What is Naturopathy?

Naturopathy is a multidisciplinary approach to health care that recognises the body's innate ability to heal itself.

It's about examining all aspects of your diet and lifestyle that may adversely affect your health, directing treatment towards the cause and not just the symptoms of a complaint. This philosophy is based on the premise that the body contains a healing force which can be stimulated by the correct nutrients, clean water, fresh air, appropriate exercise, adequate rest and relaxation, a positive attitude and peace of mind.

Naturopathy is a complete system of healthcare which aims to help the client to eliminate waste products and toxins and then, by making appropriate lifestyle changes, give the body the opportunity to heal itself.

Naturopathy is based on three guiding principles:
The body has a natural drive to heal itself.
The root cause of disease is an accumulation of waste products and toxins.
The body will heal providing it is given the right kinds of opportunities.

An initial consultation with a naturopath will take an hour or longer. The naturopath will take a thorough medical history and details of the client’s working and personal lifestyle, exercise, sleeping, eating and drinking habits.

Each treatment is individually designed to meet the specific needs of the client and may involve, for example, recommended dietary changes, alternate hot and cold baths or showers, saunas or steam baths, enemas or colonic irrigation, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. In some cases, the naturopath may recommend a period of fasting which might involve, for example, a three-day fast with only water or fruit juice to drink. The key aim of the naturopath is to help the client to eliminate toxins from the body, thus allowing the body to re-balance, repair and heal itself.