Beauty & Health Cures From a Naturopath

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I grew up in the ‘70s with a mom who frequented the health food store, meditated regularly, and stocked homeopathic pellets in her medicine cabinet. Alternative medicine has always been pretty standard to me, but I am most comfortable straddling the line. Advil is my go-to for cramps, but I will pop charcoal tablets instead of an antacid for a stomach issue. Lately, however, I’ve wanted to become more well-versed in alternative remedies, and even just navigate the vitamins I should be taking. My Primary Doctor isn’t knowledgeable on alternative therapies, and I’m not comfortable just self-prescribing from the internet, or worse, relying on the store clerk at the local health food store. This is how I ended up at the Manhattan office of naturopathic doctor Nicole Weigl.

Weigl says there are two groups of people who come to her. First, there are people who have a prior illness diagnosis and want additional complementary therapies. She sees everyone from cancer patients to kids with ADHD. Then there are those, like me, who are already into wellness, but want to make sure they are eating optimally and using natural medicines correctly. “A lot of people do too much internet research about health, and they are overwhelmed,” Weigl says. “They know they should take vitamins, but don’t know how much or which ones. There are a lot of poor quality supplements out there. It’s important to have someone to advise you through it.”  Nutritional counseling is also a major focus of her practice. She will make home and supermarket visits, helping clients swap out their unhealthy foods with better choices. Weigl even does in-home cooking lessons to demonstrate how delicious eating well can be. When was the last time your doctor did that?

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Naturopathy has been around since 1895, but with over 40% of Americans using alternative therapies, consulting a naturopathic doctor makes sense. Note that there is a big difference between a naturopath and a naturopathic doctor—namely, schooling. While the former requires only an online course, a naturopathic doctor goes through a rigorous four-year program that focuses on traditional Western medicine as well as alternative therapies. Still, NDs aren’t recognized as doctors everywhere; in New York, they cannot perform physical exams or write prescriptions, but in states like Oregon and Florida, they have full prescribing rights. As Weigl explains, “I act more like a health consultant.”

Naturopaths focus on healing from the inside. It could be acupuncture, homeopathy, natural products, meditation, herbs, or nutritional supplements. “My focus is getting to the root cause of a problem working in harmony with the body to restore function rather than suppressing symptoms,” Weigl says. For example, instead of giving you a topical prescription cream for a skin issue like eczema, a naturopath will focus on curing the problem from within and the cures might be a change in diet or finding ways to bring down your stress level. It’s a holistic way of looking at disease, and awareness that mental, environmental, or emotional factors all affect the body.

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My initial visit with Weigl runs about 90 minutes. In addition to answering the standard questions about my personal and family medical history, Weigl delves into my emotional health, sleep patterns, and details like how much water I drink. There’s a lot of focus on my mental wellbeing, and it almost feels a bit like a hybrid of light therapy appointment with standard doctor consultation. When we talk about my issues, some of her recommendations surprise me. When I tell her about my recurring rosacea, she suggests taking acidophilus, a positive bacteria that helps maintain intestinal pH levels.  “Many skin issues are triggered by the immune system, diet, and stress,” she says. “A huge portion of the immune system is located around the digestive tract, so ensuring this system is working well and healthy is essential.” When I mention my newfound anxiety in the subway, she recommends talking the calming herb Passiflora for a couple of weeks, paired with soothing lavender oil applied to my skin. The aromatherapy aspect, she says, will help my brain think of the subway as someplace positive.

Admittedly, I’m somewhat skeptical—are herbs and flowers really going to stop me from freaking out on the 6 train? But I try the lavender on my next subway ride. In a crowded, smelly, claustrophobia-inducing subway car, there is something really nice about smelling the lavender. Paired with a little Taylor Swift blasting through my headphones, I find myself focusing on the scent more than my anxiety. Cured? Not sure for the long term (I have yet to try the Passiflora), but I’m notably calmer underground. At the very least, it is a pleasant distraction.

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As for the rosacea, I do notice my skin looks a bit calmer since I’ve been upping my acidophilus. However,  the most helpful aspect of the visit was Weigl’s guidance on supplements. I had been taking my multivitamin at night, which was the reason why I am usually full of energy around 10pm—not helpful for sleeping. While I knew I had to take D3 and calcium, I wasn’t sure of how much to take and if it made sense to take a combined pill. Also, with those nutrients in my multi, was I taking too much of the additional forms? Weigl walked me through how much to take, when, and what I did and didn’t need. She asked for a copy of my most recent labs, so she can confirm that she’s recommended the right amounts. For the first time, I felt confident about the vitamins and herbs I was using.

Would I swap my primary physician for a naturopathic doctor? No. But I do see them as complementary. For now, I will keep straddling the line, but now I won’t be doing it alone.