Tag: medicine

Constitutional Homeopathy

Posted on by abigailseaver
Homeopathy is a form of medicine developed over 200 years ago in Germany by a medical doctor named Samuel Hahnemann.  It utilizes  very dilute amounts of plant, mineral and animal substances to treat illness.  Each patient is treated individually, in that a specific homeopathic remedy is chosen for them out of over 2,000 possibilities, based upon their specific symptoms and expression of their illness.
This form of medicine is one of the elements of my practice that I am most passionate about.  Homeopathic treatment is safe, gentle and does not interfere with any other medications.  When the correct remedy is used, improvement is rapid. Currently, I am expanding my knowledge about homeopathy to include exciting new methods taught by a group of homeopaths from India.
Below is a partial list of conditions that have responded beautifully to homeopathic treatment in my practice in the last six months:
Anxiety
Depression
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Panic Disorder
ADHD
Behavioral Disorders
Eczema
Chronic Hives
Chronic Sinus Infections
Menopausal Symptoms
Chronic Nerve Pain
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nausea of Pregnancy
Homeopathy can be used to treat many other conditions as well.  Contact me if you have questions about how homeopathy could help you.

Passionflower

Posted on by abigailseaver
Passionflower
Passiflora incarnata
 
You finally get into bed at night after a long busy day and expect to fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow.  What occurs instead however is that your brain can’t stop ruminating about the state of your finances, what you should have said to your boss, what your kids are up to…..An hour later you finally fall asleep only to wake up groggy to your alarm clock at six AM.  Sound familiar?
My favorite remedy for this situation ( in addition to daily exercise) is the herb Passionflower.  The name sounds like something that might keep you awake in bed, but the herb is actually very calming to the nervous system and can effectively shut off the mental chatter, allowing you to fall asleep.  It is available in tea, tincture and capsules.  A typical dose of tincture is two dropperfuls under the tongue right before bed.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Posted on by abigailseaver
Is your doctor having trouble getting your thyroid medication adjusted properly?  Do you need to change the dose of your medication every time you have a thyroid lab test?  Do you continue to have symptoms of low thyroid function even though your lab results are normal?  If any of the above statements are true, you may want to get tested for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  This is an autoimmune condition which is now the most common cause of hypothyroidism.  The immune system actually starts to attack the thyroid gland, which causes it to malfunction.  A simple blood test to check for thyroid antibodies can detect this problem.
I believe that the rise in this condition may be caused by a number of factors including exposure to environmental toxins and the dramatic alteration of our intestinal flora ( a very important part of our immune system) that occurs with antibiotic use.
What can be done about this?
The therapies which have been most successful for my patients include those that normalize immune function, aid indetoxification and reduce inflammation.  I may also change the type of thyroid medication to most effectively discourage antibody production.
What I see with effective treatment of this condition is that hypothyroid symptoms improve, need for thyroid medication stabilizes and immune function normalizes so that the likelihood of developing other autoimmune conditions is much reduced.

Dr. Seaver featured in The Watch

Posted on by abigailseaver

Check out a new interview with Ridgway, Colorado Naturopathic Doctor Abigail Seaver in The Watch.  Dr. Seaver was featured in the ‘Ask an Expert’ Section.

Here’s an except from the article:

“Each month Watch:Nurture will feature a Q&A with a different specialist from the region who can offer insight into children’s health and development issues. Here, Ridgway-based Naturopathic Doctor Abigail Seaver discusses her approach to children’s wellness.

Q: Why naturopathic vs. traditional Western medicine?

A: I chose to study naturopathic medicine rather than allopathic medicine because naturopathic medicine’s aim is to find the underlying cause of the patient’s symptoms and to use supportive, safe, low-force treatments to enable the body’s own healing mechanisms to correct the problem. For instance, I see many children who have received repeated courses of antibiotics to treat recurrent ear or sinus infections. In many of those cases, I have found that the underlying cause of the recurrent infections is an allergy to a specific food, and when that food is eliminated from the diet and some basic nutritional supplements are prescribed to support the child’s immune system, the infections cease and there is no further need for antibiotics. ”

Read the full article here: Watch Newspapers – ASK AN EXPERT Abigail Seaver Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Ridgway Colorado

