"I don’t know if there is a typical patient for naturopathic treatment or acupuncture, but as a natural skeptic, I was pretty sure it wasn’t me. Now, two and a half months after my first visit, my energy is better than it’s been in years. My immune system seems strong, and despite a stressful work environment my demeanor has become downright cheerful. I’ve even lost a few pounds.

"In the three months prior to my first appointment with Dr. Brody, I had grown desperate about my health, lurching from one virus to the next, with a continuous feeling of fatigue. This was a pattern that I’d seen repeated through the last several years, becoming slightly worse over time. This year in particular, my job could not afford suboptimal performance, much less my absence. On top of that, I was sick of feeling lousy. When my primary care physician at Kaiser recommended I see a Naturopath, I swallowed my skepticism and made the appointment.

"No magic pill was presented to fix my problems. Instead Dr. Brody directed a plan of action including changes to diet, dietary supplements, changes in my pattern of exercise, and eventually acupuncture (another opportunity to challenge my skepticism). My responsibility was simply to follow directions.

"To follow directions is not necessarily an easy thing, particularly when it involves change to habits like eating and exercise that have been in place for a long time. But I was determined to feel better. I didn’t get better overnight; at one point it was necessary to take a course of antibiotics. But I could feel the progress being made, evidenced by a quick rebound from a bacterial infection. At this writing, I’ve been completely well for a full month.

"It’s hard for me to say which variables have made the most difference: removing certain foods from my diet, adding dietary supplements, acupuncture, the attitude shift occurs when you start to take control of a situation. My guess is that it’s all of the above. In addition, Dr. Brody is sincere, professional and friendly, and I have come to look forward to my appointments, particularly acupuncture.

"Dr. Brody’s goal was not to make me feel as good as I felt before my cycle of viruses began. Her goal was to make me feel better than that. After less than three months, we’ve already achieved that goal."

- Peter