On Friday morning, I had my first appointment with an integrative holistic doctor to hopefully solve my skin and digestion problems. If you’ve been a reader of Simply Nicole for a while, you know that over the past few years I’ve struggled with my skin, and I’ve had digestion problems for as long as I can remember. After spending way too much money on creams, medications and doctor visits, I decided to make the switch to see a more holistic doctor. If you’re interested in my first experience with this new doctor, as well as details about holistic medicine, keep reading. 

What is Integrative Medicine?

Integrative medicine is a healing-oriented practice that takes account the patient’s body, mind, spirit and lifestyle. The doctors bridge a gap between conventional and integrative medicine, and work with their patients to treat the cause of the illness, rather than just suppress the symptoms. They can prescribe drugs when necessary, but first consider other natural and safe options. 

Are the Doctors Licensed?

Before I began researching holistic medicine, I had the assumption that the doctors weren’t licensed, worked out of a garage, and gave their patients healing herbs. I did find one individual that fit that mold, but she was certainly in the minority once I kept researching. 

My doctor has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and a Doctorate of Medicine. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine, and specializes in nutrition, preventive medicine, women’s health and geriatrics.

How Did the Appointment Go?

Without going into too much detail, my appointment was the best that I’ve ever had. My doctor spent almost an entire hour asking questions about my medical history, diet, lifestyle and major life events. She really took the time to truly understand all aspects of my life. Every other doctor, had me in and out of the office in less than 10 minutes. It was refreshing to know that she was invested in helping me get better. She also provided a ton of useful information on things like organic vs. non-organic produce, the harm in taking antibiotics and pain medication long term, ways to keep my gut (aka gastrointestinal tract) healthy, and why I need to start eating unpasteurized fermented veggies like sauerkraut. I seriously wanted to give her a huge hug when I left. 

What Are My Next Steps?

1. Get blood work done this morning.
2. Begin taking a probiotic. (I’m waiting to start this until Friday, in case it doesn’t agree with my stomach)
3. Follow a gluten free and dairy free diet for 1 month. If my stomach and skin get better, than I’ll start integrating a bit of dairy then gluten back into my diet to see if we can pin point what’s irritating me. 
4. Do a 4-7-8 breathing exercise twice daily to lessen stress.

The next few months are going to be very experimental as we try to determine what’s the best way to move forward. After seeing so many different doctors over the years, I really have nothing to lose. I’m a bit nervous to start a gluten and dairy free diet, but in the end I think it will be worth it. I’ve put together a bunch of my favorite gluten and dairy free recipes on my Pinterest board that I’ll be trying this week. Wish me luck!

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