Why I got in to integrative medicine

Terry’s Story

I got into the idea of nutritional therapy back in high school, reading clinical success stories by doctors and researchers (Linus Pauling, Fred Klenner, etc.) who had gotten impressive results with orthomolecular therapy. It resonated so strongly with me then, that we hold powerful keys to health by choosing clean, whole-food diets and giving to the body abundant sources of the foundational molecules it knows how to put to use.

This nutritional approach is only one aspect of health, of course. But it is mega-powerful and signals to the body (and universe at large) that we support health and balance. I’ve even seen patients on poor diets begin to want whole foods after a few months of taking good vitamin and mineral supplements. Does that not say that the body knows and responds in a healthy way to the information that good nutrition provides?

My first “patient” was my freshman college roommate at [the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]. She had epilepsy and was on daily Dilantin and still had monthly seizures. I made sure she got a simple B complex capsule daily with a meal. She never had another seizure in the year I was with her. Serious encouragement both for her and for me.

I decided I wanted a good grasp of biochemistry and metabolism and wanted to help educate doctors and other healthcare practitioners on how to help their patients in this way. I’ve had a lot of help along the way. Nutritional therapy is as integrative as it gets.

—Terry, MS