• Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University
• Interned at the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research and Fitness Center under the “Father of Aerobics” Kenneth Cooper, MD
• BS in Kinesiology, Minors in Biology and Athletic Training, from East Texas Baptist University
• Certified Powerlifting Coach (USPA)

A Note from Ash

What does good health look like to you? I get a lot of blank stares when I ask this question, but it’s always my first question.

A lot of patients come to me knowing what good health doesn’t look like: for men, low testosterone, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, depression, heart disease, or enlarged prostates; for women, fatigue, weight gain, mood changes, hot flashes, digestive issues, or changes in hair and skin.

Why good health in men is elusive

But that’s not answering what good health is. A lot of us guys get conditioned into this mindset that you keep your head down. You go to work. You work really hard. You keep going until you can’t go anymore. Then you retire. In the meanwhile, you build a good life for your family. And your health? You logic that your selfless dismissal of your health is for your family.

I spend my workdays telling guys how to be healthy, but I have not always maintained the balance. I had four sons over a period of 7 ½ years and a busy medical practice. I let myself gain weight. I didn’t work out. I believed the lie that I was doing this for my family. It was hard to get back into balance.

For women, it’s just as difficult

I’ve witnessed the changes women go through in my female patients, family, and friends. Once strong and vital, suddenly they are exhausted, gaining weight, and struggling to keep both themselves and their families afloat. They are often dismissed by the traditional medical community, ushered out the door with prescriptions for antidepressants and general, unhelpful advice on weight loss.

Finding the root cause—whether it is thyroid, hormones, gut, or something else–can be transformative to women struggling with their health. It is extremely rewarding for me to help turn things around for my female patients.

The medical system is failing us

That’s why functional medicine is critical to health. Functional medicine asks, “How did you get to this point? What lifestyle changes do you need to make to get back to health?”

At one point, I made a choice. I was accepted into both traditional and naturopathic medical schools. I shadowed traditional doctors holding five-minute visits with their patients, quickly writing prescriptions out. They didn’t have time to teach patients how to be healthy–they just had time to treat the sickness. I chose to become a naturopathic doctor, because I didn’t want to keep treating symptom after symptom, without teaching health.

In traditional medicine, if your blood pressure is high, you take a blood pressure medication. In naturopathic and functional medicine, you stop and look at the lifestyle that has gotten you to this point. Medications and supplements are sometimes necessary, but they aren’t the end game point. The end goal is for your body is for it to feel healthy because you’ve treated it well.

Let’s get back to health

Of course, to do this, you need to know what good health is for you. Maybe it’s having the energy to take up a sport again that you used to love, like long-distance bicycling or rock climbing. Or, perhaps it’s being more present with your children, family or friends. Maybe it’s finally losing that weight once and for all.

So, while you’re Googling answers to your questions, stop and ask yourself what your vision of health looks like. Then make an appointment with me. I want to help you find your way back to good health.