Bitter Herbal Tonics

Posted on by abigailseaver

Bitter Herbal Tonics

In addition to the foods discussed above I also recommend an herbal formula containing bitter herbs to stimulate the digestive tract. Bitter plants stimulate the entire digestive tract to secrete digestive juices and are best taken prior to a meal but can also be used as an antidote to a large and heavy meal. These formulas are very effective at treating gas and bloating and can be used interchangeably with an encapsulated digestive enzyme supplement with the added benefit of stimulating the production of amylase, an enzyme found in our saliva which starts breaking down starches as soon as we chew our food.
I like our local Shining Mountain Herbs “Rocky Mountain Herbal Bitters” product which combines locally wildcrafted and organically grown herbs such as Aspen bark, Angelica root and Gentian root in a tasty formula. I usually recommend between 30 drops to one teaspoon up to three times daily before meals. This type of formula is contraindicated in acute gallbladder inflammation, intestinal blockage, for young children and in pregnancy.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Posted on by abigailseaver

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

6-8 servings

1/2 cup walnut halves
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
6 medium beets, trimmed and washed
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onions

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
fresh ground black pepper

1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves, de-stemmed and washed
3 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Combine walnuts with olive oil, salt and pepper, mixing well to coat the nuts
3. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 7-10 minutes
4. Set aside to cool
5. Wrap beets in foil and place on rimmed baking sheet
6. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 1/2 hours
7. Let cool for 20 minutes, then peel beets by holding them under cold running water and rubbing off the skins
8. Cut into 1/2 inch wedges and place in a large mixing bowl with walnuts and onion
9. Combine all the dressing ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning
10. Pour over the beets and dress well
11. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour
12. Just before serving, arrange spinach leaves in individual bowls or on a large platter
13. Arrange beets on top and crumble goat cheese over

Astragalus

Posted on by abigailseaver

Speaking of roots, another root that I am quite fond of at this time of year is Astragalus membranaceus, a Chinese herb that acts as an adaptogen to protect the body from stress, and protects and supports the immune system to prevent colds and upper respiratory infections.  It can be taken daily as a preventative and is safe for children.  It is available in my office as a liquid tincture or capsule.  If you have a medical condition or are taking any medications, please ask your doctor before adding this herb to your regimen.

Foods for Autumn and Winter

Posted on by abigailseaver

With the onset of winter comes the need to make some changes to our diets to stay healthy.  From an Oriental perspective, the cold weather requires that we use greater amounts of energy to stay warm and therefore we have less energy to break down and digest our food.  With decreased “digestive fire”, it is more difficult to process raw vegetables and cold foods.  Get out your cookbooks and look at the recipes for soups, stews and other warm, cooked foods.  Root vegetables are particularly good at helping your body hold onto energy and warmth rather than dispersing it and allowing you to become chilled.

Kale Potato Soup

(Laurel’s Kitchen Cookbook)
This is a very simple yet satisfying soup!
1 large onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic
2 large potatoes
1 large bunch kale
5 cups hot water or stock
1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
Black pepper
Saute onion in butter, cooking until clear and slightly golden.  About halfway, add the garlic, crush garlic with a fork.  Add potatoes and 2 cups water.  Simmer, covered, until potatoes start to soften.  Wash the kale, remove stems and chop, then steam.  Do not cook with the potatoes as the flavor is too strong.  When potatoes are well done, puree half of them with remaining water or stock and salt and pepper.  Combine all and heat gently.  Makes 6 cups.

Kale Potato Soup(Laurel’s Kitchen Cookbook)This is a very simple yet satisfying soup! 1 large onion1 Tbsp. butter1 clove garlic2 large potatoes1 large bunch kale5 cups hot water or stock1/2 tsp. salt, to tasteBlack pepper
Saute onion in butter, cooking until clear and slightly golden.  About halfway, add the garlic, crush garlic with a fork.  Add potatoes and 2 cups water.  Simmer, covered, until potatoes start to soften.  Wash the kale, remove stems and chop, then steam.  Do not cook with the potatoes as the flavor is too strong.  When potatoes are well done, puree half of them with remaining water or stock and salt and pepper.  Combine all and heat gently.  Makes 6 cups.