Conventional medicine in the US is unsurpassed for the treatment of emergencies. As I've often said, if I'm in a train wreck, don't take me to an herbalist -- I'm going straight to Cedars Sinai.

But as good as conventional medicine is at emergency conditions, it is perfectly dreadful at keeping people healthy, or preventing them from getting sick in the first place. And it's only moderately good at treating chronic conditions -- those that linger on indefinitely, sapping your well-being and preventing you from being your best.
Is there somewhere else to turn for people trying to prevent disease or recover from chronic illness? The answer is yes.

A naturopathic physician offers another way of looking at disease, health and wellness. Let's say you have elevated blood sugar, or even pre-diabetes. A conventional doc will give you a drug to bring it down, but won't necessarily deal with the underlying cause.

A naturopath will look at what dietary and lifestyle factors are causing your high blood sugar in the first place, and try to change them. In the case of pre-diabetes, he may just keep you off meds altogether. This will avoid many of the side effects that may go with them.

You're more likely to walk out of his office with good instructions on how to follow a high fiber, low sugar, higher protein diet. And rather than walk out with insulin syringes, you'll be given a supplement regimen to follow.
You can trust a naturopath with your health. He or she is a medical professional who's been trained in seeing the patient as a whole person, rather than as a collection of symptoms. The best ones have been trained just as thoroughly as a medical doctor or osteopath.

In a few states they can legally prescribe drugs. First though, they'll treat patients with a combination of natural non-drug treatments including nutrition, herbal medicine, hydrotherapy, and acupuncture. If drugs are used, it will be as an adjunct to other therapies in a truly "integrated" approach.

A naturopath is a terrific choice as your general, go-to family doctor. They are especially effective at treating chronic conditions like asthma, allergies, food sensitivities, fatigue, adrenal burnout, and fibromyalgia. These are the conditions that conventional medicine doesn't know what to do with.

Many people also use naturopathic physicians as their gatekeepers, which is an excellent idea. They can determine when conventional treatment is needed as an adjunct and then help you find the best provider.
If you do consult a naturopath, it's important that you check out his or her qualifications thoroughly. A reputable naturopath will be a member of the AANP (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians) and licensed by their state.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. His new book, The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth was published in January 2008.]

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