Dr. Evelin Valdez, ND
My name is Dr. Evelin Valdez, and I am a AMNA (American Medical Naturopathic Association) board-certified Traditional Naturopathic Doctor. I graduated from the Naturopathic Institute of Therapies and Education in Mt Pleasant, Michigan, in December of 2022. My training of over 2600 hours includes, among many modalities, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition, Healing with Foods, Muscle Response Testing, Western Herbalism, Light Healing Touch, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Color and Sound Therapy, Bodywork, Reflexology, Homeopathy, Iridology, Sclerology, Meridian and Chakra work, Feng Shui, Essential Oils, and Bach Flowers, Vaccines, and Environmental Toxins. My course work consisted of classroom training, directed studies for each classroom module, client consultations, hands on therapeutic work, and 4 research papers in the field of natural healing. I also carry liability insurance through the Alternative Balance Professional Group. I have always been interested in how the body functions and why certain ailments affect some people but not others and how these states of dis-ease can be prevented and cured. I remember my mother and grandmother using home remedies like compresses, teas, and rest to get over health challenges. I have successfully used many of these home remedies for my own family throughout the years. For most of my adult life however, I have heard, seen, and experienced great dissatisfaction with how the medical system approaches and treats disease. I wanted to understand more about the healing powers of nature and decided to pursue an education in Natural Healing. For me, being able to help others has always been very satisfying and my passion to help people become and stay healthy has grown to the point where I decided to make it my second career. Food is the foundation of our health and disease. Natural, wholesome, and nourishing foods promote health. Processed, refined, and unnatural foods promote disease. I believe health and disease starts with what we put into our bodies. I have a great passion for food – gardening, cooking, learning about different foods, trying new things in my kitchen – and sharing these experiences with others. My connection to food is the reason why I have decided to focus my naturopathic work on wholesome nourishment for body, mind, and soul. What do I mean by that? Our body consists of a physical form, the mind, and the soul. All three parts need wholesome, nutritious “food”. Our physical body needs proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals to function properly and to maintain good health. The physical food must be wholesome, nutrient dense, and unadulterated. The body can compensate for poor dietary habits by using up nutrient stores and by re-allocating resources where they are most needed. If we continue to rob the body’s coffers, eventually there is nothing left to support the natural processes that keep us in balance and healthy. Where do these resources come from and how can we replenish them? The answer is simple: the resources are found in natural, wholesome foods that resonate with our body. By eating the right foods at the right time, we replenish the stores and give our body the resources it needs to run optimally. What about food for the mind and the soul? Body, mind, and soul are tightly connected. Disease is often the result of unprocessed and stuck emotions and an imbalance of the mind and spirit. To be healthy, we also have to consider the nourishment we give our mind and our soul. Negative thoughts, unprocessed emotions, trauma, pessimism, anger, violent scenes on TV, angry music, for example, have a negative impact on our health. They are the junk food for the mind. Wholesome foods for our mind are positivity, optimism, critical thinking, stimulating activities that use the senses, for example. What is it that we feed our mind? Are we taking notice of what our mind is exposed to? How can we successfully change what we feed our mind? What about food for the soul? Are we satisfied with life? Do we have a purpose in life? Do we have compassion, drive, empathy? What makes us happy? What puts a smile and sunshine in our heart? What are we afraid of? Are we giving ourselves what we need or are we too consumed with keeping up with the neighbors, not being a disappointment, or not letting others down? What connects us to others? All these questions often lead to the answers of the underlying dis-ease. So why do some foods work magic for some people but not for others? Because we are all different, and what is good for one is not necessarily good for all. We must take a close look at each individual and determine what is best for the individual because one size does not fit all when it comes to personal health. We all have different stories, different experiences, and different genetic pre-dispositions. We all have different nutrient needs based on our lifestyle, our health, our jobs, our activities. What can you expect from working with Dr. Evelin? First and foremost, as a Naturopathic doctor, I am NOT a healer, I am a facilitator and teacher. It is my job to support and guide my clients on their health journey and to teach them about tools for well-being and how to use them. The body has the innate ability to heal itself and nature provides the tools. As a naturopath I will never do anything that will harm my client. I will never perform any invasive procedures nor prescribe any medications. It is my firm belief, that the only path to health is to take ownership of one’s own health by implementing a lifestyle that allows the body to regenerate, rejuvenate, and to heal; by providing the proper nourishment to our physical, emotional, and spiritual body. I will support you on your journey through sharing my knowledge and experience. I will support you by listening to your story and by seeing the whole person, not only the symptoms. It is my goal to enable you to take ownership of your health and well-being and to nourish your body, mind, and soul. It is my mission to enable you to walk this path by making the lifestyle changes you can commit to and live with forever.
Mushrooms with special health benefits
As most of you know, my last Health and Wellness article was about the benefits of eating mushrooms and integrating mushrooms like Shitake, Portobellos, Enoki, Morels, Chanterelles, etc. Today, I will talk a little bit about mushrooms that have more than nutritional benefits – mushrooms that have medicinal properties. Disclaimer: Even though psychedelic mushrooms do have medicinal properties and have been used for healing in many ancient and traditional societies, I will not be discussing the benefits of these mushrooms in this article.
Functional, also called medicinal mushrooms, in addition to being nutrient dense, provide a myriad of health benefits ranging from immune support, variety of antioxidants, natural and non-addictive energy and stamina, balance blood sugar, cognitive and brain health, nervous system support, and support a healthy inflammatory response.
Read More
Topics:
Mushrooms,
Health Benefits of Mushrooms,
Medicinal Mushrooms
Everyone is talking about mushrooms these days – nutritional and psychedelic mushrooms. Here I will only talk about the benefits of nutritional mushrooms and why we should include them in our daily diets.
