A personal wellness program should include a lead
practitioner that acts as a gatekeeper and coordinates a plan of care that meets the individual’s needs.
recommend undergoing a physical every six months and regular bone density tests, plus colonoscopies.” Loquasto is not in favor of mammograms because of the radiation exposure associated with them, but supports routine breast screen- ing using ultrasound or thermography.
Self-Diagnosis Intuitive listening and observant self- knowledge are crucial parts of any well- ness plan. Most people are aware when something doesn’t feel right in their body. “Libido is a great barometer of
health,” suggests Dr. Diana Hoppe, an obstetrician, gynecologist and hormone specialist in San Diego, California. “If you’re not interested in sex, it’s prob- ably a sign that you need to do some investigating.” Reasons for such a decline of interest are wide-ranging says Hoppe. “For men and women, it might be due to hormonal changes, lack of self-esteem, medications, stress, relationship issues, job, family life or lack of sleep. It means that somewhere, things are out of balance,” she says.
Funding a Plan
A personal multifaceted wellness pro- gram can be expensive, but there are ways to minimize the cost. “In the new world of high insurance deductibles, people get more for their money from an alternative doctor, especially one knowl- edgeable in a variety of healing therapies, than a conventional one,” Loquasto advises. Costs for tests may also be lower; plus patients are not expected to pay $150 or more just to walk in the door. A current trend has medical doc-
tors and chiropractors participating in “umbrella” practices and wellness centers, where several types of practi- tioners collaborate in one facility. They find that sometimes insurance will pay for certain complementary services, including massage and nutrition educa- tion, when doctors or chiropractors prescribe them.
Maintaining wellness in an environ- ment filled with chemical, biological and mental toxins is a substantial, yet
38 Collier/Lee Counties
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worthy, investment. It’s far better than the costly alternative of dealing with regular bouts of sickness or escalating disease. In that light, maintenance looks afford- able: an ayurvedic diagnostic session starts at around $100, a consultation with a licensed naturopath at $75 and acupuncture at $100; a massage typi- cally costs about $80 an hour. While insurance is unlikely to
pay for treatments outside the realm of conventional medicine and sometimes, chiropractic, “The cost of these preven- tive therapies will be much less than the cost of treatment for a serious disease,” advises Loquasto. “You’re worth it.”
Kathleen Barnes is author of more than a dozen natural health books. Her latest is The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know with Dr. Robert Thompson. Connect at
KathleenBarnes.com.
Finding the Right Practitioner
Word-of-mouth is the most common way to find a natural health practi- tioner, plus many national organiza- tions will help identify practitioners by location. Schedule an initial conversation to ask a practitioner key questions.
What is your degree, certification or license?
Who trained you and how did you train, specifically?
Do you practice full time?
How long have you been in prac- tice?
Will you provide patient refer- ences I can speak with?
Trust in intuitive responses to the individual during the conversation or interview. His or her passion for the work of healing should be noticeable.
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