Whether you’re diagnosed with a specific illness, struggling with health issues, or simply want to be your healthiest self, visiting a naturopath can be helpful. But not all naturopaths provide the same level of service or the same customized solutions.
The Dempster Clinic, led by Dr. John Dempster, ND, stands out from the rest. “Our approach to health is deeply rooted in functional medicine,” says Dr. Dempster. “We focus on resolving the root cause of our patients’ health concerns by identifying imbalances in the body.”
The clinic offers sophisticated tests that help uncover underlying issues in a number of key areas, including gut health.
“We conduct a test that measures the amount of good and bad bacteria in the gut,” he says. “We can check for harmful bacterial overgrowth, parasites and worms, or viral infections that can affect our overall health and well-being.”
The gut-brain connection
The connection between our guts and our brains is one that not many people are aware of.
“Our gut is like our second brain,” says Dr. Dempster. “There’s a nerve highway that goes from our central nervous system to our gut, so the brain has a direct effect on our stomach and intestines and vice versa.”
And it’s not just what we eat. “Our household products or our skincare regimen can also directly impact our microbiome,” he says.
Improving gut health starts with what goes on our plates, recommends Dr. Dempster. “We choose how healthy our gut is with forks, knives, and spoons,” he says. “We need to choose pesticide and herbicide-free organic foods, as well as fermented foods, which support our guts by forming the good kind of bacteria.”
