Culture shifts with regard to medical practice come slowly, but having this collaborative style effort from thought leaders of reputable organizations underscores both the timeliness and urgency of these recommendations.

Our health is a product of our genetic inheritance and our environmental exposures. Creating the healthiest possible environment, eating the right foods, and liming stress are all things we can do to optimize our genetic predispositions.

With the current and impending shortage of MDs and the increasing openness to natural medicine in the general population, NDs should be high on the list of providers to bridge the gap in our imminent provider shortage.

For many patients, their naturopathic doctor helps to bridge their medical care and their everyday life. When we take time to understand them, answer questions, and show how things are related, patients feel they are a partner in their health care, not merely a subject.

"Wait, you're what kind of doctor? A nat-uro-pathic doctor? What's that?" I get this question all the time. It's not so surprising when it comes from someone I meet in a coffee shop or on an airplane, but I still hear it from other doctors, too.

Like any athlete, I put effort into getting into the zone with patients and creating easy access to that place. For me, it stems from being able to quiet my mind, especially in the exam room setting, regardless of the history that is unfolding.

In search of the science to support whole person, integrative medical care, the emerging guild of board-certified integrative M.D.s may use a strategy favored by the naturopathic doctors 30 years ago.

The Clayton school for years has been a diploma mill operation, offering doctorates and other degrees to students of natural health care, without providing clinical training of any kind.

Vaccination is a nuanced subject, and I've never said all vaccines in all situations are bad. The point I am representing is: Is getting frequent vaccinations for any and all viruses consequence-free?

Unfortunately, in the weeks that have passed, the health reform debate and efforts have gone from optimistic and bipartisan to vitriolic, divisive and, in some circumstances, downright scary.