Dr. Michael Turcotte
Educator of Holistic Healthcare and Traditional Naturopathy
A PRIVATE MEMBER NON-PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENT
Philosophies of Health
Optimal Health is Key
It blends the knowledge we’ve gained from science with the wisdom of ancient healing traditions. We refer you to your Doctor for conventional medicine (drugs and surgery) when appropriate, but we embrace complementary approaches, e.g. acupuncture, nutrition, supplements, herbs, bodywork, stress reduction, stretching and emotional release techniques. In addition to using different therapeutic techniques, we always take into account the person’s belief systems, attitudes, feelings, social relationships and environment. We also look at their patterns of eating, working, resting, sleeping and exercising and never lose sight of the body’s ability to heal itself. And finally, our roles as practitioners includes teaching people to get healthy and inspire them to stay healthy.
Health care not sick care
Health is more than merely the absence of disease or symptoms. It is a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social well-being. Western medicine is excellent for crisis care; for instance, when you break a bone, cannot breathe or are having a heart attack. But wellness and preventing poor health begins with the dis-ease process. It offers tools to get and keep you healthy. We have the knowledge now to go beyond the current crisis care model and incorporate lifestyle, nutrition, supplements and bodywork to improve the functioning of organs as a means of preventing disease and creating vibrant, sustainable health. An Apple a day....
Sustainable wellness
My goal is to help people achieve and maintain wellness. Together we examine what your needs are in order to achieve sustainable wellness. I'll guide you and teach you about diet, nutrition, herbs, oils, homeopathy, movement, stress-reduction and appropriate supplements, all the elements needed to nourish and optimize organ and cellular function. I encourage people to be autonomous rather than impose my desires and decisions onto them because ultimately, each one of us must take responsibility for our own health.
Good health requires one to be proactive
Becoming proactive in one’s health is essential but difficult because there are many powerful social, economic, and political forces that work to undermine our ability to be truly healthy. From the processed food industries to the chemical companies, our culture has become susceptible to large scale, well-funded interests that make money by perpetuating an unhealthy system. This has created conditions in our society that support rather than prevent disease. As consumers, we cannot be passive anymore. We need to take responsibility for our own health, the health of our families, our society, and the world at large. The small choices we make on a daily basis affect our resilience, our health, and our quality of life.
Feed our genes good “information”
We now know, thanks to the science of Epigenetics, that how your genes are expressed is determined by what information you feed them. And that genetic expression is in a constant state of change. For better or for worse. This means that what you eat, how you think, what supplements you take, how much toxicity you have been exposed to in your life, etc, have an enormous effect on your genes, and consequently your health. These factors all act as information which is read by your genes. They can influence whether certain genes get turned on or off and ultimately whether you develop certain diseases or not. For example, you may have a genetic predisposition for heart disease; whether or not you actually develop that disease is determined by what information you feed your genes, what environment you have “bathed” those genes in. It’s very empowering, the notion that we can change the expression of our life code, our DNA, thus changing our outcome. Man can’t change DNA but he can certainly change its expression. For better or for worse
Every one of us is unique
Just like we all have unique physical features and personalities, no two fingerprints alike, we also all have unique internal and biochemical make-ups. We believe that we were created not evolved and that the incredible DNA not a coincidence; get genetically tested here. Our philosophy is that when the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the whole person are developed, true health can be achieved. I've designed our clinic to support the integration of all three. Every individual is distinct in how we digest food, which particular foods nourish us, which ones we are sensitive to, and how our bodies break down drugs or detoxify pollutants. Our systems are as unique to each person as our fingerprints. This explains why some people react poorly to certain foods, or why some people get side effects from drugs while others don’t.
Our Body, Mind [soul-emotions]
and spirit are all connected
We are Created in God's image. Like Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Like water, Ice and Steam so is our Body, Mind [emotions/soul] and Spirit. Our Body makes us temporally aware of our surrounding with our five senses [touch, smell, taste, see, hear] Our mind makes us emotionally aware [love, hat, happy, sad] Our Spirit is for one reason and one reason alone and that is why we were created; To make us aware of our creator and all His glory and all the glory of His creation.
