Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a complete and co-ordinated approach to health care. It is the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention using natural therapies and gentle techniques.

Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine are specialists in natural medicine and preventive health care, integrating scientific knowledge with traditional healing wisdom. They are health-care professionals who use safe, gentle, non-invasive therapies to assist the whole person in maximizing the body’s inherent self-healing capacity.

Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

The following tenets govern the practice of naturopathic medicine.

Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam)

The naturopathic doctor seeks to identify and to remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.

First, Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)

Naturopathic doctors follow these three guidelines to avoid harming the patient:

  • Use methods and medicines which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat.
  • Avoid, when possible, the harmful suppressing of symptoms.
  • Acknowledge, respect and work with the individual’s self-healing process.

Doctor As Teacher (Docere)

Naturopathic doctors share information and knowledge with their patients and encourage self-responsibility for health.

Treat The Whole Person

Naturopathic doctors treat each patient by taking into account individual physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental and social factors.

Emphasize Prevention

Naturopathic doctors emphasize the prevention of disease by assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease and making appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients to prevent illness.

Support The Healing Power of The Body (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

Naturopathic Medicine recognizes an inherent self healing process in the person which is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic doctors act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and increase this inherent self-healing process.

Naturopathic Medical Treatments

Clinical Nutrition

Naturopathic doctors examine the relationship between diet and health. Special diets may be recommended as well as nutritional supplements (e.g. vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.).

Botanical (Herbal) Medicine

The use of plants for healing dates back to the beginning of civilization and is the foundation of modern pharmacology.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Based on balancing the flow of Chi (energy) through meridian pathways, Oriental medicine includes the use of acupuncture, acupressure and Oriental herbs.

Homeopathic Medicine

Based on the principle of “like cures like” homeopathic medicine was developed in the 1700′s. Minute amounts of natural substances are used to stimulate the body’s self-healing abilities.

Naturopathic Hydrotherapy

The philosophy underlying naturopathic hydrotherapy is that health and healing is proportional to normal flow of healthy blood. Hot and cold applications to the skin via water cause changes in the circulation of the blood and lymph which lead to changes at the cellular, tissue, organ and organ system levels of the body.

LifeStyle Counseling and Stress Management

Physical, emotional, nutritional and environmental factors affect health. Naturopaths are trained to effectively educate patients about the interdependence of lifestyle and health.

First Line Therapy

First Line Therapy is a therapeutic lifestyle program which is designed to help you live your life in a way that improves your health. A “therapeutic lifestyle” means making choices every day that will enhance your health and help prevent disease, enabling you to achieve a full, healthy life.

First line Therapy is based in extensive scientific research demonstrating that many of the chronic diseases associated with aging are largely caused by lifestyle choices. These diseases include:

  • Heart disease
  • Stoke
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Osteoporosis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer

Who can benefit from FLT?

Everyone can benefit from a therapeutic lifestyle as it has been shown to optimize health and prevent disease. It is recommended as a “first line therapy” for patients sufferIng from:

  • Heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes
  • PMS
  • Fatigue
  • Hormone related disorders
  • Stress related disorders
  • PCOS
  • Menopause
  • Conditions related to overweight/obesity

Monitoring Progress

The program includes several ways to monitor progress:

  • Depending on the individual – weekly, biweekly or monthly counselling sessions with a review of diet and exercise diaries
  • Weight tracking
  • Waist and hip ratio tracking
  • Blood pressure tracking
  • BioElectrical Impedance analysis tracking…learn more about this below
  • Review and tracking of blood and urine analysis – based on individual needs

BioElectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

BioElectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a method of assessing your “body compositon” – the measurement of fat in relation to lean body mass. It is an integral part of a health and nutrition assessment.
To learn more about BIA, and why it is benefical to assist you in achieving optimal health, click on the following links to read a four page article on BIA and its benefits: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, and Page 4.

Who can benefit from BIA testing?

BIA testing is very useful tool in the following conditions:

  • Achieving optimal body composition, and tracking weight loss and weight management
  • Tracking body composition during athletic training. BIA can track how the body is holding up to intense training by following things like phase angle, water distribution and also maintaining lean muscle tissues.
  • During training, Lance Armstrong used a daily BIA test and then used this information as one of the factors for setting his training program for that day.
  • Tracking/monitoring chronic disease
  • Tracking caloric needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • Helping underweight patients gain weight

Infrared Sauna

You’ll Be Amazed By The Effects Infrared Can Have On Your Health!!

Vibrant Living is growing and with the expansion of our new Naturopathic and Wellness Clinic we have installed a medical grade infrared sauna to help provide the best treatments available to our community.

Sauna treatments are booked for one hour time slots.  The average duration of infrared treatment is 30 minutes, giving you an additional 30 minutes to shower and change.

With each treatment we provide towels, electrolyte solution, filtered water and a hair dryer.

Assists with and/or alleviates symptoms of the following:

  • Causes weight loss (without having to lift a finger)
  • Helps treat cellulites
  • Improves your immune system
  • Improves your strength and vitality
  • Helps cure several skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis and acne
  • Strengthens the cardio-vascular system
  • Helps control your blood pressure
  • Detoxifies your body
  • Gives you more energy & relieves stress
  • Helps treat burns and scars
  • Relieves pain (joint pain, sore muscles, arthritis)
  • Helps control your cholesterol level
  • Helps treat bronchitis
  • Helps treat hives, gout, tissue damage, prostate hypertrophy

Book Your Infrared Sauna Treatment Today!

  • Single Treatment $25
  • 10 visit package $199
  • 1 month Detox $249
  • 3 months unlimited $495

You do not need to be a current patient of our clinic to use the infra-red sauna.

General Counseling and Psychotherapy

Addressing the needs of individuals and families who arrive with a variety of life challenges. These may include depression, anxiety, loss and grief, unresolved traumatic stress, sexuality issues, life transitions, parenting struggles, relationship difficulties, and general concerns about life satisfaction.

We focus on addressing present life challenges while integrating past experiences. We endeavors to help clients recognize and heal from unhelpful patterns in order to experience a renewed sense of self and enjoyment of life. We assist clients by empowering them and encouraging them to build on their strengths in order to move to a place of hope and wholeness.