a demand for such practitioners in my area, but also because I believe that nutrition is the most significant factor impacting health. Now I have seen how to actually use these tools in practice and how this approach will fit with my other interests, which are principally in energetic medicine, such as homeopathy and Asian medicine. I envision a practice in which both hygienic (nutrition, fitness, stress, sleep) and energetic medicine is available depending on the unique needs of the patient.

For about a year now I’ve been doing some consulting work that brings together my prior education and professional background (marketing and communication) with my current professional path and interests (natural medicine, nutriceuticals, research). I’m so fortunate to have work that is not only financially rewarding, but also allows me to learn more about topics that fascinate me. Part of the reason I became involved in natural medicine was because I ultimately wanted to work for myself, according to my own vision, and spending my time doing what I love. For fun last year, a friend and I brainstormed a whole bunch of ideas for a business name for my consulting and future medical practice. We came up with a lot of silly names that played on my last name (eg: Whellness, Whisdom, Whimstar, and some that I won’t mention!).

After all the brainstorming, one name has stuck with me and last week I registered that name with my province (so now it is all mine!) and bought several domain names to go with it! The name I chose to represent me is Wavelength Wellness. I chose “wavelength” because I am so interested in energy in all aspects of life and that will be a major part of my practice. I also like the implication of the expression “I am on your wavelength”. I want my patients to feel that way when we interact, as though I am receiving their information accurately and with a real connection. I like “wellness” because it covers a wide range of activities; it is the ultimate goal of everything I do. Plus, I know a lot of clinics with names like “health centre” and while that is accurate, it doesn’t have any feeling behind it for me, it is only descriptive. I’m a firm believer in the power of intention and the law of attraction, so I always want to keep in mind the idea of wellness. Finally, I like the letter “W” because it links to my last name, which is important because it is unique and memorable, and I like the alliteration.

Now I’m working on a logo (fun!) and will hopefully eventually have a website up that I can share with you.