Me as a Naturopathic Physician (and What I Am Not)

My name is Dr. Heather Iverson, and I am a Naturopathic Physician. I am not a hippy who only believes in natural remedies.

I don’t swear off Tylenol, Advil, or vaccinations. I don’t only eat organic and I don’t exercise everyday. I’m not entirely gluten, dairy, or sugar-free, and some days I don’t eat my 8-10 servings of vegetables. I don’t think crystals can heal you and I don’t disregard conventional medicine. And lastly, I don’t believe in a divide between conventional and alternative medicine.

As a Naturopathic Physician, I have heard my fair share of individual’s interpretation of what that means. I wanted to write an intro that is raw and tells a little more about me as a doctor and a person. I believe in evidence based medicine and look to research for a lot of treatment decisions.  I think that clinical experience can outweigh some research (especially where the research is lacking) and keeping an open mind and treating each patient as an individual is instrumental.

I mentioned a lot about what I don’t do entirely because I choose to live my life in moderation.  So here’s how I find a balance:

I limit the amounts of dairy in my diet due to antibiotic and hormone additives, agricultural impact on the environment, and my food sensitivity results.

I believe in the impact that pesticides, herbicides, germicides, and genetically modified organisms can have on our health and environment and therefore try to support local, organic, hard-working farmers.

I eat mainly wild game, thanks to my husband, but I don’t refuse to eat meat, poultry or fish at restaurants or friends houses to be difficult.

I try to eat mainly vegetables (and “real food”) and strive for what’s in season and love trying new recipes!

I play soccer on a regular basis and like to run outdoors, play tennis, hike, and try new things.

I believe in being mindful and seeing things in a larger light, but just like everyone else, stress can build and I too need to remind myself to live in the present instead of the past or future.

I feel very privileged to practice Naturopathic Medicine and hope you enjoy my blog posts on topics related to my practice and interests. I am accepting patients in the Chilliwack, BC area. Click here to book your complimentary 15-minute consultation.