I believe there is no separation of mind, body, and spirit. [i.e. see or smell something and it brings us to a happy or not so happy familiar place.] Thoughts, attitudes, and belief systems have an enormous impact on your physical well-being. Conversely, if your body is ailing, your mental health will be compromised. All of our body parts are connected and influence each other. Even the medical profession has huge advances in addressing the "Mind-Body Connection" Nervous stomach, depression hurts, fire walkers defy science skin doesn't burn and hypochondriacs actually develop the diseases their are worried about! "As a man thinks in his heart so is he"
Our body has been created with an innate capacity
to heal itself
Although we take it for granted, the body is engaged in self-healing all the time. When you cut yourself, your body heals the cut. When you get a cold, the body’s immune system usually fights it off after a few days. Your body is continually healing and repairing itself. My role as a practitioner is to help remove obstacles to healing, so the body can take care of itself. I believe death, sickness and disease began the day man rebelled selfishly in the garden as it was warned.
The cause and treatment of most disease is usually multi-factorial
Due to the huge discovery and success of antibiotics in treating many infectious diseases, modern medicine has taken that model and extrapolated it, looking for the “magic bullet” to cure every disease. Yet most diseases are a result of multiple factors which are not addressed when we look for a magic bullet treatment. Think of yourself as a ship that’s sinking beneath the waves. Just as you can save a sinking ship by tossing some weight overboard, many people can feel better by “tossing overboard” one or two burdens that are weighing them down. These burdens all added together are called the Total Load.
Look for the Root Functional Factors of Diseases Rather Than Just Treat Symptoms
In conventional medicine, doctors are trained to suppress (or eliminate) symptoms. Although treating symptoms is necessary and may make the person feel better temporarily, looking for the underlying cause is highly beneficial. When you’re driving your car and the oil light goes on, you don’t put a Band-Aid over the oil light and drive on. You go to the mechanic to see why the oil light went on. Symptoms should be seen the same way. When there is an imbalance in the system, your body sends you signals. Looking for the root cause, treating the underlying disturbance, and restoring balance are more important than simply treating the symptoms. When a plant is sick or not doing well, you don’t paint it green; you look at the soil, sun, water and nutrients. This is exactly how I see the body, and the new Functional Medicine model looks at disease and dysfunction the same way.
Investigate and Discover Sub-Optimal Functioning
There is a continuum between optimal health and dis-ease where different grades of sub-optimal functioning can appear. For example, your car’s brake pads don’t just give in and fail out of nowhere. More than likely, they fail due to years of wear and tear that have been slowly eroding the pads. The same thing happens with our health. Before we develop a disease, there have usually been months or even years of progressive wearing down of optimal functioning. Although our body has a large reserve that it uses to maintain health, it can be depleted and worn down over time. Only then do we experience disease; it doesn’t just happen out of the blue. My role as a nutritional consultant is to help improve and restore the body’s reserves and help it become more resilient. To use the car analogy, building the body’s reserve is like putting thicker pads on the brakes.
The extraordinary healing power
of ordinary things
Music, dancing, movement, relaxation, water, food, plants, optimism, having meaning in one’s life, connection with others (fellowship), pets and many other things we take for granted have extraordinary healing powers. Society tries to dictate that life is so complicated and shallow when in fact our lives are simple and deep. For most of us, most of the time, it’s the simple, ordinary things we can do for our health that are more valuable than the high-tech, expensive options that are out there.
Our world reflects our health
Our health is affected by and closely connected to the health of our environment. We humans are a created as the universe, we differ in we have a soul. If our world is polluted, or toxic, we become polluted; if our family around us is not happy, we are not happy.
Embrace the Law of Sowing and Reaping
My philosophies stem from my relationship with our creator and what he has revealed to us through the ages; one of my core fundamental beliefs is in the the root law of Sowing and Reaping. This law declares that the actions you choose will determine the consequences you get. It is therefore my belief that the seeds you choose to sow; regarding your personal life, lifestyle, dietary habits, environment, mind-set, will largely determine the kind of health and life that you will harvest. The application of this law can be endless. A great example is the ancient proverb as written by the King Solomon in Proverbs 26:20 that states where there is no wood the fire goes out. Good, Bad or Indifferent; apply it to anything.