Integrative Health Blog

Holistic View and Treatment Approach for Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol

Posted by on Mon, Jun 29, 2020

For quite some time, the public view towards drug or alcohol addictions was more focused on the problems of personal will power and lacking self control. But fortunately, the smoking cessation treatment programs in recent years have started to shed more light into our understanding about the unique biological needs in certain individuals driven by particular genetic predisposition and environmental factors.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol can predispose or coexist with other medical conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. Adolescence is the often the time when some may start to seek relief and experiment with drugs and/or alcohol by themselves or with peers. Adolescents may lack knowledge and understanding of consequences and not have a good social support system in place. 

It is important to raise awareness in patients, families and society to understand how some of the possible underlying biological causes and potential treatment options can have a direct impact on the outcome for individuals who become addicted, and to society at-large. 

While personal discipline and social standards still play a vital role in combating against drug and alcohol abuse, a holistic clinical and laboratory evaluation to identify the root causes based on analysis of certain biochemical profiles and particular nutritional needs may open a new realm of therapy and provide hope for those with substance use disorders. With the advancement in genetic analysis, a spectrum of mild presentations of inherited genetic deficiency has been increasingly recognized. A majority of them have therapeutic options. Furthermore, coexisting chronic medical conditions, such as Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) and Lyme Disease/co-infections must be ruled out before any psychiatric drug therapy should be implemented.   Many of the laboratory evaluations are available now and also covered by medical insurance. The goal is to enhance the treatment efficacy and improve the treatment outcome.

Treating the Whole Person

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Tags: addiction, holistic approach, integrative medicine

Balance Your Hormones Naturally

Posted by on Mon, Jun 15, 2015

Hormones play an important role in your life every day.

They are your body’s chemical messengers, traveling in your bloodstream to tissues and organs. They play a role in your growth, metabolism, sexual function, reproduction and mood. If you doubt the power of hormones and their ability to affect everything from mood, to weight, to bowel health – ask the nearest pregnant woman if she’s noticed any difference in these areas. Or, just for fun, ask the nearest 13 year old girl!

Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands, and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries. 

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Tags: thyroid, hormones, adrenal fatigue, integrative health, holistic approach

5 Reasons to Choose an Integrative Doctor for Primary Care

Posted by on Tue, Jan 27, 2015

A primary care provider is a family physician, internist, or nurse practitioner who coordinates all of the health care a patient receives. The holistic primary care model offers not only traditional primary care but also incorporates the best of complementary and alternative healing therapies from around the world to help you achieve optimum wellness, not just freedom from disease.

Our holistic primary care providers will be your partner and guide in helping you achieve your health goals.

Top 5 Reasons for Integrative Medicine

1. We treat the whole person

The mind, body and spirit all contribute to your health status and wellness. An integrative MD or Nurse Practitioner will develop a treatment plan that addresses your medical needs as well as your emotional and nutritional well-being. Stress management, diet, and lifestyle factors all play a role in your overall health.

2. Integrative medicine and Functional Medicine treat the cause of imbalance, not just the symptoms

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Tags: holistic approach, integrative medicine, integrative doctor, primary care

Depression: It's Probably Not What You Think It Is.

Posted by on Tue, Aug 19, 2014

I recently had a brake problem in my car, and the diagnosis I made was completely different from the one my mechanic made.  My diagnosis was descriptive, “the brakes squeak and the car pulls to the left,” I said to my mechanic.  The diagnosis he made was that the rotors and brake pads were worn down. 

My diagnosis, like the ones often given to patients who suffer from psychiatric disorders, was descriptive of symptoms.  The other meaning of the word diagnosis is to define the cause.  That’s what depression really is; definitive, testable, modifiable causes.  The causes can be immunological (e.g., gluten sensitivity), infectious (e.g., Candida or Lyme), allergic (e.g., pollen), toxic (e.g., mercury), metabolic (e.g., hypoglycemia), psycho emotional (e.g., irrational thinking, or unfinished emotional trauma (PTSD) and/or genetic issues (e.g., methylation problems). 

