The Seattle Times Best in the PNW The People’s Choice 2023: Gold Best Naturopath
Big announcement! As many of you know one of the clinics I work at, Roots for Health, was nominated for several categories for the Seattle Times Peoples Choice Best in the PNW competition. Well we are happy to announce that we won for the Naturopath category! Thank you to everyone who voted we really appreciate you! Congratulations to all the other winners as well!
If you didn’t know, every year The Seattle Times puts together The Best in the PNW The People’s Choice list to celebrate local businesses in the Puget Sound Region of the Pacific Northwest. Each year several businesses are nominated for many categories and then voted on by the public. Hundreds of thousands of votes are cast to ultimately decide on a Gold, Silver, and Bronze winner in each category. This year Roots for Health was nominated for the categories: Naturopath, Primary Care, and Specialty Medical Practice. We won Gold in the Naturopath category thanks to lots of votes from members of this wonderful community! Thank you for your support!
In case you want to check out any of the other winners take a peak at: www.bestinthepnw.com
Tips for reducing wildfire smoke inhalation and its effects
Living in the Pacific Northwest is an amazing thing. We are lucky to have the ocean, mountains, forests and cities all nearby for our enjoyment. Unfortunately, in recent years having those lush green forests nearby also means having to deal with wildfires. Wildfires are terrible for everyone. Likewise their smoke makes the air quality incredibly poor. As result wildfire smoke leads to respiratory symptoms and irritation for anyone living nearby. It is especially bad for anyone who suffers from respiratory illness, pregnant people, elderly people, immune compromised people, children, and infants.
If you need to go outside, wearing a face mask is one way to help reduce smoke inhalation. However, not all masks are created equal. To actually filter out smoke you need to use a respirator mask with an N95 or N100 rating. Unfortunately, these masks do not work for children or people with beards because the seals are not effective. Since most of us still don’t have access to N95 masks some alternatives that still offer protection are double masking, using a mask with a filter, or using a mask with a rating similar to an N95 mask like a KN95.
Above all if you can avoid exposing yourself to wildfire smoke your health will be better. Of course if you do need to go outside when it’s smoky here are some tips:
Ways to avoid getting caught in a wildfire
Monitor local news and stay aware of fires in your area
Check for local recommendations regarding evacuation
Check for local recommendations regarding burn bans
If you live in an area that is commonly at risk for wildfire have a plan
Ways to reduce wildfire smoke inhalation and exposure
Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about herbs that may helpful in countering the effects of smoke inhalation. Some of my favorites include:
Grindelia
Elecampagne
Fireweed
Eat fruits and vegetables! As you probably know fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They also are high in fiber which is great at removing toxins from the body. Plus they contain lots of vitamins and minerals which are essential for your body’s overall function.
