ALEX KRAFT ND LAC
Naturopathic Physician, Acupuncturist
Many chronic diseases are the result of imbalance in the body - nutritional, hormonal, or immune, chronic infections, toxin exposure, or various lifestyle factors. In fact, the most common health concerns in the US (heart disease, diabetes, cancer) are shown to be directly linked to dietary and lifestyle factors.
Many times, symptoms are an expression of imbalance, or different body systems are stretched beyond their capacity to heal. As a naturopath and functional medicine provider, my goal is to identify what is contributing to dis-ease, prescribe treatments to support the body's natural (normal) functions, and provide information and resources for helping to resolve these imbalances.
I believe it is more beneficial to support the body with positive lifestyle choices, herbs, digestive and immune support, than to treat symptoms with prescription drugs. Prescription medication can be necessary and I do prescribe them, but most medications are designed to block functions of the body in order to eliminate symptoms, instead of identifying and treating contributing factors. Discovering what lifestyle factors are contributing to chronic illness takes time, so our visits allow more time to start to uncover triggers or factors relating to illness. Health isn’t a destination as much as a journey, so achieving or maintaining health requires awareness, positive choices, and some discipline. Given the right support, the human body has an amazing tendency & capacity for healing.
HEALTH PHILOSOPHY
When we work with you, we avoid pigeon-holing you into specific disease categories. Instead, we try to identify ways your body is not functioning optimally and develop treatments to support your body's capacity to heal. Oftentimes this means identifying and treating food sensitivities, microbial or hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, or environmental exposures.
We believe it is more beneficial to give assistance to the body than manage symptoms with prescription drugs, which often work through suppression (i.e. anti-this/that). We've all grown up in a world unlike anything that existed before, where we are the test-subjects of the many processed foods and household chemicals which are now commonplace. Using Functional Medicine, Acupuncture, Nutrition and Botanical Medicine, we strive to stimulate your body's innate healing abilities. We want to partner with you with the goal of optimizing and reclaiming a healthier, happier life.
PROFESSIONAL BIO
Dr. Kraft graduated in 2004 from Bastyr University in Seattle, and is a board-certified Naturopathic Physician and Licensed Acupuncturist in the state of Washington. His practice is located at Trillium Natural Medicine on Bainbridge Island, WA. An avid researcher, Dr.Kraft's special areas of interest include: thyroid and hormonal imbalance, digestive health and nutrition, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, autism, and ADD/ADHD. Much of his research is centered around the digestive system, the interaction between the intestinal microbe and the immune system, nutrition, & digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Disease and IBS, and chronic illness. Dr. Kraft believes food is medicine and has become well-versed in using therapeutic diets to help patients overcome many ailments.
Dr Kraft has advanced training in treating “neuro-atypical kids” through the Medical Association of Pediatric Special needs ) (MAPS) group, and personally has focused much of his research over the past several years on the interaction of the immune system with intestinal microbes.
WHY TRILLIUM
The Trillium plant is native to Pacific Northwest forests, and is an indicator species. This means that they only grow in environments which are free from toxicants and contamination. In places where Trillium are present, the health of the local environment is likely very good. Similar to the Trillium plant, humans do best when living in healthy environment, both internal and external.