A Closer Look at Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been cherished and even treasured for thousands of years. Our ancestors have known about the healing and nutritional values of mushrooms. The Chinese have long considered mushrooms to be a medicinal food to maintain good health. The Greeks even believed that the consumption of mushrooms makes a man physically strong. And in modern day Japan, mushrooms are used to treat cancer.
Mushrooms are not uncommon in the American diet. However, most of the very nutritious and health improving mushrooms are not well known nor much consumed. Even though, mushrooms are often treated like vegetables, they really are not. They are a type of fungus.
Read More
Topics:
Mushrooms,
Health Benefits of Mushrooms
Minerals determine Important properties of the water we consume
Reverse Osmosis (RO) water is naturally more acidic than tap water, because along with the toxins, alkalizing trace minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and phosphorus are removed. RO water ranges from 5 to 7 pH. Natural water and tap water ranges from around 6.5 to 8.5. This leads to the question of whether one should or must re-mineralize RO water before drinking and whether RO water is healthy.
With the state of the environment and all the toxins found in our water supply, it is advisable to use RO water for drinking and household use just to avoid the toxins and to reduce the body’s toxic burden. However, before you alkalize your water, you want to make sure you know the pH of your drinking water!!! You can test your water using pH strips. Once you know your water’s pH, factors such as one’s state of health, body acid-alkaline balance, one’s diet, and personal taste preference determine whether or not one needs to/ should re-mineralize the RO water.
Read More
Topics:
Drink Water,
Importance of Water,
Why drink water,
Minerals,
Reverse Osmosis,
Trace Minerals
Acid-Alkaline Balance
What is the alkaline-acid balance in our body? In a nutshell, it is the balance between base (alkaline) substances and acidic substances in the body. There are many substances the body uses to build, repair, and function; these are amino acids, enzymes, sugars, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Each of them has a specific function, however, each substance is either an acid or a base (alkaline). Acids and alkaline have opposing yet complementary characteristics, and the body needs both to function properly. When acids and alkaline substances are present in balanced quantities, then the body is considered to be in Acid-Alkaline Balance, also referred to as Homeostasis.
Healthy and Unhealthy pH Levels
Our body is designed to function optimally when our internal bio-chemical environment measures 7.39 pH. The range for this optimum is very small from a more acidic environment of 7.36 pH to a more alkaline environment of 7.42 pH. If the body’s internal environment is anywhere between 7 and 7.36 pH, the body is considered to be in a state of acidosis. If the body’s internal environment is anywhere between 7.42 and 7.8 pH, the body is considered to be in a state of alkalosis. If the body gets into a state in which these limits are exceeded, it can no longer function and death will result. Our blood pH is kept in a range of 7.35 to 7.45. The body acid-base balancing procedures will do whatever they need to to keep the blood pH in this tight range.
Read More
Topics:
Healthy Habits,
Health Goals,
Naturopathy,
Alkaline,
Acid,
Alkaline-Acid Balance,
pH
What do electromagnetic fields and waves have to do with the human body?
The human body generates electricity that flows through it. The human body also has its own magnetic fields. The human heart produces an electric current that runs through the body and to every cell. This electric current in the body generates an electromagnetic field.Because the human body, and every living organism on this planet, is an electrical body all made up of charged particles, it is also subject to the laws of electromagnetism. The body’s bio-electromagnetic fields are very low in intensity (amplitude/power) but can be measured using devices like MEG (magnetoencephalography) and MCG (Magnetocardiography).
Every function of the human body relies on some type of signal transmission – from the immune system, to regeneration of cells, waste removal, healing, nerve function, immune function, to circulation and everything in between. And it all starts on the cellular level. Every cell innately knows its purpose and function and how to do it.
In order for the body to function at all, these signal transmissions must be clear and strong enough so the message gets to where it needs to go and can be understood by the receiving end. If there is any kind of interference in that electrical circuitry the message won’t make it or isn’t strong enough or too strong to effect the intended cellular reaction.
Read More
Topics:
Immune System,
Toxins,
Meridian and Chakra Work,
Chakras,
Electromagnetic Fields,
Nervous System,
Polarity Therapy,
Chakra Balancing,
Meridian Balancing
Cleanse AND DETOX PART 2
Its officially Spring and traditionally spring has bee one of the cleansing seasons, to let's continue the conversation of cleansing and doing a detox...
If you missed part one, you can find it at this link.
Let's take look at our toxic burden (the number of accumulated poisons like heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, fluoride, chlorine, preservatives, and xenoestrogens in our tissue).
There are many protocols and approaches to cleansing and detoxifying our bodies. You might wonder which one is the best cleanse or the best detox….Should I use herbs? What about Saunas? Juice Fast? Water Fast? Epsom Salt Baths? Intermittent Fasting? Coffee enemas? Colonics? Lymphatic Drainage?
These are all great ideas to complement any cleansing and detoxification efforts. That being said, let us look at the main external culprits of toxicity in the body – food and personal care products.
Read More
Topics:
Detox,
Toxins,
GMO,
Detoxification,
Body Cleanse,
Food Toxins,
Personal Care Item Toxins
Cleanses for Health
Its officially Spring and Spring is a great time to cleanse our bodies of toxins and parasites. If you think that does not apply to you, think again! We are exposed to toxins and parasites every day, and almost all day long.
We encounter bacteria, viruses and other microscopic critters that jump on every opportunity to take up residence in a willing host. In winter we move a lot less and so our lymphatic system is removing less toxins and waste products. We deep clean our cars, clothes, and houses all the time, however we don’t always think of deep cleaning our tissues and organs.
Read More
Topics:
Detox,
Toxins,
Detoxification,
Body Cleanse,
parasite
