One piece of advice I'd give to someone skeptical about alternative medicine is this: keep an open mind, especially when conventional solutions have failed to address the root cause. In my practice, I've treated countless patients who were told their labs were "normal," yet they still felt exhausted, anxious, inflamed, or hormonally out of balance. What they needed wasn't another prescription--it was a deeper look at their biology, lifestyle, and nutrition. That's where functional and naturopathic medicine shine. Alternative medicine doesn't mean unscientific--it means individualized. We run comprehensive labs, target nutrient deficiencies, restore gut health, support detox pathways, and optimize the body's innate healing mechanisms. And time after time, I've seen patients regain energy, stabilize their mood, balance their hormones, and reclaim their lives--without masking symptoms. Skepticism is healthy. But don't let it close the door to healing. My experience has taught me that when we treat the root, not the symptoms, true health becomes possible.
The best kind of healthcare integrates conventional and complementary approaches. As both a board-certified bariatric physician and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, I have witnessed how therapies such as acupuncture, herbal supplements and mind-body techniques can achieve extraordinary results when used correctly alongside evidence-based medicine. We have followed more than 1,200 of these bariatric patients using a blended approach including surgical aftercare, coupled with very targeted nutraceuticals and osteopathic manipulative treatment. Data demonstrate these patients have 38% fewer complications and retain 25% more weight loss at 2 years compared with use of conventional protocols alone. This is when alternative medicine ceases to be 'alternative' and is simply good medicine, as both worlds are being bridged by licensed practitioners who are educated in both. Fiends that shut their ears to the compensative modalities are losing our most efficient therapeutic tools -- my clinical experience taught me that. I was skeptical when I was new to practice, too, until I witnessed the A1Cs of diabetic patients plummet when they added berberine to their medicines, or chronic pain patients feel better through osteopathic manipulation when medications failed. Today, we select both clinical research and traditional proven remedies when we develop our products -- one part pharmaceuticals and one part what has been proven over generations, like our #1 bestselling glucose support blend with pharma-grade ingredients combined with trusted botanicals. In fact, approximately 40% of drugs approved by the FDA arise from natural products. Stay open but discerning. Seek credentialed practitioners, peer-reviewed studies and measurable outcomes. If used wisely, these methods can do what much of conventional medicine can not--they can do miracles, particularly in complex metabolic disorders.