Naturopathic medicine has grown significantly over the past few decades, but many still ask what we do. Thus, we thought we’d take a step back and review the basics.

Naturopathic medicine is a gentle but effective form of whole-body medicine that focuses on the foundations of health to treat disease, including diet and digestion, movement, sleep and stress management. In California, naturopathic doctors (ND) are licensed primary care providers, able to diagnose and treat illness as a general practitioner/family practice doctor. NDs can order laboratory tests, imaging, perform injections and IVs and prescribe medications when needed, along with botanical medicines, supplements, diet and lifestyle recommendations.

Sustainable health is a nebulous goal, but can be achieved by focusing on daily self-care basics. Many of our patients have serious, complicated cases, such as cancer, autoimmune disease or chronic pain. When approaching complicated cases, the first thing we consider are “naturopathic BTGs” or basic treatment guidelines: nutrition, movement, sleep, mindfulness, and digestion/detox. These are the foundations of daily health and wellness that will help reset and restore from the inside out.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be consistent.

Nutrition is a leading focus of the BTGs. By making simple changes and removing inflammatory foods from your diet such as sugar and processed foods, and increasing organic veggies, organic proteins and clean water, you can reset your digestion and detox effectively. Coupled with daily exercise and movement, these changes can help with weight loss, increased energy, reduced inflammation, balanced moods, normalized digestive function, improved sleep and reduced joint pain. It sounds simple enough, but modern life tends to derail health.

This season, Live Well Clinic is proud to welcome Cristal Salcido, ND to our team. Dr. Salcido is an Indio native and graduate of La Quinta High School where she participated in the Medical Health Academy. She became the first in her family to attend college earning an associate degree in biology from College of the Desert (2014), followed by a bachelor’s degree in Chicano Studies from UC Riverside (2016). Inspired by her mother, a healer in her own right, and the underserved communities in which she grew up, Salcido pursued advanced degrees in naturopathic medicine and counseling psychology from Bastyr University, a revered naturopathic medicine college. She graduated this past June and is thrilled to return to the Coachella Valley.

Salcido is eager to lead a new health project at Live Well Clinic. This program will provide both English and Spanish-speaking members with access to low-cost health education curated by licensed naturopathic doctors. With so much information available — often from unreliable sources — it’s challenging to determine what’s accurate. Live Well Clinic aims to address this issue by offering trustworthy guidance. The goal of the program is to bridge the gap between doctor-patient communication, empower the community to make informed health decisions, and make naturopathic medicine more accessible and sustainable to all.

Dr. Fung is a primary care naturopathic doctor with a focus on integrative cancer care and PRP regenerative joint injections. She is the founder of Live Well Clinic and can be reached at (760) 771.5970 or visit www.livewellclinic.org.