Naturopatic Medicine: Holistic approach – Doctor’s Rx for mental health amid the pandemic. “Get Social, Safely.”

By Trina Kleist

Gregory Weisswasser had played guitar, composed and performed since he was a kid. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, it was natural for the Grass Valley resident to turn to music.

He and his bandmates hunkered down during months of lock-down and isolation, played a lot, and poured their uncertainty, stress and fear into an album that expresses their mixed emotions.

Weisswasser is also a naturopathic doctor who, with wife Dr. Carolyn Weisswasser, N.D., runs Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine in Grass Valley. While physical isolation stops the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, social isolation has led to a cycle of withdrawal, depression and, in some people, an even lower interest in socializing, Weisswasser says.

“I have patients come in, and I’m the only person who touches them all week. I’m the only person they have a serious conversation with,” Weisswasser says. Socializing is very complex. It takes a lot of brainpower and, like our muscles, when we don’t use our brains, we start to lose brain function. “You can get it back, but it gets harder the older you are, just like everything else,” he adds. “After two years, the risk to mental health at this point is significant.”

Weisswasser offers this advice as we enter the third year of the pandemic and global uncertainty:

Socialize! For people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, Weisswasser encourages finding safe ways to socialize. “Do something outside, wear a mask, but still do the social thing. It needs to be a priority,” he advises. “Get on with your lives.”

Exercise! Both mood and mental function improve with physical activity, so get off the couch and out of the house. Balance exercises such as tai chi and qi gong build and strengthen connections in the brain.

Touch! “It makes you feel your humanity and relate to others better,” Weisswasser says. If you have to, go to a physical therapist or body worker.

Combine social & physical activities 

For example, walk in the woods with a group of people. Get outside!

Find your passion. “Having a purpose in life is very important for mental health,” Weisswasser says. Take up an art, craft, hobby or volunteer for a good cause. “Choose to do things that are emotionally productive.”

Persevere. If a new activity is hard, keep working at it; that’s how our brains grow. “That’s especially true for our older community, but it’s true for a 20-year-old too!” Weisswasser says.

Eat a balanced, moderate diet. Worry less about your weight and more about the nutrition you’re getting, he advises. Colorful fruits and vegetables, plus good oils, minus excessive meat, grains, sugar and alcohol, will fortify your brain and soothe your emotions.

Face your fears. “People are traumatized by this pandemic,” and now have the added worry of a war that could expand beyond Ukraine, Weisswasser concluded. If you need help moving forward, get counseling.

Naturopathic Medicine helps the body heal itself

Doctors draw from science, tradition to guide patients toward mental health

Naturopathic medicine is based on both science-tested and traditional therapies, with the goal of healing the root cause of maladies. “We’ve got hundreds of years of patient-centered focus within naturopathic medicine,” says Dr. Gregory Weisswasser, N.D., of Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine in Grass Valley.

In treating mental and emotional health amid the pandemic, naturopathic professionals will look both at brain physiology and at the larger environmental and social factors people experience.

Naturopathic doctors use nutrition, homeopathic and botanical medicines, and physical medicine in treatment. Starting in 2004, they gained the same legal status for diagnosing and treating medical conditions as conventional medical doctors in California.

Weisswasser and his wife, Dr. Carolyn Weisswasser, N.D., were among the first in the state to receive licenses, and Greg Weisswasser served two terms on the state licensing board. 

Now, it’s much more common for conventional doctors to pull from natural medicine. “It’s coming to the forefront,” he says.

Our brains are bubbling cauldrons of biochemical reactions
that result in the complex work of perceiving and thinking.

Dr. Gregory Weisswasser, N.D.

Mental health starts with a good diet

Good food is basic to a healthy mind, as well as a healthy body. That was true before the COVID-19 pandemic started more than two years ago, but the stress of this historical moment makes that truth even more urgent. If your diet has gone off-kilter, now’s the time for a reset that will support your mental health going forward.

Dr. Gregory Weisswasser, N.D., of Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine in Grass Valley, has these recommendations for a brain-healthy diet:

Eat a “rainbow diet: Fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables are packed with most of the nutrients that help your brain work its best. “Eat colorful things, and you’ll be colorful!” Weisswasser quips.

Get good oils and fats. Our brains are made up of particular kinds of fats. Get brain-healthy fats from fatty fish such as salmon, fresh olive oil, avocados, nuts and eggs. Avoid all hydrogenated oils and trans-fats; check the labels on processed foods, which are loaded with them. When you cook with oil, lower the temperature to avoid browning, which changes the chemical structure of oils in an unhealthy way. Reduce meats high in bad fats, including beef and pork.

Eat whole grains. Processed grains such as white bread contribute to inflammation throughout the body, including the brain, studies show. Grain-fed beef adds to the load, so switch to grass-fed meat.

Limit refined carbs. Be aware of simple carbohydrates such as refined sugar, bread, pasta, rice and crackers. At the same time, don’t be too hard on yourself, Weisswasser advises.

Limit alcohol. More than a little can become destructive, Dr. Weisswasser warns, especially when we feel frustrated or angry.

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