Here is a short list of 21 other causes of depression:

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Tags: depression, holistic approach, Dr. Gant

Asthma: A Holistic Approach

Posted by on Mon, Mar 17, 2014

Number of Children with Asthma is Increasing

While spring is a welcome relief from the cold and dreary winter for many of us, it can be a time of misery for children suffering with asthma.  The blooming of trees with the accompanying pollen trigger wheezing, coughing, and other unwelcome symptoms for a rising number of children with asthma. Asthma now affects 1 in 11 children. The incidence has been rising over the past few decades, with an increase of 15% just in the past decade.

Other Factors to Consider with Asthma

The conventional medical approach to asthma is to relieve the symptoms as much as possible with the use of bronchodilators and steroids.  Bronchodilators open the airways, while steroids suppress the inflammatory response that the body produces to harmless stimuli, such as pollen from flowers and weeds.  The other approach is to identify the child’s triggers and avoid them.  But so many triggers, such as pollen, mold and dust mites are impossible to completely avoid.  While these are necessary treatments to control asthma symptoms, how about getting to the root causes of symptoms to help the body stop “overreacting” to these stimuli in the first place?  Here are four strategies of a holistic approach to asthma treatment that can reduce or even stop asthma at its root.

Feed your child an anti-inflammatory diet

Asthma is an inflammatory disease, which means that the body’s immune system is fired up, trying to battle the environmental assaults.  An anti-inflammatory diet is one that can help “calm the fire.” This is a diet rich in antioxidants and free of foods that further inflame the system.  Therefore, your child’s diet needs to be rich in natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.  These plant foods provide an abundant supply of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.  On the other hand, you want to rid your child’s diet of inflammatory foods such as artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners found in many so-called “kid-friendly” foods.  White sugar and white flour products are also inflammatory.  And dairy products are a frequent source of inflammation for many children with asthma.

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Tags: asthma, detoxification, holistic approach, allergies, pediatrics

Natural Remedies for Common Ailments

Posted by on Tue, Oct 22, 2013

Autumn Frandsen ND

Natural, Effective Solutions

Many people are looking for healthier options to common problems that may be as as effective as pharmaceuticals but not have side effects, and may resolve the underlying cause of the health challenge.

The following natural remedies are what I use in my naturopathic practice at National Integrated Health Associates (NIHA) with great success. While these are generally very safe in small dosages, as with any herbal or homeopathic or medication you should first consult your naturopathic physician before using these recommendations.

While natural medicine’s efficacy lends itself to both the expertise of the doctor and the commitment of the patient to take care of themselves, many natural remedies are quite effective in time of acute need.

Natural Options for Common Ailments

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Tags: naturopathy, holistic approach, natural products

Periodontal or Gum Disease, a Chronic Disease of Mankind!

Posted by on Mon, Sep 24, 2012

Tom Baldwin DDS

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Tags: biological dentistry, holistic approach, dental health, periodontal disease, gum disease, holistic dentistry

Profound Healing Is At The Tip of Your Fingers!

Posted by on Mon, Sep 10, 2012

Maureane O'Shaugnessy

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Tags: integrative health, integrative nutrition, holistic approach, mind-body

Holistic Primary Care Approach to Digestive Health

Posted by on Wed, Dec 14, 2011

Did you know that 70 -80 % of your immune system is in or around the digestive tract?

It’s true. Now consider what would happen to your health if the digestive tract were compromised.

Malnutrition and lowered immunity would become a real health concern.

There are several things that can compromise the bowel including:

  • Parasites ( bacteria,  fungi, viruses, multiple cell organisms such  as pinworms)
  • Food allergies-inappropriate immune response to foods causing inflammation
  • Diverticula - herniations or pouches in the walls of the intestines that can trap foods and bacteria causing inflammation / infection of the bowel wall.
  • Antibiotics- while they can clear infections, they also kill good bacteria necessary for the health of the gut
  • Constipation- slow transit due to poor peristaltic motion can cause  the  bowel to become toxic due to bacterial overgrowth as well as tears in the walls of the intestines that easily become infected.
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Tags: holistic primary care, bowel health, immune system, integrative health, holistic approach, primary care, digestive health, holistic doctor

Holistic Health Tips: How to Have Healthy Holidays

Posted by on Wed, Dec 15, 2010

 by Cathlene Scoblionko ANP-BC

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Tags: holistic primary care, holistic health, holistic approach