A Less Formal Introduction

Written by Kaleigh Coolsaet on October 19, 2015.

Yes, I’m a Naturopathic Doctor, and I’d like to introduce myself less formally than your typical autobiography page and also let you know why I’m creating this health blog.

First off, I’ll start with why I chose to practice Naturopathic Medicine. Growing up I was fortunate to be a healthy and active kid. I played lots of sports, which kept me active and interested in nutrition and I was also a bit of a science nerd in school. I loved the science and kinesiology courses in high school, so when I headed off to University I knew I wanted to study biological sciences – simply put, the study of living things.

It was also during University where I began to run myself into the ground trying to accomplish everything: achieving good grades, exercising, and maintaining my social life. I started to notice that I couldn’t get by on little sleep anymore and was left feeling fatigued and less motivated than usual. It was hard to focus and concentrate in classes. I continued to push myself despite not feeling well, as I was there to study my passion: the human body. I sought help from the medical center at school, where my lab tests returned normal but I was still feeling terrible. Deep down I knew something was wrong, so I was persistent and went back to the clinic and was offered a trial of anti-depressants. With no other answers or solutions I felt it was my only choice, and I was hopeful this would be the answer so I could get back to my studies. Initially I felt a little bit better, but it did not help with the fatigue and I just felt flat. This wasn’t going to be the quick fix I was hoping for.

At this time a family member who had seen a Naturopathic Doctor introduced me to Naturopathic Medicine. Listening to their story with this doctor was enough for me to book myself in and see what they had to offer me. It was in these very first few visits where I found what I needed. One, I finally felt someone was listening to my story and putting all the pieces of my health puzzle together. Two, my ND actually educated me on my body, what was happening and how to restore my health. With diet changes, exercise, supplements and herbal medicines I was able to help improve my adrenal and thyroid health, which had been compromised with my poor university lifestyle and study habits. I was finally able to get back to enjoying my life!

With feeling so frustrated with the conventional medical system and learning how a more whole body approach to health can have such dramatic and powerful results I knew I wanted to be able to help others in this same way. Too many of us are feeling tired and sick, and sometimes the medical system has no answers for us. Our labs look normal, yet we are left feeling tired, sad and hopeless.

It is my passion and mission as a naturopathic doctor to investigate your personal health symptoms and history, and help support your body to function optimally and prevent future problems from occurring down the road. I strive to educate and empower my patients to take charge of their health, and re-ignite their passion for life through optimal health and vitality.

I’ve created this blog to write about various health topics to educate my patients on their bodies and provide health tips to help them on their road to recovery. I’m often asked the same questions, and if they are asking me questions, then more people out there have the same questions. So I will answer their questions here to help empower people to take charge of their health, and start asking more questions. The more we know about our bodies, the better choices we can make.

Coming up I will be writing a 3 part series on STRESS. Stress has so many negative health impacts, yet there are so many simple things we can do to help reduce its toll on our health. If you have any health topic you would like me to address on the blog, simply write it in the comments below or email me.

Best in health, – Dr. Kaleigh

Tags: Health, Naturopathic Medicine